The User's Guide, the first in a series of manuals, presents an overview of available methods for identifying, evaluating, and controlling hazards in facilities that use, manufacture, or store acutely toxic chemicals that could be released into the environment. Hazardous chemicals and their key characteristics are discussed, followed by a discussion of the potential hazards in process and physical plant design and in operational procedures. Formal methods of hazard identification and evaluation are discussed, their major features are compared, and an overview of control principles for prevention, protection, and mitigation is presented. Examples of control technologies are listed, and an example guide for inspecting facilities is presented. Important references on the topic of accidental toxic chemical release prevention are cited.

Distributed to depository libraries in microfiche. "EPA/600/8-87/028"--Cover. "July 1987"--Cover. "Radian Corporation." "Contract no. 68-02-3889; Work Assignments 84 and 98." "EPA Project officer T. Kelly Janes, Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory." Includes bibliographical references.