Chemical Events
Part Two : Issue Overview
This is a full transcript of the online presentation. For the
presentation itself, go here. Presented
by:
Alan Becker, BHS, MPH, PhD
Chemical Surveillance Toxicologist
Division of Environmental Health
Contact Number: 850-245-4117
My name is Alan Becker and Im and Environmental Consultant Toxicologist
in the Division of Environmental Health. I work with the Division of
Preparedness Coordinator and I will be speaking on the section on the
overview of chemical preparedness and whats being done.
Several partners are at work on chemical preparedness and these partners
include, the Department of Transportation, the Florida Department of
Health, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services,
Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and, Florida Emergency
Management.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is responsible for coordinating
the national safety programs for the transport of hazardous materials and
also for accident response. DOT publishes the Emergency Response Guidebook
that provides information on identification of hazards, public safety, the
emergency response, and initial isolation and protection actions for over
3000 industrial chemicals.
The Florida Department of Health, Division of Environmental Public
Health monitors health exposure and injury from pesticides, educates about
chemicals, and provides chemical consultation and resource. Also respond
too chemical related events and the environmental health of those events,
and monitors hazardous substances in emergency events for injury, toxicity,
and causation.
Even non-first responders should now how to respond too a scene, and
what how its laid out, such as hot zone, warm zone, and cold zones and
what these zones mean. Stay upwind of the event, the key is recognition,
isolation, protection, and notification. Resist the urge to look around the
area and the area should be secured. Make sure your area has chemical
preparedness integrated into its emergency response plan.
Your area should adequate personal protective gear to respond to a
chemical release event if you are a first responder or secondary responder
for sampling. Recommendations: Positive pressure SCBA fully encapsulated
chemical protection suits. Protection equipment comes in levels A thru D
where D is covering working uniform and level A is a full protective suit
for nerve agents. Fitted respirators meeting NIAOSH M-95 or better.
Six clues to type of chemical: occupancy location, container shape and
size, placard and labels, shipping papers facility documents, makings and
colors, and of course human senses.
All major chemical releases must be reported to the state warning point
at 1-800-320-0519. Suspected chemical affairs events must also be reported
to the FBI. The National Response Center
maintains a one stop point of contact site and hotline number at
1-800-424-8802 for reporting oil and chemical spills, too include, chemical
or biological terrorism releases. Chem Track,
established by the chemical industry as a public service hotline at
1-800-424-9300 for firefighters, law enforcement, and other emergency
responders, too obtain information about emergency incidents involving
toxic chemicals and hazardous materials.
Make sure you can use annalist type software, for example Cameo, to show
consequences of the event. And also contact us here at the Environmental
Health for help and development of fact sheets and we can give you
additional resources on how to those together. There are many useful
websites and CDC and other government agencies where you can you can use to
do these fact sheets. The Interstate Chemical Taskforce is working on
templates for fact sheets and media releases and this will provided as
available.
Studies show that responders and recovery teams plan for long term
effects initially the area recovery is faster. Ensuring the long term
health of an area is key to environmental health
component.
The FBI says an intentional industrial chemical release is the most
likely event on its kind, and this makes industrial your partner in
preparedness. Proactively reach out to them and their regulators to make
sure health and environmental heath considerations are in covered in their
plans and make try to schedule some exercises regularly.
Also make contact with your local emergency planning committee. There
are 11 in Florida
and they are usually chaired by fire department or hazmat and they can give
you an idea of determine what the priority of local health concerns are for
chemical preparedness. And they are a strong partner to use in assessing
the local areas risk for industrial chemical release.
Chemical events are impossible to predict, but possible to prepare for.
By knowing potential agents, response steps, and having good partnerships
in place there effects can be mitigated. Focus on the local emergency
planning committee; they can help you prioritize your areas heath risk due
to chemical release. Thank you for your time if you have any comments about
this presentation I would be glad to hear from you, thank you.
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