Health Aspects

 

GOAL

Protect the health of workers and the public from the adverse effects of a chemical accident (chemical releases, explosions, fires).

The assessment of the risks of a hazardous installation should consider all potential health impacts from different accident scenarios.  This would include:  immediate harm; longer-term consequences from acute exposure (such as cancer and chronic diseases); indirect impacts from the result of contaminated drinking water or food; and psychological damage.  Consideration should be given to potential impacts to workers, the public and emergency response personnel.

Suggested activities include:

  • Ensure that hazard identification and risk assessments of hazardous installations take into account all the potential health impacts of a range of scenarios
  • Involve medical and welfare services, including hospitals and public health agencies, in emergency planning processes
  • Develop back-up plans if local treatment facilities are inadequate or impacted by the accident/natural disaster
  • Make available information needed by emergency response personnel for identification, triage, initial treatment and rehabilitation of those injured by a chemical accident
  • Assess the medical resources needed to respond to different types of emergencies and ensure that these are available (including antidotes, oxygen, transportation, decontamination equipment and personal protective equipment)
  • Establish mechanisms to facilitate pooling and/or sharing medical resources
  • Take into account the need to protect health care workers from exposure to hazardous substances (e.g., from handling victims or unexpected exposure at the accident site)
  • Ensure that hospitals and other treatment facilities develop an emergency plans, coordinated with the local off-site plan
  • Establish and maintain training programmes for response personnel and medical/health personnel

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