HAZARDOUS MATERIAL MANAGEMENT CLASS

Hazardous Material Management Class



Hazardous Material Management Class

Introduction

Hazardous Materials and Terrorism are closely related in terms of response training and objectives. (Dittmar, 2006) Those responders who are equipped to deal with hazardous materials, can effectively deal with acts of terrorism with some additional training. Training courses and books available on this site concentrate on a solid hazardous materials background with the addition of the necessary additional training to deal with terrorism.

The response and duty of the Hazmat team

When biological or chemical toxins are a possible threat there are many signs that need to be carefully observed. Chemical toxins have several signs that can be observed: “Unusual or Dying Animals, lack of insects, Unexplained Casualties, multiple victims, serious illness, nausea, trouble breathing, convulsions, definite casualty patterns, Unusual Liquid, Spray or Vapor droplets, oily film, Unexplained odors, low clouds/fog unrelated to weather, Suspicious Devices/Packages, unusual metal debris, abandoned spray devices, unexplained munitions” . (Dittmar, 2006) All response agents have to closely watch for any threatening signs of chemical toxins. The toxins can cause serious illness or possible death. The hazards around a bombing are numerous and can cause more damage even after the bomb has been deployed.

Biological toxins are a threat after a bombing just as chemical toxins. The types of biological toxins are: “Bacteria (e.g., anthrax, plague) Virus (e.g., smallpox, viral hemorrhagic fevers) Toxins (e.g., ricin, botulism) Bacteria and Virus types are living organisms they enter the body via inhalation, ingestion, or breaks in skin, grow and reproduce, and can be contagious and cause an epidemic. Toxins are not living organisms, they enter the body the same as pathogens but are not contagious” . (Dittmar, 2006)

When a terrorist attack has occurred and the use of chemical or biological weapons has been confirmed certain procedures must be followed: “an effective outer perimeter can be established, neutralizations plans formulated, decontamination procedures entertained, emergency medical treatment plans made, and environmental preservation precautions taken” . (Dittmar, 2006) Also, when dealing with a terrorist attack the people in charge need to consider the area they are in; They need to take inventory of the equipment they need and the equipment they have, and if the local authorities have special teams that are trained to deal with a terrorist attack. Once all of these things have been looked at then actions can be taken to contain the area and start the decontamination process.

The primary functions that must be performed at any toxic release remain fairly consistent.

The top twenty actions that must be taken will generally involve: Incident "Size-up" and assessment, Scene Control/establishment of perimeter, Product Identification/information gathering, Pre-entry examination and determination/donning of appropriate protective clothing & equipment, Establishment of a decontamination area, Entry planning/preparation of equipment, Entry into a contaminated area and rescue of victims, Containment of spill/release, Neutralization of spill/release, Decontamination of victims/patients/rescuers, Triage of ill/injured, BLS Care, Hospital/expert consultation, ALS care/specific antidotes, Transport of patients to appropriate hospital, Post-Entry evaluation examination of rescuers/equipment, Complete stabilization of the incident/collection of evidence, Delegation ...