Chemical accidents.Principles of first aid

7/28/2019 Chemical accidents.Principles of first aid

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PRINCIPLES OF FIRST AID


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Chemical Accident and Chemical Emergency"refer to an event or dangerous occurrence resulting in the release of a

substance or substances hazardous to human health and/or the

environment in the short or the long term.

Such events or occurrences include:fires,

explosions,

leakages or

releases of toxic substances

that can cause illness, injury, disability or death to human beingsChemicals are used :

in agriculture,

in industry,

in medicines and for medical use and

for domestic usages.

Useful chemicals can also be dangerous and cause harm if they get into the airpeople breathe,

into the soil where people work or grow food and animals live, and

into the rivers and streams that supply water for drinking,

washing or irrigating crops.


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In the European Union,incidents such as theFlixborough disaster andthe Seveso disaster led to

legislation such as the

Seveso Directive andSeveso planning, a lawaimed at improving the safety

of sites containing largequantities of dangeroussubstances and provide forsafety reports to localauthorities


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In the United States, the Bhopal disaster led to the 1986 Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-KnowAct: to encourage and support emergency planning efforts at the state andlocal levels and to provide the public and local governments withinformation concerning potential chemical hazards present in theircommunities.

the 1990 U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Boardalso known as the Chemical Safety Board or CSB, an independent U.S.federal agency established by Congress to determine the root causes ofchemical accidents and issue safety recommendations

In the UK,

the National Chemical Emergency Centre assist with substancerisk assessment and emergency and

the UK Chemical Reaction Hazards Forumpublishes reports ofaccidents on its web site.

In Belgium,

Brandweer informatie centrum voor gevaarlijke stoffen/ Fireservice information centre collects and validates information ondangerous goods


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The Guiding Principles for Chemical AccidentPrevention, Preparedness and Responsewas published in 1992, by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and

Development (OECD), an international organization of 34 countries, committed to

democracy and free-market economy, providing a platform to compare policy

experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practices and co-

ordinate domestic and international policies of its members.

Experts from these governments, industries, trade unions, environmental interestgroups and other international organizations worked closely together for the

development ofa health infrastructure to deal with chemical accidents;

implementation of the principles by small and medium-sized enterprises;chemical safety at transport interfaces, such as port areas;

the safety of pipelines;integrated management of health, environment, safety and quality control;guidance for audits and inspections;and application to sabotage and terrorism.

This document will certainly become an important milestone on the path to

improved chemical safety in the world.


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All personnel, specialists and facilities should be part of the response teamand the information chain, in order to provide and receive information asappropriate.

Systems should be in place for the :

collection,

dissemination and

updating of information available to personnel and other parties

Specialists should be called in to assist with such matters as:

Control of the site of the chemical accident

identification of the hazardous substances involved

evaluation of the hazardneed for protective equipment

warning , evacuating or sheltering the population

maintaining the rule of law,

assessing damages,

addressing mitigation issues that arise from response activities

even requesting help from outside the jurisdiction


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decontamination of exposed persons

Depends on :

the type and severity of their injuries,

the nature of the contaminants, and whether decontamination interfere with vital medical treatment.

The on-site coordinator, after receiving all the necessary information

from the site of the chemical accident, should decide on the

immediate actions to take to avoid or limit the exposure to hazardous

substances : persons most at risk are evacuated.

shelters for the affected people are in place,

when the evacuation is taking place during the initial phases of the

release and based on consideration of the substance, its concentration

and toxicity

It should be taken into account that, after sheltering the affected

people, the concentration of hazardous substances in the shelter can

be higher than the concentration outside. In such a case, the population

should be instructed to vacate the shelter, if the risk of further release

of hazardous substances is minimal.


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decontamination of rescue workers

The on-site coordinator should determine

whether there is a contaminated area that should be entered only by

personnel wearing protective clothing, decision made in cooperation with a medical

coordinator or industrial hygienist, if available.

whether there is a danger that rescue workers and other response personnelwill be contaminated by exposure to accident victims.

Decontamination must be conducted in an organized, stepwise manner, because if

certain pieces of the protective equipment are removed prior to the elimination of

potential problems by decontamination, the worker may suffer damage due to

inhalation or skin contact with contaminants.

Decontamination workers must know the proper procedures and the order to

proceed to insure that potential personal injuries do not occur.

Site workers must remain on the field until after they have been cleared to exit the

contamination reduction zone.


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Treatment of victims

Accident site, designated hospitals and other treatment facilities, wherecontaminated patients might be admitted, must be equipped with :

decontamination facilities

provisions for decontamination of patients special equipment, pharmaceutical supplies and specific antidotes

Exposed injured victims should be given initial care, at the accident site, into emergency means (ambulances,

helicopters, etc.) by health/medical emergency personnel who should be able to consult

with a variety of specialists ( toxicologists, internists, lung and respiratory specialists,ophthalmologists, hematologists,etc)

samples should be taken as soon as possible from everyone for both treatmentand

follow-up

be taken to a main treatment facility, if necessary

be removed and protected from further exposure to the hazardous substance(s)

be organized in suitable observation units in, for example, hotels or schools.

The health/medical personnel should give the first aid and other medical treatment at casualty assembly points outside the

contaminated area where accident victims are brought after decontamination.

wear protective equipment (ex.gaz mask) if their presence is necessary to assist in the

contaminated area, or during decontamination procedures

should beguided by rescue personnel, trained to work in contaminated areas, when they

are needed in such areas (to carry out triage or give life-saving treatment)


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Hospitals and other treatment facilities must

have all the information needed on the hazardous substance(s) involved,the type of accident (spill, fire, etc.), the likely number of victims, and the

nature of their injuries

determine the possible human health effects and the most appropriatetherapy or care.

have protocols for treatment and follow them

have access to specialized information and should be able to consult with

specialists.

Health/medical professionals with psychiatric, psychological or

psychosocial training should be available and provide

emotional support to victims, relatives and friends of victims,

assist in screening for potential mental health problems in groups involved with

the accident (including response personnel, workers at the installation, and the

affected public)

assist in establishing a follow-up network to identify and treat those withpsychological reactions such as stress

Support ofvital functions should have priorityover decontamination Children should be given higher priority for medical care. Apparently non affected individuals should be placed under observation for

one or more days, in case ofdelayed health effects and sub acute exposures


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Personal protection of those responding to chemical

accidentsPersonal protective equipment

Protective clothing must be :selected by qualified personnel such as an industrial hygienist or safety officer or

advised from the fire service or

poisons information centre or

chemical emergency centre.

Protective clothing must be :leak-proofand made of chemical-resistant material(s)

of single-use, toavoid the risks of using suits previously contaminated

Chemical protective clothing (CPC) consists of :

garments, gloves, boots, coveralls with head gear, fully encapsulatingsuits

Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) used in toxic or oxygen-deficient environments

emergency escape units, which can be usedfor short periods to allow escape from toxic

atmospheres; and

self-contained breathingapparatus (SCBA), which gives a longer period of protection

to individuals either enteringor escaping from dangerous or toxic situations.


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Protection of rescue workers

and medical personnel

Rescue (fire) workers and medical personnel should wear protective equipment,

when entering the accident area

gasmask

Rubber gloves,

a protective suit,

rubber boots and

other protective equipment

Protective equipment should be:

easily accessible

regularly inspected and maintained, with replacement as necessary

stored in a manner that prevents it from being damaged by an accident

Contaminated protective clothing should always bewashed, before the user or rescue worker takes it off, for a longer service life,

and protection of the next person who uses it.


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Communication with the public

The mediashould have ready and continuous access to Official spokespeople

should be as open as possible in providing information

should admit when information is not available, avoiding telling liesensure that the messages provided are consistent with actions taken.

Counseling services should be made available for victims of the accident aswell as victims family, friends and fellow employees.

The public should be given, on a continuing basis, specific informationin order to avoid confusion

on the appropriate behavior and safety measures to adopt (possible evacuations

and sheltering in place).

On avoiding exposure to, or any type of contact with, hazardous substances.

on developments, even if the situation has not changed measurably

Industry and public authority officialsshould receive information from a credible source

assure that the clarity of the information, as it becomes available, should be

checked before it is communicated

should be truthful and straightforward in the provision of information to the public.


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. Johnson, Harry (2003). Hydrocarbon Methyl. New York:Penguin. p. 74. ISBN 28372384736.

. "Chemical Accidents: About." OECD Environment Directorate.OECD. 19 July 2007.

. UK Chemical Reaction Hazards Forumhttp://www.crhf.org.uk/

. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. GUIDING PRINCIPLES: CHEMICAL ACCIDENT PREVENTION-

OECD 2003

. Management of poisoning, J. Henry, H. Wiseman, WHO,1997. Environment Monograph No. 81 - Health Aspects of Chemical

Accidents - Guidance on Chemical Accident Awareness,

Preparedness and Response for Health Professionals and

Emergency Responders (IPCS, OECD, UNEP, WHO; 1994; 148

pages

8. Handbook of chemical accident management: Victor

POYARKOV, Executive Director, Council's of Europe 'European

Centre of Technological Safety (TESEC - Kiev),Ukraine 1975

- Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics

Chemical accidents.Principles of first aid

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