The purpose of the WHO Manual for the Public Health Management of Chemical Incidents is to provide a comprehensive overview of the principles and roles of public health in the management of chemical
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incidents and emergencies. While this information is provided for each phase of the emergency cycle, including prevention, planning and preparedness, detection and alert, response and recovery, it is recognized that the management of chemical incidents and emergencies requires a multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral approach and that the health sector may play an influencing, complementary or a leadership role at various stages of the management process. The target audience includes public health and environmental professionals, as well as any other person involved in the management of chemical incidents.
WHO and all those involved in the development of the publication hope that the publication will have wide application, especially in developing countries and countries with economies in transition, and that in the future the health sector will be better prepared to acknowledge and fulfill its roles and responsibilities in the management of chemical incidents and emergencies, thereby contributing to the prevention and mitigation of their health consequences.
The publication is also available in French: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/246117/9789242598148-fre.pdf?sequence=1 and in Spanish: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/246118/9789243598147-spa.pdf?sequence=1
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Key Features:
• Module Users: Disaster Management Trainers
• Training Targets: State Government and District
officials / Disaster Management Authorities / Disaster
Management Planners and Responders
• Training Duration: 5 working days (one week)
• Trainers Input: Multi-disciplinary
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Training methods: Lecture, Discussion, Film Show,
Field Visits, Group Exercise.
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Specific Objectives
• To increase the knowledge and awareness of personnel on chemical management.
• To educate the personnel on the potential adverse health effects of chemical exposure.
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To educate the personnel on the existing laws pertaining to handling of hazardous
chemicals.
• To promote safe and healthy work practices among personnel during chemical handling.
• To guide the personnel on transportation, storage and disposal of hazardous chemicals.
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"National Disaster Management Guidelines: Management
of Chemical (Terrorism) Disasters (are intended to
focus on all aspects of the disaster management
cycle, including prevention measures such as
surveillance and intelligence, mitigation of dir
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ect
and indirect risks, preparedness in terms of
capacity development of human resources and
infrastructure development, as well as relief,
rehabilitation and reconstruction/recovery."
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In 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) Member States adopted the revised International
Health Regulations (IHR) (2005). The Regulations provide a unique public health framework in the
form of obligations and recommendations that enable countries to better p
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revent, prepare for and
respond to public health events and emergencies of potential international concern, including chemical events.
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The message contained in this publication is clear: countries need a
public health system that can respond to the deliberate release of
chemical and biological agents. Regrettable though this message may
be, the use of poison gas in the war betwe
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en Iraq and the Islamic
Republic of Iran in the 1980s, the recent anthrax incidents in the United
States, and the attack with sarin nerve agent, six years earlier, on the
Tokyo underground, illustrate why it is necessary to prepare.
Russian and Japanese version available:
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This Guide contains information, guidelines, diagrams and other materials addressed to medical practitioners who are engaged in the treatment of casualties of chemical weapons. It is made available to the public for information purposes, but is not
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intended to be used by the public. All decisions regarding patient care must be made with a healthcare provider and consider the unique characteristics of each patient.
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The Syrian Government’s Widespread and Systematic Use of Chemical Weapons
IAEA Safety Standards for protecting people and the environment
"Patient decontamination principles are set forth here from a strategic perspective, rather than a tactical
one. The principles are meant to guide, but not specify, operational practices. The guidance is evidencebased
to the extent possible and the supporting evidence is documented and briefly dis
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cussed."
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This manual describes methods for investigating clusters or outbreaks that may be of chemical origin and describes the importance of a structured, coordinated, collaborative multidisciplinary, multi-agency approach at local, regional, national and i
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nternational levels.
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The purpose of this Emergency Response Framework (ERF) is to clarify WHO’s roles and responsibilities in this regard and to provide a common approach for its work in emergencies. Ultimately, the ERF requires WHO to act with urgency and predictabil
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ity to best serve and be accountable to populations affected by emergencies.
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"This Code provides practical guidance on how to manage health and safety risks associated with hazardous
chemicals for persons conducting a business or undertaking who use chemicals in their workplace."
The present book deals not only with emergency response, but also with measures designed to reduce the impact of disasters on environmental health infrastructure, such as water supply and sanitation facilities. It also aims to strengthen the ability of people to withstand the disruption of their acc
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ustomed infrastructure and systems for environmental health (e.g. shelter, water supply, sanitation, vector control etc.) and to recover rapidly.
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The duration of breastfeeding and support from health services to improve feeding practices among mothers living with HIV
This operational guidance, developed by WHO, UNICEF and ENN, outlines the duration of breastfeeding and support from health services to improve infant feeding practices amon
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g mothers living with HIV. It is intended to be used to complement emergency and sectoral guidelines on health, nutrition and HIV, including specifically infant feeding, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and paediatric antiretroviral treatment.
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The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has produced a three-volume series entitled Managing Hazardous Material Incidents. The series is designed to help emergency response and health care professionals plan for and respond to hazardous material
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emergencies.
- Volume I Emergency Medical Services: A Planning Guide for the Management of Contaminated Patients
- Volume II Hospital Emergency Departments: A Planning Guide for the Management of Contaminated Patients
- Volume III Medical Management Guidelines for Acute Chemical Exposures
Volumes I and II are planning guides to assist first responders and hospital emergency department personnel in planning for incidents that involve hazardous materials.
Volume III is a guide for health care professionals who treat persons who have been exposed to hazardous materials.
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These guidelines provide a recommendation on iodine thyroid blocking (ITB), via oral administration of stable iodine, as an urgent protective action in responding to a nuclear accident. This recommendation aims to support emergency planners, policy makers, public health specialists, clinicians and o
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ther relevant stakeholders, in order to strengthen public health preparedness for radiation emergencies in WHO Member States as required by the International Health Regulations (IHR) and in line with the international safety standards (GSR Part 7). The scope of the guidelines is confined to public health aspects of planning and implementation of ITB before and during a radiation emergency, such as dosage and timing of ITB administration, adverse effects of stable iodine, its packaging, storage, and distribution.
These guidelines supersede the 1999 WHO Guidelines for Iodine Prophylaxis following Nuclear Accidents.
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Structural, Non-structural and Functional Indicators
A chemical release may not always be immediately apparent given the fact that many agents are odourless and colourless, and some cause no immediately noticeable effects or symptoms. Be alert to the possible presence of a
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chemical.
Arabic version available: http://www.who.int/environmental_health_emergencies/deliberate_events/warning_signs_May2017_ar.pdf
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