n view of the situation in Ukraine, IRSN has produced an information note presenting the nuclear facilities in Ukraine and an overview on the radiological monitoring of the country.
An increase of the radiological atmosphere around the Chernobyl site was reportedly observed on the stations nea...r the installations. The Ukrainian safety authority mentions a resuspension of contamination by the passage of military tanks.
IRSN does not have any information to confirm or refute this information. It is advisable to remain very cautious about these measurements at this stage. No increase in radioactivity has been detected in the European countries with which IRSN is in contact.
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Leitfaden für Rettungs- und Einsatzdienste bei Ereignissen mit chemischen, biologischen Gefahrstoffen, mit radioaktiven Stoffen und ionisierender Strahlung
Guidance has been updated on a number of chemicals: asbestos, bentazone, chromium, iodine, manganese, microcystins, nickel, silver, tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene. Guidance has also been added for chemicals not previously assessed in the Guidelines: anatoxin-a and analogues, cylindrospermopsi...ns and saxitoxins. The new guidance on organotins has replaced the prior guidance focused on dialkyltins. With these updates, the guideline values for tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene have been revised while new guideline values for cylindrospermopsins, manganese, microcystins, and saxitoxins have been established .
Updated information on cyanobacteria has been included, introducing an alert level framework for early-warning and to guide short-term management responses. Guidance has also been updated in the sections on adequacy of water supply, climate change, emergencies, food production and processing, and radiological aspects, particularly on managing radionuclides when exceeding WHO screening values and guidance levels.
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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... 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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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...revent, prepare for and
respond to public health events and emergencies of potential international concern, including chemical events.
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"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...cussed."
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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
... Training methods: Lecture, Discussion, Film Show,
Field Visits, Group Exercise.
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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...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 ...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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Mounting an effective international humanitarian response to a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) event, especially if the response is undertaken on an ad hoc basis, would be extremely difficult and would pose many risks to the res...ponders. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has created a competency-based capacity to respond to at least small-scale CBRN events, including a deployable capability to undertake operational activities. This involves informed assessments of CBRN risks, timely and competent decisions on how to respond, and effectively mobilizing appropriate resources to implement these decisions, through the creation of an emergency roster. In addition to the acquisition of technical expertise and material resources, the creation of such capacity requires the application of central processes, ensuring systematic management of CBRN response (including risk-based decision-making), standing operational procedures, and availability of and access to the necessary resources. Implementation of the ICRC's CBRN response framework as described in this article should be considered by any agency or other stakeholder preparing for international humanitarian assistance in CBRN events – especially if such events are related to armed conflict.
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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...nternational levels.
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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.
•... 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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The Operational guide: use of referral laboratories for the analysis of foodborne hazards in the Pacific aims to strengthen the food analysis capacity of Pacific Island countries and areas by identifying national and reference laboratories capable o...f testing for priority foodborne hazards. The Pacific Island countries and areas are often vulnerable to food safety incidents and emergencies due to their geographical distribution and dependence on food imports. The guide outlines key considerations for selecting referral laboratories and submitting samples to them, enabling continuous improvement of food safety systems and providing safe food for all. The target audiences are health and food safety authorities.
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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...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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The Strategic Tool for Assessing Risks (STAR) offers a comprehensive, easy-to-use toolkit and approach to enable national and subnational governments to rapidly conduct a strategic and evidence-based assessment of public health risks for planning and prioritization of health emergency preparedness a...nd disaster risk management activities. This guidance describes the principles and methodology of STAR to enhance its adaptation and use at the national or subnational levels.
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This document provides information for WHO Member States, particularly low-income and middle-income countries, to strengthen preparedness and response plans with regard to the social and mental health consequences of biological and chemical attacks....
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An all-hazards tool for hospital administrators and emergency managers.
The World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe has developed the Hospital emergency response checklist to assist hospital administrators and emergency managers in res...ponding effectively to the most likely disaster scenarios. This tool comprises current hospital-based emergency management principles and best practices and integrates priority action required for rapid, effective response to a critical event based on an all-hazards approach
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Today more people are exposed to hazards. While humanitarian action to mitigate the impact of disasters will always be vitally important, the community is facing critical challenge- how to better anticipate, manage and reduce - disaster risks by int...egrating the potential threat into its planning and policies at the community level. This manual aims to improve the capacity of the Panchayati Raj Institutions - the local self government and communities that face hazards due to environmental reasons. To help such capacity development efforts, we need learning materials focusing on key areas - water supply, environmental sanitation for better disaster management and preparedness.
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A process for improving community awareness and preparedness for technological hazards and environmental emergencies
A manual for people working in environments contaminated by landmines and other explosive hazards including improvised explosive devices.