title: Hospital response to chemical terrorism: personal protective equipment, training, and operations planning.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hospitals distant from the immediate site of an incident involving a hazardous materials (HAZMATs) release which could include chemical warfare agents, must develop emergency response plans (ERPs) to protect healthcare professionals if they receive potentially contaminated victims. The ERP must address OSHA, EPA, and JCAHO requirements.
  
  
  METHODS
  The VHA convened groups to develop a hazard and exposure assessment, identify actions for compliance with existing regulatory standards, and review site and operational planning issues. Exposure modeling results were used to derive relationships between operational parameters (time and distance from sites/sources) and potential exposure for healthcare workers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to exposure modeling, level C personal protective equipment is adequate to protect hospital staff distant from the chemical release site. Decontamination runoff and contaminated clothing should also be controlled to limit exposure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Development and coordination of ERPs must include the local emergency planning committee, with clear assignment of tasks, locations, and training in order to prevent exposures to healthcare workers.
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI), UMDNJ-RW Johnson Medical School and Rutgers University, 170 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA. panosg@ccl.rutgers.edu
authors.forename: Panos G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Georgopoulos
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fedele
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shade
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Lioy
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hodgson
authors.forename: Atkinson
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Longmire
authors.forename: Melody
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sands
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D002618:Chemical Warfare; D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D004780:Environment, Controlled; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D006761:Hospitals / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D016272:Occupational Health; D011482:Protective Devices; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D015386:Hazardous Substances