Hospital response to chemical terrorism: personal protective equipment, training, and operations planning.
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.
Georgopoulos
Panos G
PG
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
Fedele
Paul
P
Shade
Pamela
P
Lioy
Paul J
PJ
Hodgson
Michael
M
Longmire
Atkinson
A
Sands
Melody
M
Brown
Mark A
MA
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
D015386:Hazardous Substances