Risk assessment emergency response

Generally, risk assessment has focused on the first type of error, since the main interest in human reliability was in the context of human actions that were required as part of an emergency response. However, a comprehensive Consequence Analysis has to also consider other types, since both of these outcomes could constitute sources of risk to the individual or the plant. 

This book is divided into five parts the problem, accidents, health risk, hazard risk, and hazard risk analysis. Part 1, an introduction to HS AM, presents legal considerations, emergency planning, and emergency response. This Part basically ser es as an oveiwiew to the more teclmical topics covered in the remainder of the book. Part 11 treats the broad subject of accidents, discussing fires, explosions and other accidents. The chapters in Parts 111 and Part IV provide introductory material to health and hazard risk assessment, respectively. Pai1 V examines hazaid risk analysis in significant detail. The thiee chapters in this final part include material on fundamentals of applicable statistics theory, and the applications and calculations of risk analysis for real systems. 

United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) (1989) Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund. Volume 1. EPA/540/1-89/002. Office of Emergency and Remedial Response. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC... 

Henderson, R.F. 1992. Short-term exposure guidelines for emergency response The approach of the Committee on Toxicology. Pp. 89—92 in Conference on Chemical Risk Assessment in the Department of Defense (DoD) Science, Policy, and Practice, H.J.Clewell, III, ed. American Conference of Governmental Hygienists, Cincinnati, OH. 

Risk assessment using computer software (ALOHA, ARIPAR, etc), database of toxic substances (NIOSH, ERICards) or other methods for mitigation of spill or release (Emergency Response Guidebook 2000) Logistics should be provided with proper equipment and means for... 

Even in the face of a well-planned emergency response plan, complications can arise. One common area where this happens is with systematic hazard removal. When existing evidence is poor, HACCP will require extensive risk assessment and may not be as easy to implement as one would hope. Nevertheless, it is important to realize that the resources allocated to risk assessment have important signal value to the public. Depending on the level of resources dedicated to a cause, an absence of investment can either cause a further increase in the perceived risk or lead to a feeling of frustration that nothing is being done. A perceived balance needs to be maintained. 

In many locations around the world dams are essential for agriculture and urban water supply. While the benefits of these structures are obvious, the risk of damage or loss of life due to unexpected failure of the dam can be overlooked by the general populace. A systematic assessment of the hazards posed by possible dam failures is useful for disaster planning, emergency response, and flood warnings. 

Often several different toxic hazards (neurotoxicity, organ toxicity, developmental toxicity, for example) associated with the substance that is the subject of the risk assessment, each with its own dose-response characteristics, will emerge from the first two steps of the risk assessment. Which of these should become the principal basis for the final risk assessment. ... 

Human research issues affect all programs in US-EPA. In its Office of Research and Development, US-EPA conducts research with human subjects to provide critical information on environmental risks, exposures, and effects in humans. This is referred to as first-party research. In both its Office of Research and Development and its program offices (including the Office of Air and Radiation, the Office of Water, the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, and the Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances), US-EPA also supports research with human subjects conducted by others. This is referred to as second-party research. In aU this work US-EPA is committed to full compliance with the common rule. The US-EPA will continue to conduct and support such research, and to consider and rely on its results in US-EPA assessments and decisions. 

USEPA] US Environmental Protection Agency. 1999. Risk assessment guidance for superfund volume 3, part A, process for conducting probabilistic risk assessment. Washington (DC) EPA 000-0-99-000. Office of Emergency and Remedial Response. 

The basic features of ecological risk assessment schemes are very similar throughout the world. Usually, one focuses on effects (concentration or dose response information), exposure, and risk characterization. The following paragraphs summarize how extrapolation practices can be developed in such a way that a consistent pattern emerges. 

Mainly in response to the anthrax attacks in the United States, in 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report entitled Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (Reynolds, 2002). The report illustrates two prerequisites for successful risk communication credibility and trust. These two elements (Figure 11) may be highly important when dealing with uncertainty in exposure and risk assessment (Sjoberg, 2001). The prerequisites for credibility are accuracy of information and speed of release the main attributes of trust are empathy and openness. 

Most local plans are written to be nonspecific as to the cause of the emergency, with various appendices describing the details of response to specific events. These appendices are based upon the results of risk assessments made by the community with the cooperation of industry. 

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