NCJ Number
206761
Date Published
2004
Length
156 pages
Annotation
This report focuses on the protection of emergency responders against injury, illness, and death while responding to emergencies that become disasters.
Abstract
In the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Science and Technology Policy Institute undertook a study to develop a better understanding of safety management in major disasters. Preparedness and management are focused upon as the main means of controlling and reducing the hazards faced by emergency responders. Chapter 1 explores the special challenges for safety management presented by major disasters; managing the safety of emergency responders is more accurately described as managing their level of risk. Chapter 2 describes the methodology of the current study, the objective of which was to develop a framework for considering safety management in major disasters. Reviews were conducted of the professional and technical literature and interviews were conducted with members of the emergency response community. Chapter 3 focuses on managing the safety of responders within the Incident Command System (ICS), which is a comprehensive framework for managing the many different activities that are carried out during an emergency response operation. The ICS system of managing the safety of responders is described as the benchmark for the emergency response community. Chapter 4 describes the collection of information about existing and potential dangers at a major disaster as a critical component of responder safety management. Two other types of information are also critical to safety management: information about the responder workforce, such as information about their equipment and training, and information on responders’ health and injuries. Nine recommendations are made to improve the collection and analysis of such data. Chapter 5 offers six recommendations for the improvement of hazard assessment, risk management, protective option choices, and safety planning. Chapter 6 presents 11 recommendations for the improvement of mechanisms for implementing safety decisions, for implementing enforceable practices to sustain safety during long-term operations, and for managing responder resources, volunteers, and safety equipment. Chapter 7 offers five recommendations for constructing a formalized, integrated incident-wide approach to safety management, while chapter 8 underscores the importance of learning from previous major disasters and taking actions now to ensure the improved safety of emergency responders during major disasters. Footnotes, figures, appendix, bibliography