Hospital / Medical Facility Patient
Decontamination Preparedness Pordecon™ Hazmat Decontamination Tank Systems
Hospital / Medical Facility Patient
Decontamination Preparedness
Hospitals Unprepared For Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Terrorism
- Less than 20 percent of hospitals have plans to treat victims of nuclear, biological or chemical weapons incidents.
- Fewer than half (45 percent) have indoor or outdoor decontamination units with isolated ventilation, shower and water containment systems.
- Only 12 percent had one or more self-contained breathing apparatus or supplied air-line respirators, and only six percent had the minimum recommended physical resources for a hypothetical Sarin incident.
- Using a questionnaire to survey 186 hospital emergency departments in four northwestern states, the authors asked hospitals about their administrative plans, training, physical resources and medication inventories.
- The authors conclude, "the findings of this survey, while not surprising, are nonetheless disturbing: they indicate that hospital [emergency departments] generally are not prepared in an organized fashion to treat victims of incidents involving chemical or biological weapons."
[From: "Hospital Preparedness for Victims of Chemical or Biological Terrorism." Contact: Donald Clark-Wetter, PA-C, MPH, US Public Health Service.]
If you need definitive information and training for medical facilities, then take a look at "Hazmat for Healthcare!™" This program is intended and designed for hospitals and related organizations to create and/or improve their hazardous materials emergency response programs for both internal spills and managing contaminated patients.
Click here for "Hazmat for Health Care!™"
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Last Updated November 12, 2001