Hazardous Materials Accidents Research Articles

Modeling urban hazmat transportation with road closure consideration

Hazardous materials accidents during road transport have caused catastrophic losses to humans and the environment all over the world in recent years. Especially in an urban environment, heavy traffic congestion and road closures present serious and complex situations during hazmat transportation. The challenge of urban hazmat transportation is to determine the vehicle routes that minimize risk subject to cost considerations and road closures. This paper presents a bi-objective programming model and a heuristic algorithm to optimize the routing of hazardous materials transportation with road closure considerations. A model is formulated that minimizes hazmat risk and transportation cost subject to road closure constraints. A new heuristic algorithm is proposed to solve the bi-objective hazmat vehicle routing and it is applied to a realistic case study involving hazmat transportation in the highly populated metropolitan area of Shanghai, China.

Acidentes com produtos perigosos no Brasil, no período 2006-2009: análise dos dados dos sistemas de informações como subsídio às ações de vigilância em saúde ambiental

Objective: to analyse the information system data of hazardous materials accidents (HMA) notified in Brazil, in the period 2006-2009. Methods: the research was based on three (situation, effects and actions) out of six data layers used to build environmental health indicators. Results: 3,601 accidents with hazardous materials were notified; concerning to morbidity, 27,304 injuries related to exposure to chemicals in three different databases were notified, and to mortality, 4,852 injuries related to exposure to chemicals in two databases were notified; in terms of Health sector response capacity, Environmental Health Surveillance on Hazardous Materials Accidents was found in 14 states and the Federal District, and related committees were found in 10 states Conclusions: data differences and absence of integrated analysis point out the need of developing integrated and harmonized information systems to manage hazardous materials and monitoring of exposed population.

Study on the Techniques of Responders Dealing with Hazardouse Materials Accidents

This article analyzed the situation of hazardous materials accidents and pointed the basic techniques a fighter dealing with hazardous materials accidents should possess. These techniques include knowledge about characteristics of hazardous chemicals accidents, techniques of on-site control, decontamination, personal protection, and some basic techniques of medical treatment psychological stress treatment. These techniques are sure to be useful to responders to hazardous materials accidents.

Quantification of the number of injured people due to hazardous material accidents

Accidents with hazardous materials may threaten the lives of people living in the direct environment of the transportation infrastructure. In many countries, fire brigades play a major role in advising the authorities when they are dealing with issues where hazardous materials are involved. Since emergency responders have to deal with injured persons, information concerning the number of injured people and the types of injuries is relevant to them. In response to this need, we developed a method for calculating the number of injured people. This method was applied to the (re)development plans for the largest railway station in the Netherlands, Utrecht Central station. Through this intermodal transfer terminal, both passengers and substantial amounts of hazardous materials are transported. The fire brigades used the injury information to assess the spatial development plans and transportation plans for hazardous materials. Furthermore, the fire brigades used the injury information to determine their suppression tactics and equipment requirements. Copyright © 2012 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

A survey on hazardous materials accidents during road transport in China from 2000 to 2008

A study of 322 accidents that occurred during the road transport of hazardous materials (hazmat) in China from 2000 to 2008 was carried out. The results showed an increase in the frequency of accidents from 2000 to 2007 and a decline in 2008. More than 63% of the accidents occurred in the eastern coastal areas, 25.5% in the central inland areas, and only 10.9% in the western remote areas. The most frequent types of accident were releases (84.5%), followed by gas clouds (13.0%), fires (10.2%), no substance released due to timely measures (9.9%), and explosions (5.9%). The spatial distribution, the causes and consequences of the accidents related to the population (e.g., number of people killed, injured, evacuated, or poisoned), and environment elements were analyzed. Finally, conclusions are drawn concerning the need to improve certain safety measures in the road transport of hazmat in China.

CREATING A RISK-BASED NETWORK FOR HAZMAT LOGISTICS BY ROUTE PRIORITIZATION WITH AHP: Case Study: Gasoline Logistics in Rayong, Thailand

Because of the severe consequences arising from Hazardous Material (HazMat) accidents, risk assessment concepts have become a necessary part in the management of HazMat logistics, especially for vehicle routing. Optimization is an effective technique and is often used in handling the HazMat logistics routing. This study aims to create a model to prepare a risk-based route network by prioritization technique. The outcome of which can be used in future work on route optimization. This research proposes a method to create an effective logistics network with HazMat-risk concern using the concept of Multiple Criteria Analysis (MCA) by Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). In the research, gasoline logistics was selected for detailed study as it was one of the most commonly transported HazMat in Thailand. AHP Structure carried out in this study is based on the judgments and comments of an expert group and local communities. The structure was divided into 3 main components—risk of carriage unit explosion, risk of road accidents and consequences of an incident. Regarding the explosion risk, characteristics of the carriage unit and quantity of HazMat are focused. For investigations of road accidents, contributory factors are considered. Two consequences were included in the study namely, the on-route and off-route population. A mathematical model, formulated by the criteria priority of each factor and its risk level was used for the prioritization. The results show that participants rank the risk of having a road accident as the top priority, followed by the risk of carriage unit explosion and the consequences of an incident (47.8%, 27.4% and 24.8% respectively). To examine this model, data for logistics of gasoline and diesel fuel in Rayong Province (Thailand) were used for the model application. From the calculation, it was possible to reduce the risk of road accidents and the consequences by approximately 6.8% and 38.5% respectively by choosing the best alternative route instead of the current one.

Terrorist Chemical Releases: Assessment of Medical Risk and Implications for Emergency Preparedness

ABSTRACT In the last few years, public health has played an increasingly important role in disaster management, particularly in biological terrorist event planning. However, little time or financial expenditure has been spent on preparation for terrorist-related chemical events. In addition, chemical hazardous material and industrial accidents are common occurrences in the United States and have significant public health and emergency preparedness consequences. This manuscript reviews previous terrorist-related and industrial chemical events, an assessment of the risk that these events have on the public health, and ways that hospitals and local, state, and regional public health agencies may plan for such an event.

Disaster medicine and the emergency medicine resident

Disaster medicine and the emergency medicine resident

Hazardous materials readiness of United States level 1 trauma centers.

Injuries caused by hazardous materials (hazmat) accidents are common in the United States, and emergency departments should be capable of decontaminating these patients. There are, however, no national studies that assess emergency department preparedness. The purpose of this survey was to assess the hazmat readiness of US Level 1 trauma centers (TCs). All 1996 Hospital Blue Book TCs (256) were queried by anonymous survey; 61% (156) responded to the survey. The TCs treated 43,046 +/- 28,455 patients (median, 40,500; range, 600 to 220,000); 15 +/- 29 (median, 6; range, 0 to 200) were hazmat-contaminated. Only 6% acknowledged having all necessary equipment required for safe decontamination. Many (83%) had hazmat response plans, but few (30%) of these plans were complete. Approximately 36% of the staff had received training. Thirteen staff required medical attention themselves after rendering care to a contaminated patient. Only 58% of the TCs performed a single drill. The preparedness of US Level 1 TCs to safely decontaminate hazmat patients seems to be inadequate.

Injuries Caused by Hazardous Materials Accidents

Study objective: To describe exposures that prehospital and ED personnel may encounter as a result of hazardous material incidents. Methods: Retrospective analysis of hazardous material incident reports from six district hazardous material teams in Massachusetts from their inception through May 1996. Results: The chemicals most frequently involved were various hydrocarbons and corrosive materials. Chlorine derivatives were involved in 18% of all incidents and 23% of all incidents resulting in victims. Victims were produced by 47 of 162 (29%) incidents. Respiratory exposures were the most frequent type of exposure and resulted in the largest number of victims transported to a hospital. Overall 24 of 26 (92%) incidents with chemical exposures resulted in symptomatic victims and 33 of 35 (94%) incidents produced victims requiring hospital transport. Respiratory symptoms were the most frequent, both in the number of incidents where they were observed and the total number of victims with symptoms. Conclusion: Multiple victim transport to EDs from a single hazardous material incident is most likely to result from an inhalation exposure to a respiratory irritant. Information from descriptive studies should allow improved preparation for potential hazardous material victims. [Kales SN, Polyhronopoulos GN, Castro MJ, Goldman RH, Christiani DC. Injuries caused by hazardous materials accidents. Ann Emerg Med November 1997;30:598-603.]

Hazardous Material Accidents with Mass Casualties: Prevention Strategies by Hamburg Fire Brigade

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The Constrained Extremal Distribution Selection Method

Engineering design and policy formulation often involve the assessment of the likelihood of future events commonly expressed through a probability distribution. Determination of these distributions is based, when possible, on observational data. Unfortunately, these data are often incomplete, biased, and/or incorrect. These problems are exacerbated when policy formulation involves the risk of extreme events—situations of low likelihood and high consequences. Usually, observational data simply do not exist for such events. Therefore, determination of probabilities which characterize extreme events must utilize all available knowledge, be it subjective or observational, so as to most accurately reflect the likelihood of such events. Extending previous work on the statistics of extremes, the Constrained Extremal Distribution Selection Method is a methodology that assists in the selection of probability distributions that characterize the risk of extreme events using expert opinion to constrain the feasible values for parameters which explicitly define a distribution. An extremal distribution is then “fit” to observational data, conditional that the selection of parameters does not violate any constraints. Using a random search technique, genetic algorithms, parameters that minimize a measure of fit between a hypothesized distribution and observational data are estimated. The Constrained Extremal Distribution Selection Method is applied to a real world policy problem faced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Selected distributions characterize the likelihood of extreme, fatal hazardous material accidents in the United States. These distributions are used to characterize the risk of large scale accidents with numerous fatalities.

The relationship of subjective distress and emergency response experience to the effective use of protective equipment

Abstract A total of 11 1 chernical emergency response team members were evaluated on the effective use ofpersonal protective equipment (PPE) and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) whde participating in a series of simulated hazardous material accidents. Performance ratings of PPE and SCBA use were conducted via behaviourally anchored rating scales (BARS), self-estimates of effectiveness, and cohort ratings. Subjective distress was assessed via the Subjective State Change Measure (SSCM), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Framingham Type A Behaviour Scale. Results indicated that effective use ofprotective breathing apparatus was correlated with prior emergency response experience and state anxiety. BARS scores were negatively related to state anxiety when controlling for experience. Self-ratings for effectiveness was positively related to both type A behaviour pattern and state anxiety.

SEMINAR TEACHES EMERGFNCY RESPONSE TO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ACCIDENTS

SEMINAR TEACHES EMERGFNCY RESPONSE TO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ACCIDENTS

State and national resources for community spill disaster preparedness in the united states

United States local contingency planning is considered from the special perspective of the resources available at the state and federal levels for hazardous materials accidents and emergency spills. The National Response Network for the United States is described in terms of the units and levels of government constituting that capability. Special features of local plans are discussed, and communications with state and federal response agencies are emphasized. State and federal resources for hazardous spill planning and response are described, particularly within the context of the regional and national response teams. The additional benefits of the agressive assistance of commercial and industrial assistance are discussed, and the additional benefits of local spill planning to the community are described. The article lists the regional U.S. Environmental Protection Agency contacts for spill response planning assistance.

Hazards to Nuclear Plants from Surface Traffic Accidents

Analytic models have been developed for evaluating hazards to nuclear plants from hazardous-materials accidents in the vicinity of the plant. In particular, these models permit the evaluation of ha...