Responding to major toxic releases.

Major releases of hazardous substances into the community are a preventable cause of disaster. Despite the impetus given by recent legislation to emergency planning the problems of mounting an adequate response to a chemical disaster are considerable. The successful medical management of a major incident depends upon a rapid and complete evaluation of the acute and possible long-term health hazards and this is likely to require the urgent deployment to the scene of specialists from the key disciplines. Some of the lessons of previous major incidents are highlighted; these are similar regardless of the route of human exposure (air, food and drink, water) or whether the release is from an industrial or natural source.