Public Health England, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Institute of Population Health, Nottingham City Hospital, Hucknall Road, Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK.
Centre for Environmental Safety and Security, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
Environ Int. 2014 Nov;72:30-6. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2014.03.012. Epub 2014 Apr 24.
Good practices in emergency preparedness and response for chemical incidents include practices specific to the different functions of exposure assessment (e.g., within the monitoring function, the use of mobile monitoring equipment; within the modelling function, the use of rapid dispersion models with integrated mapping software) and generic practices to engage incident response stakeholders to maximise exposure assessment capabilities (e.g., sharing protocols and pre-prepared information and multi-agency training and exercising). Such practices can optimise cross-border collaboration. A wide range of practices have been implemented across MSs during chemical incident response, particularly during incidents that have cross-border and trans-boundary impacts. This paper proposes a self-assessment methodology to enable MSs, or organisations within MSs, to examine exposure assessment capabilities and communication pathways between exposure assessors and public health risk assessors. Where gaps exist, this methodology provides links to good practices that could improve response, communication and collaboration across local, regional and national borders. A fragmented approach to emergency preparedness for chemical incidents is a major obstacle to improving cross-border exposure assessment. There is no one existing body or structure responsible for all aspects of chemical incident preparedness and response in the European Union. Due to the range of different organisations and networks involved in chemical incident response, emergency preparedness needs to be drawn together. A number of recommendations are proposed, including the use of networks of experts which link public health risk assessors with experts in exposure assessment, in order to coordinate and improve chemical incident emergency preparedness. The EU's recent Decision on serious cross-border threats to health aims to facilitate MSs' compliance with the International Health Regulations, which require reporting and communication regarding significant chemical incidents. This provides a potential route to build on in order to improve chemical incident preparedness and response across Europe.
良好的化学事故应急准备和应对实践包括暴露评估的不同功能特定实践（例如，在监测功能中使用移动监测设备；在建模功能中，使用具有集成绘图软件的快速扩散模型）以及使事件应对利益相关者参与以最大程度地提高暴露评估能力的通用实践（例如，共享协议和预先准备的信息以及多机构培训和演练）。这些做法可以优化跨境合作。在化学事故应对中，各成员国已经实施了广泛的实践，特别是在具有跨境和越境影响的事故中。本文提出了一种自我评估方法，使成员国或成员国内部的组织能够检查暴露评估能力以及暴露评估人员与公共卫生风险评估人员之间的沟通途径。如果存在差距，该方法将提供可以改善反应、沟通和跨境合作的良好实践的链接。对化学事故应急准备的分散方法是改善跨境暴露评估的主要障碍。欧盟没有一个机构或组织负责化学事故准备和应对的所有方面。由于涉及化学事故应对的不同组织和网络的范围，应急准备需要整合在一起。提出了一些建议，包括使用将公共卫生风险评估人员与暴露评估专家联系起来的专家网络，以协调和改善化学事故应急准备。欧盟最近关于严重跨境健康威胁的决定旨在促进成员国遵守《国际卫生条例》，该条例要求报告和通报重大化学事故。这为改善整个欧洲的化学事故准备和应对提供了一个潜在的途径。
