Hurricane Response Guide for Environmental Public Health Professionals
Pro Tips Must Know Protecting human life during a radiation incident involves one or more of the following measures: Limiting time of exposure Maintaining a safe distance from radiation sources Shielding from radiation sources Decontamination State Radiation Control Programs play a vital role in the planning, response, and recovery phases of a radiation event. Each state has its own Radiation Control Program, and it is crucial for EPH to establish and maintain contact with their designated point of contact eithin this program. The Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD) website is a valuable resource for obtaining further information and connecting with these essential partners in radiation emergency preparedness and management. Principles of Radiation Protection Time: For people exposed to radiation in addition to natural background radiation, limiting or minimizing the exposure time reduces the dose from the radiation source. Distance: Just as the heat from a fire reduces as you move further away, the dose of radiation decreases as you increase your distance from the source. Shielding: Barriers of lead, concrete, or water provide protection from penetrating gamma rays and x-rays. This is why certain radioactive materials are stored under water or in concrete or lead-lined rooms and why dentists place a lead blanket on patients receiving x-rays of their teeth. Therefore, inserting the proper shield between you and a radiation source will significantly reduce or eliminate the dose you receive . Best Practices Priorities for Control of Contaminated Area 1. Prioritize urgent medical care over decontamination efforts or time-consuming protection of attendants. 2. In early-phase scenarios, do not waste effort trying to contain contaminated wash water if it interferes with lifesaving and public health protection priorities, but notify sewage treatment plants. 3. Do not allow monitoring and decontamination to delay an ordered evacuation. 4. Establish emergency contamination monitoring stations in areas with elevated background radiation levels after plume passage to monitor people emerging from possible high-exposure areas, provide rapid decontamination, and evaluate the need for further care. 5. Set up monitoring and decontamination facilities at evacuation centers or locations in low- background areas (less than 0.1 mrem/1 µSv per hour gamma exposure rate) to control surface contamination, using the guidance provided in Section 2.4.4. 6. Encourage evacuees from areas with potential particulate material release to self-decontaminate by changing and bagging clothes, storing them away from people and pets, washing exposed surfaces, and reporting to evacuation centers for monitoring. 7. Consider setting up monitoring and decontamination stations at exits from highly contaminated parts of the evacuation area, acknowledging that low levels of contamination may be undetectable. 8. Advise individuals to bathe and change clothes within 24 hours and refer those exceeding surface contamination screening levels for further decontamination or medical attention.
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