Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Contributors
- Contributor Biographies
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- PART I CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND STRATEGIC OVERVIEW
- PART II OPERATIONAL ISSUES
- PART III CLINICAL MANAGEMENT
- SECTION A CBRNE AND HAZMAT
- 26 Explosive Events
- 27 Burn Patient Management
- 28 Clinical Aspects of Large-Scale Chemical Events
- 29 Biological Events
- 30 Nuclear and Radiological Events
- 31 Hazardous Material, Toxic, and Industrial Events
- SECTION B ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS
- Index
- Plate section
- References
31 - Hazardous Material, Toxic, and Industrial Events
from SECTION A - CBRNE AND HAZMAT
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 August 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Contributors
- Contributor Biographies
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- PART I CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND STRATEGIC OVERVIEW
- PART II OPERATIONAL ISSUES
- PART III CLINICAL MANAGEMENT
- SECTION A CBRNE AND HAZMAT
- 26 Explosive Events
- 27 Burn Patient Management
- 28 Clinical Aspects of Large-Scale Chemical Events
- 29 Biological Events
- 30 Nuclear and Radiological Events
- 31 Hazardous Material, Toxic, and Industrial Events
- SECTION B ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS
- Index
- Plate section
- References
Summary
OVERVIEW
Hazardous material (HazMat) incidents are increasingly prevalent due to the continuing rapid growth and globalization of the chemical industry. In a previous report, the World Health Organization (WHO) noted that 100,000 industrial chemicals exist in the workplace. This number is increasing by an estimated 1,000 per year. In the United States alone, there are approximately 13,500 chemical manufacturing facilities, owned by more than 9,000 companies. When it comes to transportation of HazMats, the nation has nearly 1 million daily shipments by land, sea, and air. Globally, chemical production and use has also increased nearly 10-fold over the last 30 years, and this is particularly true in developing countries. The presence of such large quantities of toxic chemicals and hazardous substances among populations poses a significant threat to global health and the environment.
This chapter will focus on industrial HazMat events. Hazards of a biological nature or those with radioactive properties are discussed in Chapters 29 and 30. Harm can also result from deliberate release of hazardous materials from terrorism. Chemical emergencies related to the use of entities such as nerve agents are described further in a Chapter 28.
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- Koenig and Schultz's Disaster MedicineComprehensive Principles and Practices, pp. 511 - 526Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009