Biological, Chemical, Radiologic Event, and Pandemic
Biological and chemical threats require important and informed decisions that can affect the lives and safety of building staff, tenants, and visitors. The number of causalities from actual threats will depend on several factors, the most important being the potency or size of the weapon and the efficiency of the delivery system. While an incident involving a chemical agent would probably be quickly noticed, a biological or radiological attack may not be noticed for several days. Evidence of such threats can vary. The agent may appear as a solid, liquid, or gas. A biological or radiological agent release is nearly impossible to identify at the time of release.
In case of an emergency situation, including one related to a terrorist attack, the local and federal police and health systems would immediately take action. The building will follow the guidance of the police and health officials. Each situation warrants a different response. As the building receives information it will be immediately relayed to the tenants.
The building will rely on local emergency personnel to administer any necessary medications in response to an emergency situation, including a dirty bomb, biological, chemical or other attack. These personnel have the medical expertise necessary to diagnose and provide the appropriate treatment in such situations.
Since chemical agents are typically acutely toxic, their effects are typically abrupt and obvious. Determination as to whether an attack has occurred may be made by observation of the victims. The physiological impact on building occupants and visitors may lead to the immediate inference that they may have been exposed to a chemical agent. It is important to recognize key signs and symptoms of chemical exposure in order to react rapidly. More than any other type of attack, a chemical agent requires quick reaction because a rapid response will have a direct impact on the number of lives saved.
General rules for response to a chemical agent are:
- Recognition of a potential chemical agent incident.
- You observe two or more people suddenly in physical distress with no obvious cause. For example:
- Breathing difficulty or uncontrollable coughing
- Complaints of nausea
- Blurred vision
- Complaints of an unusual odor
Actions to be taken in response to a biological or chemical agent event:
- Notify 911
- Stop all personnel from entering the contaminated area.
- Evacuate people away (opposite direction) from the contaminated area/chemical cloud/area of release.
- Notify the Building Management Office at 212 944 6090 of the release in your area.
- Ensure that people who need assistance receive help from emergency personnel.
The difficulty of responding to a nuclear or radiological incident is compounded by the nature of the radiation in an explosion. The fact that radioactive material was involved may or may not be obvious, depending upon the nature of the explosive device used. Other than an explosive device to disperse radiological material, a “carrier” could spread particles of radiological waste throughout the area. The effects of this type of event would not become evident for several days or weeks. Unless announced by public emergency officials or confirmed by radiological detection equipment, the presence of a radiation hazard is difficult to ascertain.
Response to a radiological event:
If the results of an investigation indicate that a radiological act of terrorism is a realistic possibility, the responsive actions will depend on the evidence discovered.
If a suspected material or a dispersal device is found and a threat is deemed credible, the general steps outlined for responding to a bomb should be taken.
Pandemic and Flu
A pandemic of influenza, or flu, occurs when a new flu virus rapidly spreads from human-to-human and country-to-country around the world. A new virus can spread rapidly because most people are not immune to it. Pandemics are not just particularly bad flu seasons. In fact, they can happen any time of the year.
What is troubling is, whenever a flu strain infects people, there is a chance that the virus could mutate, or change, to a new virus that spreads easily from person-to-person and causes serious illness. Infections with new human flu strains cannot be prevented by the flu vaccine that people get each year. Making a safe vaccine that can prevent infections with a new human virus can take several months.
There are precautions individuals can take in the event of a pandemic.
- Frequently washing or sanitizing your hands.
- Covering up when coughing or sneezing.
- Be aware of others that exhibit flu symptoms.
- Most importantly, stay home if you feel sick.
As a business it is important to develop a plan for:
- The impact of a pandemic on your business.
- The impact of a pandemic on your employees and customers.
- Establishing policies to be implemented during a pandemic.
- Allocating resources to protect your employees and customers during a pandemic.
- Educating your employees.
- Coordinating with external organizations and helping your community.
Biolojia, kemikali, radiolojia, na janga: vitisho vya kibiolojia na kemikali zinahitaji maamuzi muhimu na ya habari ambayo yanaweza kuathiri maisha na usalama wa wafanyakazi wa jengo, wapangaji, na wageni. Idadi ya vifo kutokana na vitisho halisi itategemea mambo kadhaa, muhimu zaidi kuwa nguvu au ukubwa wa silaha na ufanisi wa mfumo wa utoaji. Ingawa huenda tukio linalohusisha kemikali liligunduliwa upesi, huenda shambulio la kibiolojia au la mnururisho lisigunduliwe kwa siku kadhaa. Uthibitisho wa vitisho hivyo waweza kutofautiana. Kiungo hicho kinaweza kuwa na umbo la kitu kigumu, kioevu, au gesi. Utoaji wa kiumbe hai au radiolojia ni karibu haiwezekani kutambua wakati wa kutolewa. Katika hali ya dharura, ikiwa ni pamoja na moja inayohusiana na shambulio la kigaidi, polisi wa mitaa na shirikisho na mifumo ya afya itachukua hatua mara moja. Jengo hilo litafuata mwongozo wa polisi na maafisa wa afya. Kila hali huhitaji itikio tofauti. Kama jengo anapokea habari itakuwa mara moja relayed kwa wapangaji. "Mafanyakazi wa kituo cha usalama wa eneo hilo watatumia vifaa vya dharura ili kutoa matibabu ya dharura, ikiwa ni pamoja na ""bomu cha uchafu,"" ""maambukizi ya kibiolojia, kemikali au mengine.""" Wafanyakazi hao wana utaalamu wa kitiba unaohitajika kugundua na kutoa matibabu yanayofaa katika hali kama hizo. Kwa kuwa kemikali huwa na sumu kali sana, athari zake huwa za ghafula na dhahiri. Kuamua kama shambulio limetokea kunaweza kufanywa kwa kuchunguza wahasiriwa. Athari za kisaikolojia kwa wakazi wa jengo na wageni zinaweza kusababisha hitimisho la mara moja kwamba wanaweza kuwa wamefunikwa na wakala wa kemikali. Ni muhimu kutambua ishara na dalili kuu za kuambukizwa kemikali ili kuitikia upesi. "Kama aina nyingine yoyote ya shambulio, kemikali inahitaji majibu ya haraka kwa sababu majibu ya haraka yatakuwa na athari ya moja kwa moja kwa idadi ya maisha kuokolewa. """ Kanuni za jumla kwa ajili ya kukabiliana na wakala wa kemikali ni: - Utambuzi wa tukio uwezekano wakala wa kemikali. - Unaona watu wawili au zaidi kwa ghafula katika shida ya kimwili bila sababu ya wazi. -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa: -Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa:Kugusa - Kuondoa watu mbali (njia kinyume) kutoka eneo kuchafuliwa / kemikali wingu / eneo la kutolewa. - Julishe Ofisi ya Usimamizi wa Jengo kwenye 212 944 6090 ya kutolewa katika eneo lako. - Hakikisha kwamba watu wanaohitaji msaada hupokea msaada kutoka kwa wafanyakazi wa dharura. Ugumu wa kukabiliana na tukio la nyuklia au radiolojia huongezwa na asili ya mnururisho katika mlipuko. Ukweli kwamba nyenzo zenye mnururisho zilihusika huenda ukawa dhahiri au usiwe dhahiri, ikitegemea asili ya kifaa cha kulipuka kilichotumiwa. Mbali na kifaa cha kulipuka ili kutawanya nyenzo za mnururisho, "mtoaji" angeweza kueneza chembe za taka za mnururisho katika eneo hilo lote. Athari za aina hii ya tukio hazingeonekana kwa siku kadhaa au majuma kadhaa. Isipokuwa kutangazwa na maafisa wa dharura ya umma au kuthibitishwa na vifaa vya kugundua radiolojia, uwepo wa hatari ya mionzi ni vigumu kuamua. """Ikiwa matokeo ya uchunguzi yanaonyesha kwamba kitendo cha kigaidi cha radiolojia ni uwezekano wa kweli, hatua za kujibu zitategemea ushahidi uliopatikana." Ikiwa vifaa vinavyoshukiwa au kifaa cha kutawanya vinapatikana na tishio linachukuliwa kuwa la kuaminika, hatua za jumla zilizoelezwa kwa kujibu bomu zinapaswa kuchukuliwa. Gonjwa la mafua (Gripe) ni ugonjwa wa kuambukiza ugonjwa wa mafua (Gripe) ambao hutokea wakati virusi vipya vya mafua vinaenea haraka kutoka kwa binadamu hadi kwa binadamu na kutoka nchi hadi nchi duniani kote. Virusi vipya vinaweza kuenea haraka kwa sababu watu wengi hawawezi kuepukika. Janga la homa si msimu mbaya tu wa homa. Kwa kweli, yanaweza kutokea wakati wowote wa mwaka. "Kitu cha kutisha ni kwamba, kila wakati aina ya homa inapowasumbua watu, kuna uwezekano kwamba virusi vinaweza kubadilika, au kubadilika, kuwa virusi vipya vinavyoenea kwa urahisi kutoka kwa mtu mmoja hadi mwingine na kusababisha magonjwa makubwa.""" Maambukizi ya aina mpya za homa ya binadamu hayawezi kuzuiwa na chanjo ya homa ambayo watu hupata kila mwaka. Utafiti wa chanjo ya kuzuia maambukizi ya virusi vya virusi vya binadamu unaweza kuchukua miezi kadhaa. Kuna tahadhari ambazo watu binafsi wanaweza kuchukua iwapo kuna janga. - Osha au kuosha mikono yako mara kwa mara. - Kuficha wakati wa kikohozi au kupiga chafya. - Jihadharini na wengine wanaonyesha dalili za mafua. Jambo la muhimu zaidi ni kukaa nyumbani ikiwa unahisi mgonjwa. Kama biashara ni muhimu kuendeleza mpango kwa ajili ya: - Athari ya janga juu ya biashara yako. - Athari ya janga kwa wafanyakazi wako na wateja wako. - Kuanzisha sera za kutekelezwa wakati wa janga. - Kuweka rasilimali ili kulinda wafanyakazi wako na wateja wakati wa janga. - Kuwaelimisha wafanyakazi wako. - Kuunganisha na mashirika ya nje na kusaidia jamii yako.