Rescuer's Security Key Aspect in Toxic Spill Management

April 13, 2006
Toxic trauma expert analyzes emergency response safety issues

Dubai: A well-coordinated plan to manage chemical incidents, either accidental or deliberate, can go a long way in protecting the general populace, says a toxic trauma expert.

Professor David Baker, a consultant anaesthesiologist with Paris Emergency Medical Services, said the Bhopal disaster in 1984, which caused the deaths of at least 18,000 people, showed the importance of a comprehensive emergency management plan.

"Many people are worried about chemical spills ? but (with a clear, coordinated plan and system in place) mass injury does not necessarily mean mass fatality," he told Gulf News on the sidelines of the Dubai International Emergency and Catastrophe Conference, where he lectured on toxic trauma and the management of casualties.

He said the plan should also place importance on protecting rescue and healthcare workers as well as treatment of victims.

"Because of the risk to the responders, it is different from other traumas. Paramedics need basic and medical training in chemical incidents," he said.

Dubai is at risk of chemical incidents due to its location as a trade hub. The construction boom in Dubai also means that large amount of chemicals, which can be toxic, are widely used.

Dr Mo'en Fikri, head of emergency department at Rashid Hospital, told Gulf News that chemical incidents in Dubai mostly involve chlorine, a toxic chemical commonly used in the construction industry. It can cause respiratory problems and burn skin. "We have not had any major disasters. The incidents are small, involving 10 to 20 people," Dr Fikri said.

He added the emergency plan in the event of a major chemical disaster in Dubai has the armed forces and civil defence taking the lead. Emergency workers will remove any accessible victims from the site and paramedics will enter only after the site is deemed safe.