Reopening public facilities after a biological attack : a decision making framework / Committee on Standards and Policies for Decontaminating Public Facilities Affected by Exposure to Harmful Biological Agents: How Clean is Safe?.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Standards and Policies for Decontaminating Public Facilities Affected by Exposure to Harmful Biological Agents: How Clean Is Safe?.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bioterrorism.

Emergency management--United States.

Emergency management.

Civil defense--United States.

Civil defense.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (224 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : National Academies Press, c2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The anthrax attacks in fall 2001 spurred an extensive and costly decontamination effort where many decisions had to be made about which sites required cleanup, what method to use, how to determine the effectiveness of the cleanup, and how "clean" the building had to be for reoccupation. As part of a project funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and managed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the National Research Council was asked to consider the criteria that must be met for a cleanup to be declared successful, allowing the reoccupation of a facility. The report finds that efficiently sampling and characterizing a pathogen is critical for choosing the best remediation strategy. However, there should be no universal standard for deciding when a building is safe to re-enter because varying pathogen amounts and characteristics could require different strategies. The report offers a flowchart for decision-makers that includes questions about the characteristics of the pathogen; how far it has spread; whether it is transmissible between humans; and how long it will survive to pose a threat. The report also recommends that a risk-assessment approach be adopted as part of a strategy for achieving a "socially acceptable" standard for cleanup.

Contents:

Introduction

2001 attacks and cleanup

Context of the study and charge to the Committee

Content and structure

Infectious disease threats

Ability of microorganisms to infect people

Infectious disease as a weapon

Agents of concern to national security and public health

Biological agents considered in this report

Policy precedents in decontamination

Microbial decontamination in food and water supplies

Biosafety in microbiological and biomedical laboratories

Environmental infection control in health care facilities

Decontamination of U.S. Army Biological Warfare laboratories

Development of Superfund and remediation plans

Remediation experiences in the U.S. nuclear weapons complex

Anthrax decontamination after the 2001 attacks: social and political context

Uncertain science, certain social division

Case study selection

Framework for event management

Hazard identification and assessment

Identification of the agent

Evaluating the state of the agent

Evaluating the state of the contaminated building

Factors influencing exposure to harmful biological agents in indoor environments

Exposure

Sources

Building design and operations

Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems

Transport and fate of harmful biological agents

Deposition

Resuspension

Preparing and operating buildings for a bioterrorism attack and subsequent operation

Analyzing health risks

Assessment of risks posed by a biological hazard

Dose-response: principles and uncertainties

Sampling strategies and technologies

Sampling and identification

General sampling plan for quantifying the extent of cleanup

Decontamination practices and principles

Processes for decontamination of harmful biological agents and other response options

Decontamination of harmful biological agents by chemical and physical methods

Examples of decontamination: Hart Senate Office Building and American Media International Building

Safe reoccupation of a facility

Planning for biological agent attack

Buildings declared contaminated

Harmful biological agents in a public facility: the airport scenario

Planning can make a major difference

All findings and recommendations

Other relevant case studies

Were the 2001 anthrax exposures consistent with dose-response: the case of the AMI building.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

ISBN:

9786610742219

9780309165051

0309165059

9781280742217

1280742216

9780309551663

0309551668

OCLC:

70143642