Transcript Introduction to the Health Protection Agency and its Role in Chemical Incident Response Andy McParland Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards 8th November 2012

Introduction to the Health Protection Agency
and its Role in Chemical Incident Response
Andy McParland
Centre for Radiation, Chemical and
Environmental Hazards
8th November 2012
Introduction
Part 1. Overview of the HPA and CRCE
• Background and Structure of HPA CRCE
• Functions of CRCE
Part 2. Chemical Incident Response
• Acute Incidents
• Chronic Environmental Public Health Concerns
• HPA Resources
Part 1. Overview of HPA CRCE
Health Protection Agency
• Independent non-departmental government body, created
from existing organisations on 1st April 2003
• HPA Act 2004:
• “Protect the community (or any part of the community) against
infectious diseases and other dangers to health”
• Civil Contingencies Act 2004:
• Category One responder
• Provide expert support and advice:
• Infectious disease, radiation, chemicals, poisons, emergency response
• 24 hour service
Structure of the Health
Protection Agency
HPA Board
Executive Group
Microbiology Services
(Porton, Colindale
and Regional)
Health Protection Services
(Colindale and Regional)
NIBSC/Biological Standards
and Controls
(Potters Bar)
Corporate Services
CRCE/Radiation, Chemical
and Environment
(Chilton and Regional)
Health Protection Services
• Nine English regions
• Gateway to HPA at a local level
• Health Protection Units
• 1 HPU/ 2 million head of population
• CsCDC/ Consultants in HP/ HP Specialists
• Link to Director of Public Health at PCT (now in LA)
• Supported by national centres
Centre for Radiation, Chemical
and Environmental Hazards
• Centre HQ at Chilton, Oxon
• Formerly two divisions (merged in 2009)
• Radiation Protection Division
• Chemical Hazards & Poisons Division
• Specialist units/ teams
• Nationally-based across
• England
• Wales
• Scotland
CRCE Chemical Units
• CRCE Chemical Units (England)
• 4 areas covering several Government areas but acting as a national
department
• Close links with CRCE Wales as similar functions
• Link to Health Protection Scotland for chemical issues (via CRCE
Nottingham)
• CRCE Wales
• Sole HPA unit in Wales
• Extreme Events & Health Protection Section
CRCE Chemical Units
Offices:
• Birmingham & Manchester
• Chilton & Bristol
• London
• Nottingham & Newcastle
• Cardiff
CRCE Chemical Units –
main functions (1)
• Emergency response
• Local
• National
• Emergency preparedness
• Planning
• Exercising
• Chronic cases
• E.g. Contaminated land, cluster investigation, private water supplies
CRCE Chemical Units –
main functions (2)
• Consultations
• Environmental Permitting (EP)
• Planning applications
• National consultations (IPC, NSIP)
• Applied research and development
• Improving the evidence base
• European projects
• Advice
• Position statements
• Chemical Research Reports
The Future
• Public Health White Paper
• Public Health England
• Transition 1st April 2013
Part 2. Chemical Incident Response
Chemical Incidents
“Any event leading to exposure of two or more individuals to
any substance resulting in illness or potentially toxic threat to
health.”
Hill and O’Sullivan (1992)
Examples:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fire
Explosion
Release / Spillage
Water pollution
Food contamination
Transport-related
HPA Role in Chemical
Incidents
• Undertake assessment of public health risk
• Provision of advice and support to first line responders
• PCTs and Directors of Public Health
• other agencies (e.g. local authorities, NHS, emergency responders etc)
• the public
• Clinical Treatment Advice via National Poisons Information
Service (NPIS) – through TOXBASE website and 24hour
phone number
http://www.hpa.org.uk/ProductsServices/ChemicalsPoisons/PoisonsInfor
mationService/NationalPoisonsInformationService/
Incidents Reported
to CRCE in 2010
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Chemical Incidents – Who
Responds?
• Blue light services deal with the initial incident.
• A&Es deal with casualties.
• Public health aspects are dealt with by the HPA & PCT. The HPA is
a Category 1 Responder under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.
• NHS Direct, GPs, PCTs deal with queries regarding individuals’
health.
• Other stakeholders likely to be involved: Local Authority,
Environment Agency, Food Standards Agency, Health and Safety
Executive, Met. Office, Media.
Fires
Chemical Fatalities
Air Quality Cell (AQC)
•
A virtual multi-agency advisory group
which can be convened during a
major incident to co-ordinate air
monitoring and modelling.
•
Partners include EA, HPA, Met
Office, HSL, FSA + others.
•
It aims to provide timely (interpreted)
air quality and air modelling
information to the Science and
Technical Advice Cell (if formed), or
to a multi-agency group.
Chronic Environmental
Public Health Concerns
Advice and support is also given with respect to chronic
incidents.
Example areas of support to local authorities:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Contamination of private drinking water supplies
Health concerns from industrial emissions
Contaminated school play areas/allotments
Health implications of nuisance dust
Fuel spillages affecting residential properties
Alleged cancer clusters near industrial premises
The Avenue Coking
Works
Former Avenue Coking Works, Chesterfield.
Resources
Compendium of Chemical Hazards
• General Information
Provides background information on the compound, including its uses
and 'frequently asked questions‘.
• Incident Management
Focuses on information that may be needed during chemical incidents,
such as physicochemical properties, health effects and decontamination.
• Toxicological Overview
Provides more in-depth toxicology.
http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/ChemicalsAndPoisons/CompendiumOfChe
micalHazards/
Compendium of Chemical
Hazards
Land Contamination
Publications
http://www.hpa.org.uk/Publications/ChemicalsPoisons/LandContaminati
on/
Checklists for Chemical
Incident Management
• Acute incidents, e.g. chemical spills
• Non domestic fires
• Water incidents
• Sheltering or evacuation decisions
• Land contamination
• Flooding incidents
http://www.hpa.org.uk/HPA/ProductsServices/ChemicalsPoisons/ChemicalRiskAssessme
nt/1158313435104/
Factsheets for the Public
•
Carbon Monoxide
•
Mercury
•
Lead Incidents
•
Chemicals in toys
•
Petroleum products incidents
•
Odour
http://www.hpa.org.uk/HPA/ProductsServices/ChemicalsPoisons/ChemicalRiskAssess
ment/1158313435037/
Internal Action Cards &
Guidance
•
Bioaerosols from composting sites
http://hpanet/webc/HPAnetFile/HPAnet_C/1309970043516
•
Carbon monoxide action card
http://hpanet/webc/HPAnetFile/HPAnet_C/1257260480033
•
Elevated concentrations of nitrate and nitrite in drinking water
http://hpanet/webc/HPAnetFile/HPAnet_C/1249542993340
•
Lead action card
http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1274092896741
•
Asbestos Toolkit – Responding to fires involving asbestos
http://hpanet/webc/HPAnetFile/HPAnet_C/1207639082232
CHaP Reports
http://www.hpa.org.uk/Publications/ChemicalsPoisons/ChemicalHazardsandPoiso
nsReports/
• Incident response – lessons
learned & guidance
• Emergency planning and
preparedness
• Training
HPA Chemical Research
Reports
• HPA CHaPD 001: Review of Environmental Chemicals and
Neurotoxicity: Focus on Neurological Diseases
• HPA CHaPD 002: Review of Chemical Toxicity to the Reproductive
System, with Particular Reference to Developmental Toxicity
• HPA CHaPD 003: The Public Health Significance of Asbestos Exposures
from Large Scale Fires
• HPA CHaPD 004: A Toxicological Review of the Products of Combustion
http://www.hpa.org.uk/Publications/ChemicalsPoisons/ChemicalResearchReports/
Position Documents
• Health Impacts of Operating Landfill Sites
http://www.hpa.org.uk/NewsCentre/NationalPressReleases/2011PressReleases/110728Landfill
norisk/
• Intensive Farming
http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1194947378905
• Health Impacts of emissions to air from municipal waste
incinerators
http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1266228112244
Any Questions?
Andy McParland
CRCE (Nottingham)
Email: [email protected]
T: 0844 225 4524
E: