Guidance on safe entry
It is very easy for rescue workers to drown while trying to access the flooded building. It is quite evident that even professional swimmers can drown in certain circumstances. A thorough study of the architecture of the building should be done (Cauffman and N.I.S.T, 2006). Workers should be enlightened on the topography or terrain that lies therein. They should also walk with copies of the architectural drawing or equivalent documents that will be useful in knowing the layout of the building. Before entry into the building, specific threat areas must be identified (Dasgupta, 2007). For example, workers must be aware of areas that can cause hypothermia or any injuries. Hypothermia usually results from exposure of the body to extremely cold water below 75 degrees F. Workers must also know first aid measures so as to provide the required help in the event of occurrences any such incidents.
According to Baas (2008), teams must be set up before entry into the building. No single worker should walk or work alone at any one time due to the uncertain nature of the mission. Workers must be provided with the right protective gear while working (Hogan & Burstein, 2007). Safety boots that have a good grip of the ground are important since they avoid any accidents that may result from slipping or sliding. They should not absorb water that is, be waterproof so as avoid or reduce the risk of hypothermia. Helmets, gloves and overalls, are a must-have.
A civil or structural engineer must also be present before entry into the building. The engineer will study the extent of the damage and determine the most effective way of accessing the building (Dasgupta, 2007). This will reduce the risk of the building collapsing in workers. A clear and elaborate plan must also be established as pertains to a point of convergence. For example, it may be agreed that workers must report one hour to strategize or report on any technical difficulties that may arise (Baas, 2008).
Chemical Spill Clean up
The hospital had a laboratory and pharmacy, which had different drugs and chemical content. An expert on laboratory clean up procedures or a qualified chemist will be required to determine if there are respiratory hazards that may arise due to any of the spills (Singh, 1996). This means that gas masks are necessary have for the workers who are to enter the hospital building.
The expert will also have to determine hazardous chemicals that may be present in flooded water, especially those with a corrosive effect. A sample may be acquired from a nearby pool of flooded water. Alternatively, a keen analysis of the possible drugs that are usually present in such a facility may provide useful information. When dividing the teams, it may be necessary to include at least one chemical expert with one of the teams. He or she will require protective equipment such as silver shield combination gloves and splash goggles (Singh, 1996).
Hazardous materials
The hurricane will result in accumulation of debris in close proximity of the hospital building. Flooding leads to deposition of a lot of debris in the affected areas. The flooding may be due to high winds, high rainfall or storm surges (Paul, 2011). Large tracts of land may be covered in floodwater for substantial periods and this may result in siltation. Debris may also occur due to accumulation of vegetation such as tree stamps and small bushes at the hospital building. Alternatively, there may be an accumulation of broken walls and other structures. This may require the use of particular equipment to heavy lift the debris (Dasgupta, 2007).
Hazardous wastes such as oil, pesticides and cleaning agents may also find their way to the site through wind or water erosion. According to Paul (2011), municipal solid waste in the form of household trash and personal effects may also be among the debris. Goods that utilize technological advancements may also fall privy to the debris. These include computers, since this include refrigerators and air conditioners since they are very useful in the hospital. In case, there are electronic wastes proper procedures should be followed for proper disposure (Boudier and Bensebaa, 2011). Failure to do this may result exportation of the electronic waste to the developing countries
Air monitoring
The air around the hospital building stands a risk of being polluted by debris from demolitions, re-aerosolization of contaminated sediments and possible spills of volatile chemicals. Air sampling and monitoring is done, as a safety precaution, to ensure that there exists safe-air conditions before any reoccupation of the area is implemented. According to Phalen and Phalen (2012), the air quality deteriorates as flood-contaminated dust accumulates. The air may be polluted by the evaporation of volatile material. However, this is relatively short term and the pollutants may soon clear. In an effort, to clear debris and allow resettling, burning of the debris may be unavoidable. This may require the determination of particular landfills where the disposal and burning will occur. A least three air monitoring stations will be erected, with every station focusing on a particular air pollution concern. The method of sampling to be conducted will be area sampling. According to McDermott and Ness (2004), area sampling is suitable for measuring contaminants levels in a particular area where portable techniques for sampling are not sufficient.
Organization of Teams and Delegation of Duties
The whole process of disaster management will require a combined effort from different people who are professionals in different fields (Coppola, 2011). Consultations with the Safety Supervisor and Environmental Manager will help determine the number of teams according to the extent of the damage and the amount of work available. From the 25 staff, five teams can be created each with a doctor, nurse or medical officer, an engineer or technician plus any other professional in disaster management.
The teams will be deployed in different directions armed with the necessary protective clothing (Coppola, 2011). Communication will be via radio since this is the only means available as the cell phones are down. Each team will report to the base station after two hours to report on their findings. In case of an emergency, two members of the team will report back to the base station to inform Incident Commander of the incident. The other members will try and solve the situation inside. Depending on the gravity of the emergency, other teams may be forced to help. Each team will also comprise of a group leader who will give directions to the team as they move. He or she will have a map or architectural layout of the building and a compass to guide the rest of the team. Finally, efforts should be made to determine those wastes that can be recycled for other uses (Orr, 2012).
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