For many years now, multi-gas meters have served as an invaluable resource to protect the environment and aid in the safe operations of technical rescue teams, firefighters and HazMat crews.
While there are a wide variety of gas detector products currently available, they have all been designed with one common goal in mind - to provide the user with a visual or audio indication as to the hazardous nature of the environment they are about to enter.
Any incident that involves the use of a chemical, biological or radiological or nuclear (CBRN) material can pose a substantial threat to not just human safety but also to the viability of a country's commercial and governmental infrastructure.
While the historical record of CBRN emergencies involving radiological or nuclear materials has so far been thankfully limited, the risk of a "low probability, high impact" event is nonetheless very real and something that must be prepared for.
Staying up to date with the science that supports radiological defence is a key priority for CBRN practitioners, whether they are operating within a military, civilian, governmental or research capacity.
While CBRN specialists will naturally be highly skilled in the subject areas that are directly relevant to their own area of focus, there can also be much benefit to be gained from expanding their knowledge base and in exploring new technologies.
The use of accurate spectroscopy equipment is an essential factor in enabling emergency response teams, border control and law enforcement to quickly and efficiently screen, detect (and where possible identify) an unknown source of radiation.
Radiation-emitting materials can be broadly divided into several categories - encompassing what are known as naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM); Special Nuclear Materials (SNM); medical radioactive isotopes (radiological materials used for the purposes of medical diagnosis or treatment) and industrial radioisotopes (used in a wide variety of industry applications from construction to mining).
The detection, location and prevention of illicit transportation of radiological materials is a vital factor in safeguarding communities and protecting critical infrastructure.
For law enforcement and first responders, the use of mobile radiation detectors and radiation detection portals are essential tools for the fast and accurate screening of potential radiation sources.
In the event of a nuclear or radiological emergency, prompt action by those working within the hospital environment can have a crucial role to play in protecting the health and safety of patients, staff and infrastructure.
Increasingly, there is the expectation that a hospital's medical physicist (MP) will be capable of stepping into a radiological emergency support role under the auspices of an Incident Command System (ICS).
Whenever there is the need to respond to an incident that involves the release of an uncontrolled source of radiation, a critical objective will be to minimise the risk of unnecessary exposure.
Radiological incidents where there is the potential for a significant release of radionuclides are many and varied - whether it be a transportation accident, a fire within a nuclear fuel manufacturing plant, or a terrorist act that involves the use of a radiological dispersal device (RDD) or improvised nuclear device (IND).
In the event of a known or suspected radiation accident or incident, the speed of response will be a critical factor in maximising the safety and wellbeing of people and the environment.
Understanding the nature and the significance of the radiation threat is key.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) International Nuclear and Radiological Event Severity Scale (INES) provides an invaluable reference for radiological personnel by prioritising radiological incidents or accidents according to seven levels of severity.
Military organisations worldwide face the ongoing challenge of training against a multitude of emerging, complex and increasingly unpredictable chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats.
Effective and cohesive CBRN response relies on substantial planning and preparation that takes into account the wide variety of detection, response and recovery phases of an incident.
The use of simulators and simulations to deliver CBRNe training is recognised as being a highly effective way to immerse trainees in environments that are as close as possible to those that they will experience in real life.
Simulator training provides a safe way for CBRNe personnel to test their knowledge and skills in the context of real-world examples.
Crucially too, trainees are able to make mistakes, and to learn from those mistakes, without risk to their own personal health, the environment or infrastructure.