While carbon dioxide (CO2) incidents are relatively uncommon, especially compared to their carbon monoxide counterparts, they can prove lethal in the wrong circumstances.
When planning a radiation hazard training scenario, instructors have traditionally opted for real sources in order to enable students practice with the instruments they will actually use. While this is certainly effective for training, it does pose significant disadvantages. Cost, regulatory requirements, procurement, end of life disposal , and time constraints will all need to be considered when organising training utilising real sources.
If you’re a first responder, you have probably undergone training with index cards at some point in your career. This tried-and-tested method helps trainers provide information to downrange operators that should initiate a response or action from those operators.
On the surface, radiation training can seem somewhat straightforward: teach students how to properly and safely respond to situations involving radiation. However, as many CBRNe instructors know, it’s not that simple.
In a recent BBC Richard Dimbleby lecture, Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert detailed how scientists reacted quickly to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the Oxford professor said they should have moved forward at even greater speed. The overarching question throughout her talk was, “How do you fight a pandemic when you are in a pandemic?” While this question might have been moot in 2019, moving into 2022, there is a clear answer.
The International Society for Respiratory Protection (ISRP) is a non-profit organisation that provides education and information about respiratory protection. The primary purpose of ISRP is to bring together occupational health and safety professionals in the field of respiratory protection. Members are encouraged to share their opinions and disclose their research findings.
Covid-19 is a low virulence virus with a mortality rate of approximately 3%—nowhere near that of Ebola or anthrax, which are around 50% and 80%, respectively. However, the consequences of this novel virus that usually causes a predominantly mild illness have demonstrated that the world is ill-equipped to deal with an unpredictable event. The effects of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear attack could have far worse human consequences than Covid-19.