CBRN / HazMat Training Blog

Preparing for the possibility of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) attack on British soil is something that has taken a back seat over the last couple of decades, with the UK's military efforts being largely focused on CBRN concerns in the Arab Gulf and Syria.

But as David Oliver outlined in an article for the Chemical, Biological and Nuclear Warfare magazine CBNW earlier this year, that focus had to be rapidly redirected in March 2018 in response to the Novichok nerve agent attack in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

The annual CBRNe Convergence conference and exhibition has long been a popular fixture in the CBRNe and HazMat event calendar for industry professionals looking to connect, expand their knowledge and extend their market reach.

But as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have continued to reverberate throughout the world, it was clear that if this year's event was to go ahead it would need to be able to do so in an adaptive, resourceful and agile way.

As major incidents such as the 2018 Novichok nerve agent poisoning in Salisbury have demonstrated, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) emergencies can push national and international response capabilities to their very limits.

At the same time though, these types of challenging CBRN events can also provide a powerful learning opportunity by highlighting the core skills, resources and training that underpin emergency response.

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.

Maintaining operational readiness in the detection and identification of radiological and nuclear threats is a vital aspect of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) training, whether for the purposes of CBRN military defense, emergency management or nuclear safety and security.

The schooling is intensive, covering an array of practical, technical and scientific skills including reconnaissance detection, survey training, hazard plotting and the fundamentals of chemistry.

A commitment to ongoing education and training is hugely important in ensuring that military personnel are prepared and equipped for the full spectrum of combat operations that they may encounter.

The U.S. Marine Corps' individual training standards focus on marines' competence in recognizing CBRN-related incidents and in taking the required protective measures to achieve their mission objectives.