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).
Over the past decade, much effort has been focused on the creation of new technological solutions that support training in the prevention, detection and response to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) hazards.
In the US, the development of federally funded Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Civil Support Teams (CSTs) plays an invaluable role in supporting homeland defence by providing highly specialized CBRN identification, assessment, advisement and assistance during CBRN incidents.
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.
Radiation safety training is a core requirement for all personnel who are responsible for the handling, transportation, transfer or receipt of packages that contain radioactive materials.
In the US, the federal government's Department of Transportation (DOT) is the lead agency responsible for the planning and support of land, air and sea-based movement of hazardous materials (HazMat) shipments.
Additionally, the department also sets out the training requirements for all employees who are responsible for working in a HazMat capacity.
Incidents that involve the unexpected presence, the deliberate dispersal or the illegal trafficking of radioactive materials are rare.
However, for those tasked with border security, law enforcement or first response, the effectiveness with which they can identify, manage and contain a radiological hazard is crucial.
Whether dealing with the consequences of transportation accidents, major spills, trafficking or suspected terrorist activity, the actions taken in the first crucial minutes following a radiological event are pivotal.
Hands-on training for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNe) incidents has a hugely beneficial role to play in the development, application and practice of emergency response preparedness.
Participation in practically-based learning scenarios is especially advantageous due to the way in which it engages both sides of the brain - stimulating not only the processes of listening and analysing in the brain's left hemisphere, but also the visual and spatial processes in the brain's right hemisphere.
Hands-on training in realistic environments is a cornerstone of CBRNe disaster preparedness, whether for the purpose of military exercises, first response or civilian operations.
The quality, frequency and consistency of CBRNe training has a substantial part to play in how easily personnel are able to acquire both the theory and the practice - and in how effectively they are able to continue to apply that knowledge in the long-term.
For those who work in, or in the vicinity of, environments where known quantities of ionizing radiation are in regular use, radiological surveying is a routine task.
As a result they are likely to have a heightened familiarity both with the functionality of the equipment they use, and with the relevance of the dosimetric data that they obtain.
For those working within an emergency management or first response role, however, the possibility of encountering an ionising radiation hazard in the course of their daily duties is far less common.
All emergency situations present some element of risk for first responders - however an incident can be further complicated by the presence of ionising radiation.
In some scenarios, having familiarity with the different locations where radioactivity is used can provide responders with some forewarning of the hazard that they are about to encounter - for example, in the case of a vehicular accident involving the transportation of a radiological source, or an incident that takes place within a hospital's nuclear pharmacy.
In other situations though, the radiological hazard may not be suspected, expected or immediately apparent.