PREDICT Guide Emergency Prep 26 July 2013

7/24/2019 PREDICT Guide Emergency Prep 26 July 2013

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GUIDEEmergency Preparedness

v. 26 July 2013

Prepared byChris Whittier, Smithsonian Institution

David Bunn, UC Davisand the PREDICT One Health Consortium

Objective : To provide guidance for PREDICT personnel to prepare for and respondto field emergencies.

USAID DisclaimerThis document was made possible by the generous support of the American people through theUnited States Agency for International Development (USAID) Emerging Pandemic Threats PREDICT.The contents are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID orthe United States Government.

Suggested Citation Form: PREDICT One Health Consortium 2013. Guide for EmergencyPreparedness . http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ohi/predict/PREDICT_Publications.cfm#Protocols



USAID PREDICT Guide for Emergency Preparedness 2

CONTENTS

SECTION 1. OVERVIEW AND RESOURCES

SECTION 2. PLANNING FOR FIELD EMERGENCIES

SECTION 3. FIRST AID

SECTION 4. EMPLOYEE HEALTH

SECTION 5. INCIDENT AND ACCIDENT REPORTING

APPENDIX I. HAZARD IDENDIFICATION WORKSHEET

APPENDIX II. EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PLAN TEMPLATE

APPENDIX III. FIELD TEAM EMERGENCY INFO TEMPLATE

APPENDIX IV. EMERGENCY CHECKLIST FOR PREDICT FIELD ACTIVITIES

APPENDIX Va. ADULT VACCINE RECORD (CDC format)

APPDENDIX VB. ADULT VACCINE RECORD (From Vertex)

APPENDIX VI. USAID MEDICAL HISTORY AND EXAMINATION FORM

APPENDIX VIIa. OSHA INJURY & ILLNESS REPORT FORM (version a)

APPDENDIX VIIb. OSHA INJURY & ILLNESS REPORT (version b)

APPENDIX VIIc. GSA ACCIDENT REPORT FORM (non motor vehicle)

APPENDIX VIId. GSA MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT REPORT FORM



PREDICT Guide for Emergency Preparedness 3

SECTION 1. OVERVIEW AND RESOURCES

This material is intended to supplement other PREDICT guides and protocols thatdetail safety and protection measures for field situations. Namely it is imperative thatall personnel are thoroughly familiar with the PREDICT guides for Safe AnimalCapture and Handling , Biosafety and PPE Use , as well as the relevant samplingprotocols for specific animal taxa. There is also a wealth of valuable relatedinformation in the WEB-Based Resource Manual for Traveling in andParticipating in Short-Term Research Projects in Developing Countriesprepared by wildlife veterinarian Dr. Mike Loomis and available from the PREDICTBasecamp site. This document is intended to provide guidance and a collection ofmaterials and resources for personnel use.

In performing fieldwork in their role for PREDICT, personnel may encounter a widevariety of hazards that they should be prepared for ahead of time. These hazardsand the risks associated with them will vary and depend on many factors. This guideis intended to help personnel identify and prepare for the hazards, emergencies, andaccidents they are most likely to encounter and that are not otherwise well-coveredin PREDICT materials. It must be understood that the risk of accidents andemergencies can never be eliminated, but that careful planning and goodpreparation can minimize many of the most serious risks.

Emergency and accident preparedness encompasses a large body of informationand materials beyond the scope of this guide. Personnel seeking further informationon topics relating to emergency preparedness for disasters, general buildingoperations, laboratory procedures, and related activities are advised to seekinformation on what are generally referred to as ‘emergency action plans’ (EAP) or‘accident preparedness plans’ (APP). Additional information on those topics can befound at the following links:

EAPs and APPS:! www.iasoybeans.com/environment/eprplan/eprpsection2.doc

! http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/people/safety/Building%20Emergency%2007%2 0FINAL.pdf

! http://www.lni.wa.gov/safety/basics/programs/accident/smallbusiness/app-smbusiness.pdf

! www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/evacuation/docs/eap_checklist.pdf




General disaster preparedness:

! http://multimedia.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/library/T0123_dpm_pst.pdf

! http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.86f46a12f382290517a8f210b80f78a0/?vgnextoid=92d51a53f1c37110VgnVCM1000003481a10aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default




SECTION 2. PLAN FOR FIELD EMERGENCIES

Accidents and emergencies are inherently unplanned events, but many of them can

be anticipated and prepared for. Being prepared for emergencies requires planning.Good planning is particularly important when working with field teams and in remotelocations.

A basic process for emergency planning should include the following steps ( adaptedfrom the Global Safe Haven Network which is targeted for individual student travel

planning but has useful resources- www.globalsafehaven.org) :

1. Understand the hazards and issues you may face. Consider the followingcategories of hazards: health, security, travel requirements, weather

environment, transportation, legal, financial, communications, culture,language. (See following section for more information.)

2. Evaluate the risks . Are they relevant for the activities planned?

3. Communicate with all field team members and supervisors to make sureeveryone understands, is comfortable with, and is prepared for identifiedrisks.

4. Address and mitigate each issue to your team’s comfort level. Most riskmitigation strategies have inherent financial costs. Regardless of whateverelse is addressed, develop an emergency communication plan .

5. Monitor the local situation in the event something changes.

6. Respond to any change or incident as necessary by preplanning.

More details can be found at:http://www.globalsafehaven.org/downloads/step_broch.pdf

Identify Hazards

The types of hazards and emergencies that any team may encounter will depend onmany variables. Some will be consistent with all field activities while others maydepend on specific field activities. Therefore, hazards should be identified andevaluated before each field activity and plans developed appropriately.

The following list is provided (and worksheet in Appendix I) in order to assist fieldteams to compile complete and appropriate lists for their specific activities.




Some potential field hazards and issues: A. Health

a. Exposure to infectious diseases – not associated with the project(malaria, dengue fever, cholera, etc.)

b. Pharmacy availabilityc. Handled animal bite/scratch/goringd. Non-target animal bite/scratch/goring (including snakebite)e. Staff anesthetic exposure (including narcotics)f. Other toxic exposureg. PPE breach/infectious disease exposure (needlestick, scalpel cut)h. Burn, chemical injuryi. Fall/trauma

j. Spontaneous (heart attack, appendicitis, heatstroke, hypoglycemiccrisis)

k. Accidental gunshot woundl. Access to emergency medical care

B. Securitya. Robbery, car jackingb. Coup, riot, political uprisingc. Passport lost or stolen

C. Travel requirementsa. Insufficient visa/entry paperwork for any/all staffb. Improper vehicle paperwork

D. Weather and environment

a. Extreme temperature, or conditionsb. Floodc. Severe stormd. Earthquake

E. Transportationa. Auto accidentb. Vehicle breakdownc. Inability to refuel

F. Legala. Police/military detainment (warranted or unwarranted)

b. Insufficient permits for samples, supplies (including dart guns),chemicalsG. Financial

a. Unexpected expenses (including bribes)b. Access to cash (ATMs, etc.)c. Emergency evacuation costs

H. Communicationsa. Lack of mobile phone coverageb. Loss of primary communications (dead phone battery, robbery)

I. Culture

a. Lack of local permission to perform activitiesb. Lack of cooperation (suspicion, lack of communication)




J. Language-- Inability to communicate with local population in event ofemergency

Once hazards are identified, addressed, and discussed, field teams should reach aconsensus on appropriate measures to take and plan accordingly. In addition tothose measures, field teams should always prepare at least the two types ofdocuments described below before every field activity.

Prepare Emergency Communications Plan (template provided in Appendix II ).

The purpose of an Emergency Communications Plan is to make sure that field teamscan access necessary resources in the event of an emergency. Critical to thisplanning is having a well-informed understanding of what communications will beavailable at the field site. In many regions mobile phone coverage may not existand/or be limited to only certain carriers. Field teams should always have a basic orback-up plan for how to communicate if an emergency arises whether directly from afield site or by reaching the nearest resource. In many cases the team may haveonly one vehicle, which poses a risk if the vehicle breaks down and there is no localcommunication. In this case, careful consideration should be given to securecommunication capacity for the field team.

Prepare Field Personnel Emergency Information Records (template provided in Appendix III ).

The purpose of Personnel Emergency Information Records is to make sure thatcritical information about each team member is known and readily available in caseof emergency. Emergency planning should consider worst-case scenarios and in thiscontext a team member may be unconscious or otherwise unable to communicate.The information gathered for this type of documentation may be imperative foremergency responders and other medical authorities. It should be noted that‘emergency responders’ may not always (or even usually) be available and thatthose responsibilities would then fall upon other team members until medicalservices can be engaged.

Emergency Planning Checklist : A checklist for emergency planning is provided as Appendix IV and should besupplemented and edited as needed.




SECTION 3. FIRST AID

A comprehensive presentation of First Aid is beyond the scope of this document andpersonnel are referred to any recently published First Aid manuals, booklets, orguides. Those seeking further information may find the subcategory of First Aidreferred to as “Wilderness First Aid” particularly useful because it deals withemergencies in remote settings. The Wilderness Medical Society has a number ofresources including guides and bibliographies at their website: www.WMS.org .

Field teams should all have at least two members who are properly trained in basicFirst Aid techniques including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and woundmanagement. Personnel should also always operate under the basic tenets of First

Aid: preserve life, prevent further harm, and promote recovery.

If no other resources are available, the following basic online First Aid resources canbe consulted: http://www.redcross.org or http://www.firstaidweb.com

While PREDICT field teams will typically be equipped with extensive medicalsupplies for field anesthesia, sampling and diagnostics, they should also carry basicFirst Aid kits (best kept in waterproof containers) with dedicated materials forpersonnel emergencies.

The Red Cross recommends that all First Aid kits for a family of four include the

following:! 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches) ! 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes) ! 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch) ! 5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram) ! 5 antiseptic wipe packets ! 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each) (within the expiration date) ! 1 blanket (space blanket) ! 1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve) ! 1 instant cold compress ! 2 pair of non-latex gloves (size: large) ! 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each) ! Scissors ! 1 roller bandage (3 inches wide) ! 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide) ! 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches) ! 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches) ! Oral thermometer (non-mercury/non-glass) ! 2 triangular bandages ! Tweezers ! First aid instruction booklet




SECTION 3. EMPLOYEE HEALTH

Personnel safety is covered in the PREDICT guide for Safe Animal Capture andHandling , and for Biosafety and PPE Use . This section supplements thatinformation and refers specifically to practices relating to institutional occupationalhealth and safety programs.

In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration mandatesthat employers “assure safe and healthful working conditions” for employees, andthat medical testing is available to employees exposed to potential hazards todetermine whether the health of such employees is adversely affected by suchexposure” (Occupational Safety and Health Act 1970). All PREDICT partnerinstitutions are assumed to be appropriately managing general occupational healthprograms for their staff both domestically and abroad.

With an understanding that institutional practices may vary, the followingrecommendations apply to all PREDICT field personnel:

General practices:1. Individuals with known allergies associated with animals, with immune deficiency

diseases, or are on immunosuppressant therapy, should not engage in studiesinvolving the handling of wild animals.

2. Pre-exposure screening for tuberculosis is required for personnel that will behandling non-human primates. Tuberculosis screening and interpretation ofresults should only be conducted by a human health professional.

3. If within institutional capacity and guidelines, it is advised that periodic (suggestannual) blood/serum samples be collected from all staff and banked.

4. All accidents, injuries and medical emergencies should be recorded and reportedto direct supervisors immediately (see following section and report templates in

Appendices).

Immunizations:5. The Country Coordinator or field supervisor should ensure that personnel have

consulted with a human health worker with regard to the immunizations requiredprior to participating in fieldwork that involves handling animals. Vaccines andimmunizations will vary depending on the geographical area, animal species tobe handled, and personal medical history. Only a human health professional canrecommend and provide vaccination and immunizations to personnel.




6. Due to the significant risks of working with wild mammals (bats, rodents, etc),personnel should consider pre -exposure rabies vaccination for themselves.

7. Tetanus immunization is recommended for all personnel.

Health Records:8. All personnel health records must be guarded with the strictest confidentiality as

directed by institutional requirements. Templates for employee medical historyand vaccinations are provided in Appendix V and VI.




SECTION 4. INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT REPORTING

It is important that any accident or injury requiring even basic medical attention,

including self-treatment, is documented and reported. PREDICT field personnel arepresumed to be operating in environments often characterized by unhygienicconditions and with many known and unknown hazards (infectious agents, wildanimals, scalpels, needles, darts, chemicals, etc.). Not all consequences of even themost minor injuries can always be foreseen and even minor cuts or abrasions canlead to life-threatening infection with pathogenic, treatment-resistant agents;especially in remote settings. Basic information collected at the time of injury canhelp to identify health hazards for future preventative actions and may also be criticalfor future treatment, clinical interventions, or even legal proceedings.

Accident and incident reporting may be mandated by each PREDICT partnerinstitution. In the absence of other guidelines, very basic template accident reportingforms are provided in Appendix VII that can be used as-is or edited as needed.These templates include formats for both personal injury as well as motor vehicleaccidents.




APPENDIX I. HAZARD IDENTIFICATION WORKSHEET

Field Activity: _________________________________

Date: _________________________________

Location: _________________________________

Team Leader: _________________________________

A. Health (e.g., animal injuries, traumas, toxins)

a. __________________________________________________________

b. __________________________________________________________

c. __________________________________________________________d. __________________________________________________________

e. __________________________________________________________

f. __________________________________________________________

B. Security (e.g., robbery, unrest)

a. __________________________________________________________

b. __________________________________________________________

c. __________________________________________________________

Travel Requirements (e.g., visas, permits)

a. __________________________________________________________

b. __________________________________________________________

c. __________________________________________________________

D Weather and Environment (e.g., storms, natural disasters)

a. __________________________________________________________

b. __________________________________________________________

c. __________________________________________________________

E. Transportation (e.g., auto accident, breakdown, fuel)

a. __________________________________________________________

b. __________________________________________________________

c. __________________________________________________________

F Legal (e.g., detainment, permits)

a. __________________________________________________________

b. __________________________________________________________

c. __________________________________________________________




G. Financial (e.g., extra expenses, evacuations)

a. __________________________________________________________

b. __________________________________________________________

c. __________________________________________________________

H Communications (e.g., loss of primary form of communication)

a. __________________________________________________________

b. __________________________________________________________

c. __________________________________________________________

I. Culture (e.g., lack of local cooperation)

a. __________________________________________________________

b. __________________________________________________________

c. __________________________________________________________

J. Language (e.g., inability to communicate with locals)

a. __________________________________________________________

b. __________________________________________________________

c. __________________________________________________________




APPENDIX II. EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PLAN TEMPLATE

Planned Activity Date(s): ____________________________

Team Leader: name: ____________________________ phone: ______________

Team Members

name:____________________________ phone: ______________

name:____________________________ phone: ______________

name:____________________________ phone: ______________

name:____________________________ phone: ______________

name:____________________________ phone: ______________

Local or Regional Supervisor or Contact (not with team):name:____________________________

ph:____________,___________,___________

International Emergency Supervisor or Contact

name:____________________________ ph:

+____________,___________,___________

Field Site: ____________________________

country: ____________________________region, province, state: ____________________________

city/village/local: ____________________________

GPS coordinates: _________________, _________________ reference: ____________

EXPECTED MOBILE PHONE SERVICE : ______________________________

Local Point(s) of Contact: name: ____________________________

phone:__________________________address: ____________________________

Local Emergency Number, if any (e.g., 911 service)

_______________________________

Nearest Hospital and Contact Info:

________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Nearest Clinic, Dispensary and Contact: _____________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Nearest Airport : _______________________________________________________




Nearest Phone Line: _________________________________________________

Local Police : ___________________________________________________________

National Police : _________________________________________________________

Other Emergency Contacts (fire, ambulance): _________________________________

Local Authority (mayor, district supervisor, district authority):

______________________________________________________________________

Legal Contact or Lawyer : ___________________________________________________

Embassy, Consulate Mission Contacts : ______________________________________



APPENDIX III. FIELD TEAM EMERGENCY INFO TEMPLATE

N a m e

D a

t e & p

l a c e o f

b i r t h

P a s s p o r t

i n f o

( C o u n

t r y , # )

P e r s o n a

l / f a m i

l y

e m e r g e n c y c o n

t a c

t

i n f o r m a

t i o n

H e a

l t h i n s u r a n c e

( p r o v

i d e r , p o

l i c y , p

r i m a r y

p h y s

i c i a n )

M e

d - e v a c

i n s u r a n c e

( p r o v

i d e r ,

p o

l i c y

)

B l o o

d t y p e

M e

d i c a

l c o n

d i t i o n s

K n o w n a

l l e r g i e s




APPENDIX IV. EMERGENCY CHECKLIST FOR PREDICT FIELD ACTIVITIES

___Copy of Emergency contact list/communications plan to accompany team (originals should be

stored in office files).

___Copy of Field team personnel info data to accomany team

___Copies of above documents accessible in office and/or with emergency contacts

___First Aid kit

___Primary communications equipment (cell phone, sat phone, two-way radio)

___Back-up communications equipment

___Vehicle emergency equipment (spare tires, triangles, fire extinguisher, etc)

___Printed current maps of field location and surrounding areas

___GPS unit

___Emergency funds! local cash! ‘hard’ currency (dollars, Euros, pounds sterling)! Internationally accepted credit cards

___Original and/or photocopies of passports, permits, insurance cards,

___Spare batteries, car/DC charger adapter

___Flashlights

___Emergency kits for expected procedures (e.g., Ebola or B virus exposure kits)




APPENDIX Va. VACCINE RECORD




APPENDIX Va. VACCINE RECORD




APPENDIX Vb. IMMUNIZATION RECORD




APPENDIX VI. MEDICAL HISTORY & EXAMINATION FORM




APPENDIX VI. MEDICAL EXAM FORM




APPENDIX VI. ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW OF MEDICAL EXAMINATION FORM




APPENDIX VIIa. OSHA FORM FOR INJURY AND ILLNESS REPORT




APPENDIX VIIb.




APPENDIX VIIc.

K




APPENDIX VIIc. ACCIDENT REPORT FORM




APPENDIX VIId. MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT REPORT FORM




APPENDIX VIId.




APPENDIX VIId.







APPENDIX VIId.




Documents

PREDICT Guide Emergency Prep 26 July 2013