Health Canada (Emergency Management Guide for Crude Oil Incidents)

Section 3. PUBLIC HEALTH RISK MANAGEMENT

Guidance for the Environmental Public Health Management of Crude Oil Incidents

Checklist 2: Health-related concerns in the event of a major crude oil release Public and vulnerable populations

 Am I at risk of developing adverse health effects?  Are my children (and pets) at risk?  What are the health effects? Can I expect delayed effects?  What should I do to reduce the risk of chemical exposure?  Can I drink water and eat local foodstuff?  What should I do if I or my family experience symptoms?  How should I safely clean or dispose of oil-contaminated items?

Emergency responders

 Is there a risk of explosion or fire?  What Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is required? (see Annex H)  What chemicals are involved? What is their identity?  What are their toxicological properties?  How do I decontaminate?

Medical professionals

 What are the typical signs and symptoms from exposure to the chemical(s)?  How do I treat?  Where are analyses of human samples for diagnoses and treatment done?  What PPE is required?  How and where is decontamination carried out?

Public health authorities, decisionmakers and elected officials

 What protective actions, such as evacuation or shelter-in-place, should be communicated/ordered to minimize exposure to health hazards?  What safety advice should be given to the public regarding air quality, drinking water and food consumption, showering/bathing, recreational swimming, etc.?  Is there a need to develop and implement an environmental monitoring plan to inform decisions?  If communities were evacuated:  When can people safely return home and use public spaces?  What tests or checks must be performed to ensure that a home or public space is safe for re-occupancy?  Is sufficient environmental monitoring data available to support the conclusion that the affected area is safe to live in?  Are essential services operational?  How are damaged food and oiled possessions safely disposed of?  What remediation or restoration measures should be implemented?  Should a registry of exposed populations (public, workers and clean-up workers) be created?  Should longer-term environmental and/or epidemiological studies be conducted?

36

Version 1.0 – August 2018