Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
gram. These elective components are described briefly
below:
rigid controls required to prevent employee and
public exposure to chemical agents
rapid response required if an agent is released,
especially if exposure of employees or the public
has occurred or is anticipated
palliative treatment of disorders to enable an em-
ployee to complete the work shift or for condi-
tions for which an employee may not ordinarily
consult a physician
use of multiple contractors (on site and across all
sites) to run various aspects of operations utiliz-
ing different medical forms and procedures
repetitive treatment of nonoccupational condi-
tions prescribed and monitored by the employee's
personal physician (e.g., physiotherapy, routine
injections, etc.), if the employee's personal phy-
sician approves
the frequent use of OSHA level A or B ensembles,
which can cause heat stress, especially in warm
weather
public concerns about having chemical agent dis-
posal facilities nearby
controlling illness-related absences from the job
assistance in evaluating personal health care
the high levels of security required around chemi-
cal agent storage sites and disposal facilities
immunization against nonoccupational infectious
diseases
detailed, frequent communications with the pub-
lic and local emergency planning officials after a
chemical agent release
health education and counseling (e.g., mental
health, hypertension control, smoking cessation
programs, etc.)
the personnel reliability program (PRP) 1
termination and retirement administration
frequent audits necessitated by the administrative
requirements associated with handling chemical
agents and munitions
participation in planning, providing, and assess-
ing the quality of employee health benefits
participation in systematic research
Assessment and Evaluation
An essential element of any medical program is in-
formed patient consent prior to the performance of any
test or procedure. Although informed consent is not
specifically mentioned in the ACOEM components of
occupational and environmental health programs, it is
inherent in the ethical practice of medicine. The
ACOEM Code of Ethical Conduct (adopted October
25, 1993) states that physicians should “relate honestly
and ethically in all professional relationships.” Also,
the Association of Occupational and Environmental
Clinics has issued guidance relative to patient consent,
confidentiality of medical records, and communication
of the results of tests and procedures (AOEC, 1987).
Stockpile Committee members visited both
JACADS and TOCDF/CAMDS between June 1999
and October 2000 to review the chemical monitoring
and occupational health program at each site and inter-
view site managers and operations personnel. During
this same time period, the committee requested and re-
ceived numerous detailed briefings on the philosophy,
implementation, and effectiveness of these programs
from senior Program Manager for Chemical Demilita-
rization (PMCD) personnel responsible for designing
and overseeing program-wide monitoring, industrial
hygiene, and occupational health programs. Commit-
tee members also interviewed Dr. Roger G. McIntosh,
vice president and manager, Emergency Medical Train-
ing and Preparedness Division, Science Applications
International Corporation, the Army's contractor re-
sponsible for overseeing the provision of occupational
health services for the CSDP.
CHEMICAL STOCKPILE DISPOSAL PROGRAM
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM
Overview
Workers in the Army's CSDP face many of the same
kinds of workplace health hazards as workers in the
chemical industry. The greatest differences are the
unique designation of the species being destroyed as
chemical warfare agents and the adverse publicity and
negative emotions associated with them. The follow-
ing areas present special challenges:
1 The personnel reliability program (PRP) is a Department of
Defense program designed to ensure that each individual whose
duties are associated with chemical agents meets the highest stan-
dard of personal reliability.
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