- Fera collaborates on UK Recovery Handbook for Chemical Incidents
Fera collaborates on UK Recovery Handbook for Chemical Incidents
Thursday 31 May 2012
The Health Protection Agency has today published a handbook which provides guidance in managing the recovery phase of chemical incidents where contamination has affected food production systems, inhabited areas or water environments. The handbook has been produced in collaboration with Defra, Fera and the Government Decontamination Service (GDS).
The handbook is a user-friendly guide for recovery coordination groups and other recovery stakeholders, to aid development and implementation of recovery strategy in the aftermath of a chemical incident. This is the first version of the chemical handbook, which has been developed as part of a participatory process and stakeholder engagement programme, with interest and support from national and international partners. It will be updated as required to reflect changing UK capability.
The Fera GDS team’s contribution to the handbook was its unique position and understanding of open and built environment remediation following chemical, biological and radiological incidents. The GDS maintains a framework of specialist suppliers capable of undertaking sampling, decontamination and waste removal for these incidents. Fera’s contributions have included reviewing the various threat chemicals, providing guidance on decontamination options applicable to the UK and information on their efficacy, costs and timelines to restore normality.
To view The UK Recovery Handbook for Chemical Incidents (UKRHCI):
To view The UK Recovery Handbook for Radiation Incidents (UKRHRI) (2009):
http://www.hpa.org.uk/Publications/Radiation/HPARPDSeriesReports/HPARPD064/
For more information on the handbooks please contact: chemical.recovery@hpa.org.uk