ASTM_E_2601_-_15.pdf

Designation:E260115Standard Practice forRadiological Emergency Response1This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2601;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.INTRODUCTIONOne of the legacies of the Oklahoma City bombing and the attacks of September 11,2001 isrecognition that terrorists use weapons of mass destruction(WMD).This awareness has changed thephilosophy of emergency response across disciplines.Incident response is still based on acceptedprocedures and safe work practices developed over the years,but the new mission must includeconcerns that are specific to an intentional release of hazardous materials designed to kill or injure andcause destruction of property.This standard practice provides guidance for responding to incidentswhere radioactive materials might be used with that intent.The standard also applies guidance forgeneral radiological emergency response.The purpose of the guidance is to save lives,minimizeradiation dose,and move members of the public out of perceived danger areas.This standard practice provides decision making considerations that jurisdictions can use to respondto incidents that involve radioactive materials.The standard practice provides a consistent set ofpractices that can be incorporated into the development,planning,training,and implementation ofguidelines for radiological emergency response.The standard practice does not incorporate long-termrecovery or mitigation considerations,nor does it include provisions for improvised nuclear device2(INDs)detonations or nuclear power plant(NPP)accidents.Jurisdictions using the standard practiceshall incorporate their own procedures for notification and requests for assistance from specializedradiological response assets.The following are key concepts associated with this standard practice:The standard practice applies to the emergency phase of an event(0 to 24 h or until specializedresources arrive on scene if they are requested).It adheres to a risk-based response;this means the guidance presented is intended to be coupled withthe authority having jurisdictions(AHJs)understanding of local vulnerability and capability whendeveloping its plans and guidance documents on the subject.It is compliant with the National Incident Management System(NIMS)and uses Incident CommandSystem(ICS)common terminology.Full compliance with NIMS is recognized as an essential part ofemergency response planning.In developing this standard practice,every effort was made to ensurethat all communications between organizational elements during an incident are presented in plainlanguage according to NIMS 2007.In keeping with this NIMS requirement,key definitions and terms,using plain English,are incorporated.It is not intended for large-scale nuclear scenarios(for example,IND),which may quickly exhaustthe capabilities of local emergency responders.The standard practice is not intended to prepare communities for nuclear power plant accidents.Thestate of preparedness for communities in close proximity to nuclear power plants far exceeds theminimum requirements and capabilities described in this standard practice.TRACEM(Thermal,Radiological,Asphyxiant,Chemical,Etiological,Mechanical)issues wereconsidered throughout.While response to radiological hazards is the focus of this standard practice,responders must consider all hazards during a response;it is possible that non-radiological hazardsmay present a greater danger at an incident.The standard practice does not address airborne contamination levels of radioactive materialsexposure.Equipment to determine this potential hazard is not widely available in emergencyresponder communities.Respiratory protection is required for emergency responders until a completehazard identification assessment is complete.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 1.Scope1.1 This practice provides decision-making considerationsfor response to incidents that involve radioactive materials.Itprovides information and guidance for what to include inresponse planning,and what activities to conduct during aresponse.The scope of this standard practice does not explic-itly consider response to INDs or nuclear power plant acci-dents.3It does not expressly address emergency response tocontamination of food or water supplies.1.2 This practice applies to those emergency responseagencies that have a role in the response to a radiologicalincident,excluding an IND incident.It should be used inemergency services response such as law enforcement,firedepartment,and emergency medical response actions.1.3 This practice assumes that implementation begins withthe recognition of a radiological incident and ends whenemergency resp