A DATABASE identifying all major stocks of chemicals in the Republic must be established as a matter of priority, a conference on chemical emergencies was told yesterday.
In an address to the conference organised by the Southern Health Board, Dr J. A. Treacy, director of the National Poisons Information Centre (Plc), said the exposure of multiple victims to toxic chemicals was of major concern.
Described officially as Hazmat incidents, they usually involved groups of adults exposed to toxic substances through inhalation or the skin or eyes.
Dr Treacy continued: "The reason we are so worried about such disasters is because, we have so little information on the effects of many chemicals on humans. The first step we must take to rectify this is the establishment of a database identifying all major stocks of chemicals in this country. Once these chemicals have been identified, treatment protocols must be drawn up even if they are only best guesses.
"A lot of information available will be only animal models. We will never be able to identify all the chemicals stocked throughout Ireland, but we should at least identify the major ones. By utilising meetings such as this we can establish links between the various agencies involved in disasters planning and hopefully reduced the damage that may be caused by such incidents.
Dr Treacy said in more than 30 years of service, the Plc had developed adequate information on most pharmaceuticals, which were usually well researched and regulated. He added: "However, there have always been difficulties in collecting information on household and industrial products. There is also inadequate data on the effects on humans of exposure to certain chemicals. There may also be no specific treatment."
In a Hazmat incident, he continued, there might be phone calls from different people as well as conflicting information on the agents involved, which were likely to be more toxic than in a routine incident. People, for instance, could confuse hydrofluoric acid with hydrochloric acid.
In a complex case, Dr Treacy went on, the PIC might contact other poison centres, but in the case of exposure to an unusual chemical compound it could take some time to get the necessary information. To minimise the risk of being called in relation to a chemical about which the centre had little or no information, the PIC needed to identify areas, where dangerous chemicals were being stored or manufactured.
It also needed to collect the following data: the chemical involved and its effects; high risk points; processes or activities; which chemicals might be released, in what form, and in, what quantities; and possible protective and remedial measures.
While basic resuscitation would apply in a Hazmat incident extra steps would also have to be taken to decrease further absorption of the toxins, such as removing the victim from a gas cloud, and removing contaminated clothing.
The Plc, Dr Treacy added, was compelled by an EU directive to collect statistics and demographic data on all cases of acute poisoning. In 1993, the total number of poisonings for Europe was about 750,000.
The Poisons Information Centre was established by the Department of Health in 1966. Its remit is to provide medical practitioners with advice on the symptoms - and signs of acute human poisoning, as well as the management of such cases. Over the years, it has dealt with poisonings from pharmaceuticals; household products; industrial products; and plants and animals. The Dublin centre is based in Beaumont Hospital.