Butte County Sheriff-Coroner's Office Mass Fatality Plan

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Butte County Sheriff - Coroner’s OfficeA- OverviewCHAPTER IVHUMAN REMAINS RECOVERYA mass fatality event is any incident resulting in more deaths than can be managedutilizing local available resources. Since the scale of the event will be significantly largerthan normal, an organized response is essential for a timely and effective resolution.Resolution of a mass fatality event entails the following human remains recoveryoperation phases:• Phase 1: Evaluation and Investigation of the incident scene• Phase 2: Search and Recovery (collection and documentation of humanremains, property and evidence at the incident site)• Phase 3: Transportation of human remains, personal effects and evidence tothe incident morgueHuman remains recovery efforts will vary greatly depending upon the incident. A naturalor manmade disaster that produces mass fatalities may severely impact localinfrastructure engendering significant delays in recovering and managing the deceased.However, regardless of the nature of the event, every effort should be made to treat thedeceased with dignity and respect. How the response is handled and how it is perceivedby the public can have long term impact. Additionally, all recovery sites for humanremains should receive the same crime scene protocol as any other crime scene.B- Health and Safety Guidelines for Workers Handling Human RemainsEmployers and workers face a variety of health hazards when handling, or working near,human remains. Workers directly involved in recovery or other efforts that require thehandling of human remains are susceptible to blood borne viruses such as hepatitis andHIV, and bacteria that cause diarrheal diseases, such as Shigella and Salmonella.General PrecautionsThe following precautionary measures can help employers and employees remain safeand healthy while handling human remains.Personal Protective Equipment• Hand Protection- When handling potentially infectious materials, useappropriate barrier protection including latex and nitrile gloves (powder-freelatex gloves with reduced latex protein content can help avoid reaction to latexallergies). These gloves can be worn under heavy-duty gloves which will, inBCS-CO Mass Fatality Plan 39July 2009July 2009
Butte County Sheriff - Coroner’s Officeturn, protect the wearer from cuts, puncture wounds, or other injuries that breakthe skin (caused by sharp environmental debris or bone fragments). Acombination of a cut-proof inner layer glove and a latex or similar outer layer ispreferable.• Foot Protection- Footwear should similarly protect against sharp debris.• Eye and Face Protection- To protect your face from splashes of body fluidsand fecal material, use a plastic face shield or a combination of eye protection(indirectly vented safety goggles are a good choice if available; safety glasseswill only provide limited protection) and a surgical mask.Hygiene• Maintain hand hygiene to prevent transmission of diarrheal and other diseasesfrom fecal materials on your hands. Wash your hands with soap and water orwith an alcohol-based hand cleaner immediately after you remove your gloves.• Give prompt care to any wounds sustained during work with human remains,including immediate cleansing with soap and clean water. Workers should alsobe vaccinated against hepatitis B, and get a tetanus booster if indicated.• Never wear PPE and underlying clothing if it is damaged or penetrated by bodyfluids.• Ensure disinfection of vehicles and equipment.Ergonomic ConsiderationsLifting or moving heavy objects, particularly when done repetitively, can result in injuriesto the workers involved. Human remains that have been in water for some time are likelyto be even heavier than normal. Having more than one person involved in lifting thehuman remains will help to reduce the potential for injury. Following appropriate liftingtechniques will also help to protect people, as will the use of mechanical lifts or otherdevices when available.Myths• There is no direct risk of contagion or infectious disease from being nearBCS-CO Mass Fatality Plan 40July 2009July 2009
Page 1 and 2: Butte County Sheriff-Coroner’s Of
Page 4 and 5: Butte County Sheriff - Coroner’s
Page 90 and 91:
Butte County Sheriff - Coroner’s
Page 92 and 93:
Page 94 and 95:
Page 96 and 97:
Page 98 and 99:
Page 100 and 101:
Page 102 and 103:
Page 104 and 105:
Page 106 and 107:
Page 108 and 109:
Page 110 and 111:
Page 112 and 113:
Page 114 and 115:
Page 116 and 117:
Page 118 and 119:
Page 120 and 121:
Page 122 and 123:
Page 124 and 125:
Page 126 and 127:
Page 128 and 129:
Page 130 and 131:
Page 132 and 133:
Page 134 and 135:
Page 136 and 137:
Page 138 and 139:
Page 140 and 141:
Page 142 and 143:
Page 144 and 145:
Page 146 and 147:
Page 148 and 149:
Page 150 and 151:
Page 152 and 153:
Page 154 and 155:
Page 156 and 157:
Page 158 and 159:
Page 160 and 161:
Page 162 and 163:
Page 164 and 165:
Page 166 and 167:
Page 168 and 169:
Page 170 and 171:
Page 172 and 173:
Page 174 and 175:
Page 176 and 177:
Page 178 and 179:
Page 180 and 181:
Page 182 and 183:
Page 184 and 185:
Page 186 and 187:
Page 188 and 189:
Page 190 and 191:
Page 192 and 193:
show all

Butte County Sheriff-Coroner's Office Mass Fatality Plan

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?