Highlights: Risk Index Sites,Chemical Safety Library, Diazo Compounds, New Guidance on Learning from Adverse Events, and More

摘要

Emergency planners are always working to identify hazards in their workplace and conducting risk assessments associated with existing and new processes. However, part of planning is to account for all potential risks, including those due to flooding, weather, and other natural events. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a National Risk Index.1 The Index identifies potential areas of risk including avalanche, cold, flooding, drought, earthquake, heat, landslides, wind, wildfire, and volcanic activity. The European Commission has a similar resource called DRMKC-INFORM.2 INFORM is project of the Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Centre, which “integrates existing scientific multi-disciplinary knowledge and co-develops innovative solutions for existing needs.”3 Specifically, INFORM is a collaboration of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Reference Group on Risk, Early Warning and Preparedness, and the European Commission. This resource includes a risk index and a severity index. The focus is different than that of the National Risk Index for the US as it includes humanitarian crises as well as the potential for natural disasters. Both indices are resources for emergency planners.