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Population Evacuations in Industrial Accidents: A Review of the Literature about Four Major Events

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2017

Yechiel Soffer ,
Dagan Schwartz ,
Avishay Goldberg ,
Maxim Henenfeld  and
Yaron Bar-Dayan
Yechiel Soffer
Affiliation:
Home Front Command, Israel
Dagan Schwartz
Affiliation:
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Avishay Goldberg
Affiliation:
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Maxim Henenfeld
Affiliation:
Home Front Command, Israel
Yaron Bar-Dayan*
Affiliation:
Home Front Command, Israel Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
*
Col. Dr. Y. Bar-Dayan MD MHA, Chief Medical Officer (ret), IDF Home Front Command, 16 Dolev St. Neve Savion, Or-Yehuda, Israel, E-mail: bardayan@netvision.net.il
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Abstract

This article reviews the literature describing four chemical and nuclear accidents and the lessons learned from each regarding the evacuation of civilian populations. Evacuation may save lives however, if poorly orchestrated, it may cause serious problems. For example, an inaccurate assessment of danger may lead to the evacuation of the same population twice, as the area requiring evacuation becomes larger than originally expected. Evacuation programs should focus on the vulnerable components of the populations, such as the elderly, children, and the disabled, and also should include plans for the care of pets and other animals. Training programs for civilians living near industrial centers and other high-risk areas should be considered. Finally, pre-event planning and preparation can improve the evacuation process and prevent panic behavior, and thus result in fewer casualties.

Keywords

civilian populationsevacuationsindustrial accidentsmajor events
Type
Comprehensive Review
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 23 , Issue 3 , June 2008 , pp. 276 - 281
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2008

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