A decision support framework for characterizing and managing dermal exposures to chemicals during Emergency Management and Operations

The Dermal Exposure Risk Management and Logic eTookit: Characterizing and managing dermal exposure during emergency management operations

OBJECTIVE

Emergency management and operations (EMO) personnel require up-to-date information to make informed decisions during natural and man-made disasters. However, information gaps present challenges for accessing human health risk assessment and risk management strategies for dermal exposure. This article describes the development of a decision support system, the Dermal Exposure Risk Management and Logic (DERMaL) eToolkit.

DESIGN

The DERMaL eToolkit provides information on key resources used in emergency incidents. Resources were classified according to response phase, resource categories, and information category and evaluated on reliability, accessibility, and preference by subject matter experts in emergency management fields. These rankings were used to generate a value of information score, unique for each resource, which aids in developing reference lists for users during each incident phase.

RESULTS

This tool will identify and prioritize information resources on dermal risks, and can readily find the most relevant information to suit EMO needs.

CONCLUSION

The DERMaL eToolkit can be used as an aid in finding information resources targeted to scenario-driven needs by providing well-vetted and prioritized resources related to dermal hazards, exposure, and risk assessments for EMO.