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Safety and Health Topics |
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Radiological
Dispersal Devices (RDD)/ Dirty Bombs |
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Radiological dispersal devices
(RDD), also known as "dirty bombs," consist of radioactive
material combined with conventional explosives. They are designed
to use explosive force to disperse the radioactive material
over a large area, such as multiple city-blocks. Around the
world, there are many sources of radioactive material that are
not secure or not accounted for. Rogue nations and/or terrorist
groups can obtain these materials for dirty bombs. These explosive
weapons may initially kill a few people in the immediate area
of the blast but are used primarily to produce psychological
rather than physical harm by inducing panic and terror in the
target population. Their use would also result in costly cleanup
for decontamination.
The following questions link to information relevant to radiological dispersal devices (RDD)/dirty
bombs.
Related Safety and Health Topics Pages
What are dirty bombs and how are they hazardous?
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Fact Sheet on Dirty Bombs. US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), (2002,
July). Includes the following subsections: Background, Impact of a Dirty
Bomb, Sources of Nuclear Material, Control of Nuclear Material,
Increased Security of Nuclear Material, Response to a Dirty Bomb,
and Federal Role.
- Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs) About "Dirty Bombs". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
Emergency Preparedness & Response.
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"Dirty Bombs" Much More Likely to Create Fear than Cause Cancer:
Radiation Effects from Such Devices Likely to Be too Low to Calculate,
Health Physicist Says. American Institute of Physics, (2002,
March 12). Discusses likelihood and severity of radiation-related
health effects following a "dirty bomb" incident.
How will first responders be
protected?
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Working Group on Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) Preparedness.
US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Medical Preparedness and Response
Sub-Group, (2003, May 1), 340 KB PDF,
78 pages. Medical treatment
of radiological casualties.
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Management of Terrorist Events Involving Radioactive Material. National
Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) Report
No. 138, (2002). Provides guidance to "first
responders" and "emergency medicine personnel"
that would be involved in the management of terrorist events involving
radioactive material. (Abstract only).
- Example Safety and Health Plans
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Radiological Emergency Response Team. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). Responds to emergencies involving
releases of radioactive materials from incidents at nuclear
power plants, to transportation accidents involving shipments
of radioactive materials, to deliberate acts of nuclear
terrorism.
- US Department of Defense (DoD)
- Survey instrumentation and personal monitoring
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Decontamination
- Medical Surveillance
How will healthcare
workers be protected?
- Medical Management of Radiological Casualties Handbook,
Second Edition. Military Medical
Operations Office, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute,
(2003, April), 979 KB PDF,
168 pages.
A supplement to the Medical Effects of Ionizing Radiation Course, offered by
the US Department of Defense for training health-care professionals
in the management of uncontrolled ionizing radiation exposure.
- Initial
Management of Irradiated or Radioactively Contaminated Personnel.
US Department of the Navy, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery,
(2003, September 26), 4.3 MB
PDF,
40 pages. Provides direction to the Medical Department, civilian
medical personnel of the naval services and Navy and Marine Corps
commands for the initial exposure assessment, management, and
treatment of individuals who are irradiated or externally or internally
radioactively contaminated.
How will clean-up
workers be protected?
What organizations and
authorities are involved in RDD response?
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OSHA
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Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC). US
Department of Energy. Gathers radiological information such as
plume and deposition predictions, air and ground concentrations,
exposure rates and dose projections, assurance of data quality,
and current meteorological conditions and weather forecasts. FRMAC
provides the results of the data collection, sample analysis,
evaluations, assessments, and interpretations to the key decision
makers in the affected areas of the emergency.
- National Response Team
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
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Radiation Emergency Response. Prepares for and responds to
emergencies involving radioactive materials. In the event of a
radiological emergency, EPA's Radiological Emergency Response
Team (RERT) works with other federal agencies, state and local
governments, and international organizations to monitor,
contain, and clean up the release while protecting people and
the environment from harmful exposure to radiation.
- US Department of Justice (DoJ)
- Military
- Local Government
What can be done to secure
radioactive materials?
- Summary
of Report on Protection Against Nuclear Terrorism. International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA),
(2001, November 30). Press release on the
state of security in various nuclear facilities. Indicates
that in many cases there is a need for improved protection
and control.
- Guarding
Nuclear Reactors and Materials from Terrorists and Thieves.
Arms Control Association, (2001, October). Promotes more stringent physical protection standards
for nuclear materials.
- Reducing
the Threat of Nuclear Theft and Sabotage. International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA), 84 KB PDF,
18 pages. Recommends a range of specific steps
to upgrade security at individual facilities and strengthen national
and international standards.
- Inadequate
Control of World's Radioactive Sources. International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) Press Release, (2002). Discusses the availability
of the radioactive materials needed to build a "dirty bomb"
and the lack of control and monitoring programs for known radioactive
sources.
- Reducing
the Nuclear Threat in the 21st Century. International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA), (2001, October 29), 42 KB
PDF, 8 pages. Discusses possible nuclear threats
and measures to prevent them.
Compliance
- OSHA Standards
- General Industry (29
CFR 1910)
- Construction Industry (29 CFR
1926)
- 1926 Subpart
D, Occupational health and environmental
controls
- 1926.65,
Hazardous waste operations and emergency response (HAZWOPER).
Contains requirements
relating to ionizing radiation at hazardous waste sites.
- OSHA Federal Register
- OSHA Directives
- OSHA Standard Interpretations
Additional Information
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