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Hazardous Substances Emergency
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Overview:In October 1992, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) was awarded a cooperative agreement from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to implement an active, state-based hazardous substances emergency events surveillance (HSEES) project. The purpose of this project is to describe the public health consequences associated with spills or releases of hazardous chemicals excluding those releases involving only petroleum fuels and natural gas. The information that staff collects related to these events includes data on injuries, deaths, evacuations, and emergency decontaminations that occur within the first 24-hours from the onset of the event. Information is obtained on four segments of the population: first responders, employees, members of the general public, and students. The overall goals of the project are:
Fifteen other states currently participate in the project, with several states beginning surveillance as early as January 1, 1990. Sources of Information for the TxHSEES ProjectTexas HSEES receives notification of acute hazardous substance releases from:
Statutory Authority for TxHSEES and ConfidentialityThe Texas HSEES project has legal authority to gather information relating to epidemiologic or toxicologic investigations, as stated in Title 2, Subtitle H, Chapter 161.0211, subchapter C: Epidemiologic or Toxicologic Investigations. This state law, referred to as the "Epi-Tox Law," also provides that Texas HSEES must keep all identifying information confidential. Companies and/or individuals are neither implicated nor singled out by ATSDR or TDH for scrutiny, further investigation, or punitive action. When ATSDR receives the case information, the name(s) of the responsible party(ies) are encrypted. Methods of Data CollectionUsing a standard data collection form, HSEES staff collects data on acute hazardous substance releases regardless of permit limits or reportable quantities. All case investigation is performed via telephone, e-mail, or fax. Notification reports provide the basic information needed to initiate each contact or e-mail form. The telephone interview takes approximately ten minutes; completing the fax form usually takes less than ten minutes. Upon completion of the phone interview, the person interviewed receives information about the study and a copy of the State's Epi-Tox Law. This information is either faxed or mailed to the interviewee. Information gathered is recorded on a standard data collection instrument (questionnaire) provided by ATSDR. It is from this instrument that data are then entered via a secured website into ATSDR's database. That agency analyzes the data and publishes the results in an annual report. The DSHS also disseminates analyses of Texas data through DSHS newsletters and annual reports. Uses of TxHSEES InformationNon-identifying information collected by HSEES is useful in educating government officials, responders, and others about how, when and where chemical emergencies are likely to happen. The descriptors influencing the probable occurrence of these (and many other events impacting public health) are called "risk factors." Describing risk factors is important because this information might be useful in helping prevent future chemical emergencies, thus lowering injury and death rates when such events do occur. Non-identifying HSEES data may potentially be shared with the following entities:
When To Contact TxHSEESIn the event of any acute hazardous substance release, Texas HSEES would like to hear from you. Please contact us. To Contact TxHSEES:Call 512-458-7220 or Fax 512-458-7776.TxHSEES Fact SheetsSodium Hydroxide Facts "pdf" (186KB)Chlorine Facts "pdf" (186KB) Hydrogen Chloride Facts "pdf" (184KB) Sulfuric Acid Facts "pdf" (185.0KB) TxHSEES ReportsTexas Hazardous Substances Events Surveillance (HSEES) System 2004 "pdf" (310.9 KB)Texas Hazardous Substances Events Surveillance (HSEES) System Executive Summary for 2002-2003 "pdf" (273.3 KB) Chemical Incidents in Schools: Are You Prepared for "Unplanned Experiments"? "pdf" (96.7KB) TxHSEES 1993 - 2002, Ammonia Facts "pdf" (64KB) TxHSEES 1998-2001 Executive Summary "pdf" (225KB) TxHSEES 1993-2000 Trucking Report "pdf" (83KB) TxHSEES 1993-2000 Coastal Industrial Counties Report "pdf" (150KB) ATSDR 1995 Annual HSEES Report ATSDR 1996 Annual HSEES Report Distribution of TxHSEES events by County(All files in pdf format)Selected characteristics, 1997 (11KB) Selected characteristics, 1998 (11KB) Selected characteristics, 1999 (11KB) Selected characteristics, 2000 (11KB) Selected characteristics, 2001 (12KB) Medical outcome of the most severe victim, 1997 (7KB) Medical outcome of the most severe victim, 1998 (6KB) Medical outcome of the most severe victim, 1999 (6KB) Medical outcome of the most severe victim, 2000 (6KB) Medical outcome of the most severe victim, 2001 (6KB) Texas HSEES events data tables by County(All files in pdf format)
TxHSEES PowerPoint presentations(All files in pdf format)What Can We Learn from Adverse Weather Events? (659.1KB) HSEES 1993-1997 in Dallas and Surrounding Counties (172.7KB) HSEES 1993-1997 in Harris and Surrounding Counties (206KB) HSEES presentation given for EPA annual meeting (811.5KB) Insights into Prevention - Case Studies (444.7KB) Texas HSEES and the Texas LEPC's (136.4KB) TxHSEES Responder Case Studies 1993-2001 (326KB) HSEES 1993-1997 in Nueces and Surrounding Counties (163.3KB) HSEES 1993-1999 in Travis County (442.6KB) HSEES 1993 - 2001 Texas Data (393.7KB) Any files marked above as “pdf” must be viewed/printed with Adobe® Acrobat® Reader, visit our file viewing information page for download information. For additional assistance please call 512-458-7263. |
Last Updated April 3, 2007
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