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Lessons Learned From a Chlorine Gas Leakage in Dezful City, Iran

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 December 2020

Gholamreza Masoumi Open the ORCID record for Gholamreza Masoumi [Opens in a new window] ,
Mohammad Maniey ,
Hamidreza Aghababaeian Open the ORCID record for Hamidreza Aghababaeian [Opens in a new window] ,
Abbas Ostadtaghizadeh Open the ORCID record for Abbas Ostadtaghizadeh [Opens in a new window]  and
Ladan Araghi Ahvazi
Gholamreza Masoumi
Affiliation:
Trauma and Injury Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Health in Emergency and Disaster Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Maniey
Affiliation:
Department of Disasters and Emergencies Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Department of Nursing and Emergency Medicine, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran
Hamidreza Aghababaeian
Affiliation:
Department of Disasters and Emergencies Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Department of Nursing and Emergency Medicine, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran
Abbas Ostadtaghizadeh*
Affiliation:
Department of Disasters and Emergencies Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Ladan Araghi Ahvazi
Affiliation:
Department of Nursing and Emergency Medicine, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Abbas Ostadtaghizadeh, Department of Health in Disasters and Emergencies, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Poorsina Ave., Tehran, Iran (e-mail: a-ostadtaghizadeh@sina.tums.ac.ir).
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Abstract

Dezful is the capital of Dezful County, a city in Khuzestan Province, Iran. On August 12, 2017, after a chlorine gas leakage in Dezful, more than 475 people were affected by chlorine gas, and they all suffered from respiratory complications. A lot of problems were encountered in the preparation of the relief forces and organization of the blueprint on how to respond to the incident, such as lack of knowledge on establishment of danger zone, lack of warning system, lack of proper triage and absence of decontamination plans, lack of special chemical safety outfit and respiratory equipment for rescuers, lack of instructions for proper handling, lack of knowledge in dealing with this type of disaster, and inappropriate evacuation skills and failure to cordon off and insure the location of the incident. Although the initial measures to arrest this crisis was performed based on the health system’s instructions of the country with regard to all the possible risks, lack of a comprehensive inter-organizational program and prevention plans, lack of control plans, lack of adequate preparation and response to chemical poisoning, lack of foresight, lack of a risk plan, and lack of an intervention plan for these incidents were the reasons for the damages and problems encountered after the crisis.

Keywords

chemical hazardchlorine gasDezfuldisasteremergency
Type
Report from the Field
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 16 , Issue 2 , April 2022 , pp. 818 - 824
Copyright
© 2020 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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