A proposed new ASTM International standard will help emergency responders develop succinct, usable emergency response guidance in the event of a radiological event, which may include an intentional release or an attack involving a radiological dispersal device (also known as a “dirty bomb”). The proposed standard, WK7020, Guide for the Development of a Radiological Emergency Response Playbook, is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee E54.02 on Emergency Preparedness, Training and Procedures, which is part of ASTM Committee E54 on Homeland Security Applications.
 
WK7020 will provide guidance in developing and implementing recommended practices for emergency responders at radiological events. The proposed standard will include directions for instructing any person having a functional role in the response to a radiological event and will cover directions needed for the duration of the event, from the first recognition of the event through to the point where established radiation protection procedures for both occupational and public exposure are reinstated.
 
According to Tammy Taylor, Safeguards and Security Systems group leader, Nonproliferation Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, WK7020 will be most useful to the individuals responsible for preparing emergency response guidance at local and state levels. “The proposed standard will help emergency responders deconvolute the conflicting guidance and data they encounter when trying to pull together information to aid them in preparedness,” says Taylor.

For further technical information, contact Tammy Taylor, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, N.M. (phone: 505/667-5569; taylort@lanl.gov). Committee E54 meets Jan. 29-31, 2007, during the January Committee Week in Costa Mesa, Calif. For membership or meeting information, contact Timothy Brooke, manager, Technical Committee Operations, ASTM International (phone: 610/832-9729; tbrooke@astm.org).

Release #7506