Acute chemical incidents involving fuel: Developing best practice guidance

A review of all incidents reported to the Chemical Incident Response Service between 1997 and 2000 highlighted an increase in the number of incidents that involved fuel. These incidents have important environmental and public health implications and consequently need to be managed effectively. Yet, despite the complex nature of acute fuel incidents, there is no published guidance for their management. By looking at past incidents in detail and identifying common features, a strategy for managing the public health impact of such events has been developed. Guidance that should help to ensure a more effective and timely public health response to acute fuel incidents is presented in the form of a model and checklist.