Chemical Risk Assessment Tool

There is no single, standard personal protective equipment (PPE) ensemble for use by first responders when entering hazardous environments contaminated with chemical agents. Organizations maintain different inventories of chemical protective clothing and respirators suitable to individual budgetary and operational requirements. The Georgia Tech Research Institute developed a mobile emergency response tool that provides first responders with decision support for working in environments contaminated with chemical agents. The Chemical Companion system allows incident commanders to evaluate and select the best PPE ensemble given the chemical agent, concentration, and ambient conditions faced. Incident commanders can make rapid, accurate decisions regarding isolation, protective action distances, and hot-zone stay times. The software tool incorporates initial symptoms of exposure, odor thresholds, PPE breakthrough times, and exposure guidelines. Version 2 of the Chemical Companion is now available for both pocket-PC and desktop/laptop computers. This software is free to government employees and first responders at: http://www.chemicalcompanion.org.