Key Health Data for the West Midlands 2002
CHAPTER FOUR: CHEMICAL INCIDENTS IN THE WEST MIDLANDS IN 2001
List of Tables
List of Figures
Main Body
1: The Geography of the West Midlands
2: Life Expectancy and Inequalities
3: Drinking Water Quality
4: Chemical incidents in the West Midlands
5: Landfill Sites
6: IPPC
7: Fires in the West Midlands
8: Road Traffic Accidents
9: Drownings
10: Access to a healthy diet
11: National Health Service Priority Areas
12: Communicable Disease
13: Older People
Since 1992, the Chemical Hazards Management and Research Centre (CHMRC) has collected data on chemical incidents in the West Midlands health region.
The West Midlands Surveillance System for Chemical Incidents (WMSS), coordinated by the CHMRC, receives reports from a number of sources including the fire service, primary care trusts, local authorities, the Environment Agency, the National Focus for Chemical Incidents, other Chemical Incident Regional Service Provider Units, and through routinely reviewing local and national media. Incident reports are maintained on a web-enabled database that also provides information for the national chemical incident surveillance system organised and operated by the National Focus for Chemical Incidents in Cardiff.
Since its inception, WMSS has reported a steady increase in the number of reported incidents up until 2001 (Figure 4.1). This increase is probably mainly due to improved ascertainment rather than any real increase in the actual number of incidents that occurred. However, numbers seem to be levelling off, suggesting that the surveillance system may be reaching a saturation point.
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Figure 4.1. Chemical Incidents Detected by Year |
Figure 4.2 shows the number of reported incidents by chemical involved. Incidents occurred in every PCT in the region during 2001, with incidents involving asbestos being the most common in 2001. This is consistent with previous years. The high number of incidents involving powders were caused by a number of suspected anthrax releases in the aftermath of September 11th.
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Figure 4.2. Incidents in 2001 by Chemical Involved. |
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Figures 4.3 and 4.4 show the distribution of incidents in 2001 by month and day of the week. The peak in activity during October and November 2001 was due to the surge of anthrax scares following September 11th. In total the CHMRC received 20 referrals regarding potential bioterrorist activity during this period, all of which were hoaxes or false alarms. This would not be repeated in 2002.
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Figure 4.4. Chemical Incidents in 2001 by Day of the Week. |
Figure 4.5 shows the distribution of incidents by Primary Care Trust. It illustrates that chemical incidents occurred all over the West Midlands during 2001. The highest number of incidents occurred in the Birmingham conurbation and Coventry.
There are two explanations for this distribution of incidents. Firstly, the greater industrialisation and population of the West Midlands County increase the probability of chemical incidents as compared with the rest of the West Midlands region.
Secondly, the West Midlands County is served by the West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS). WMFS is the only fire service in the West Midlands to have agreed to supply WMSS routinely with comprehensive data on the chemical incidents that it attends.
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Figure 4.5. Distribution of chemical incidents by Primary Care Trust. |
For more information please contact Sarafina
Cotterill on 0121 414 3368
© Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, University
of Birmingham