This is a basic course that aims to introduce responders in the principles of personal protection to face a chemical emergency. The course falls within the competences established to the OPCW by Article X of the Chemical Weapons Convention and has been developed by the Assistance and Protection Branch of the OPCW for the GRULAC region.
The course is ongoing and offered to CBRN emergency responders, both military and civilians belonging to a variety of response systems (civil defence, hazmat equipment firefighters, CBRN military units, etc.) The course will be delivered online, with no more than 25 participants. It will be conducted in Spanish, and participants will need to have access to the internet and Microsoft Teams to access the course.
Content
As a multidisciplinary course, with participants from different agencies and countries, it will serve as a meeting point and forum for discussion of many aspects and issues that are common in the GRULAC region. All different modules of the course will have an evaluation through specific tests or exercises.
Aims
The main course purpose is to strength capacities of the first responders of the CWC States Parties in preparedness capacities and response to chemical incidents through Improve the personal safety of first responders in the event of an incident with chemical warfare agents or industrial toxics.
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Recognise the different types of chemical warfare agents and industrial chemicals, their characteristics, behaviour, and danger
- Know Characteristic of the respiratory protection equipment and chemical suits
- Select the appropriate types of protection for each situation
- Choose the most convenient method of personal decontamination for first responder
- Know what antidotes are needed against major industrial chemical and toxic agents