A Portrait of Contrasts in Disaster Risk Response: A Post-Haiyan Study of Coron, Philippines

Supertyphoon Haiyan hit the Philippines in 2013, causing massive damage and loss of lives. The media blamed the government for faulty warnings, including using the term "storm surge", which people reportedly did not understand. As a result, the national agency tasked with disaster risk management recommended translating the term for better response in future storms. Such an approach shortchanges the complexity of risk construction, and dismisses the possibility that different communities also have different understandings of risk. In this study, the researcher examined the special case of Coron, Palawan: a major tourist destination that is hardly hit by storms, but which became the site of Haiyan's last landfall. Guided by Encoding-Decoding Theory, the researcher interviewed local government officials, and carried out focus group discussions with representatives of two communities (whose names have been hidden under pseudonyms for this study): Central, close to the municipal center; and Island, a coastal village far away from potential aid and rescue. The researcher found a portrait of contrasts that split Coron: a mayor who surrendered all control and a risk management officer who planned for long- term hazard response; Island waiting for government instructions despite knowing about storm behavior and Central taking the initiative to create long term solutions. Island also knew what storm surges were, and did not need translation of the term. These findings show that risk constructions can differ even at the municipal level, which should prompt further research into the role of local knowledge in understanding risk and hazard warnings.

Evaluation of the impact of the voluntary safety standard for liquid laundry packets on the rate of child exposures reported to Poison Control Centers in the US

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of the voluntary safety standard for liquid laundry packets on the rate of child exposures reported to Poison Control Centers in the US.MethodsThe analysis was based on an interrupted time series design. The voluntary safety standard for laundry packets was published at the end of 2015. Data on reported liquid laundry packet exposures involving children under age 6 years were collected for the July 2012 through December 2017 study period. A negative binomial multiple regression model for rate data was used to quantify the impact of the voluntary standard on (1) the rate of total reported exposures and (2) the rate of reported exposures that were medically treated. The analysis controlled for laundry packet sales, time trends and seasonal variations in reported exposures.ResultsThe voluntary safety standard was associated with a 28.6% reduction in the rate of total reported exposures and a 36.8% reduction in the rate of medically treated exposures. The analysis also provides some evidence that these estimated reductions may underestimate overall reductions in the rate of reported exposures if pre-standard packaging improvements and possible caregiver behavioural responses to laundry packet hazard warnings are considered.ConclusionsThe analysis suggests that the requirements of the voluntary standard have effectively reduced the rate of injury involving liquid laundry packets.

The role of robots in firefighting

Purpose This paper aims to provide details of recently developed firefighting robots and their applications. Design/methodology/approach Following a short introduction, this paper, firstly, gives details of a selection of recently launched terrestrial firefighting robots. It then discusses the role of drones and describes some recent developments and applications. Finally, conclusions are drawn. Findings The last five years have seen the commercialisation of a growing number of terrestrial firefighting robots, which are remotely controlled, all-terrain vehicles that support fire crews operating in hazardous environments. They are equipped with imaging and other sensors, which provide firefighters with enhanced situation awareness and hazard warnings. Drones are being developed to fight fires in high-rise buildings. Some feature on-board fire extinguishing materials, whereas others can elevate a fire hose to the site of the fire. Drones equipped with advanced imaging devices are being used increasingly by firefighters to enhance situation awareness and assist in dealing with wildfires. Technologies are being developed that aim to increase the flight duration and payload capacity of firefighting drones. Originality/value Firefighting is a recent robotic application, and this paper provides an insight into this by considering a range of products and developments.

Identifying oceanographic conditions conducive to coastal impacts on temperate open coastal beaches and the importance of empirical impact data

Warnings issued by meteorological or oceanographic agencies are a common means of allowing people to prepare for likely impactful events. Quantifying the relationships between ocean conditions and coastal impacts is crucial for developing operational coastal hazard warnings. Existing studies have largely omitted empirical data, relying on modelling to estimate total water levels and impact potentials. It is well documented that site-specific conditions influence local morphodynamics and as such, detailed data related to the physical environment is a necessary component of these existing approaches. The capacity to collect this data is not always available and there is a need for the inclusion of physical impact events to properly quantify the effects of natural hazards and identify the conditions that they are likely to occur. We propose an alternative empirically-based framework for isolating oceanic conditions that are conducive to impact along open coasts, using two case studies from Victoria, southeast Australia: Port Fairy and Inverloch. Oceanic conditions were defined using data obtained from a WAVEWATCH III (WW3) model hindcast, assessed against newly-installed wave buoys, which evidenced variation in mean conditions between the two sites. We coupled impact-based data derived from citizen-science and social media to modelled and observational data, to identify the oceanic conditions that led to these impacts. We found heterogeneity in the response of the case study locations to deviations from the local mean wave characteristics and still water levels. This paper demonstrates a framework through which impact-based thresholds for erosion could be developed for management applications and early-warning systems.

Dialogues for Solutions

Dialogues that respectfully communicate stewardship goals can build trust and shape the social norms and behavior of others. Communicating effectively, as described in this chapter, is the second element in this book’s four-tiered stewardship strategy. Trust and effective dialogue occur most easily when people share worldviews or are open to the opinions of others. Many attitudes and behaviors are, however, socially constructed and may not be responsive to new information. When information campaigns and hazard warnings conflict with the opinions and worldviews of others, they are likely to elicit negative responses or denial, as in many climate-information campaigns. Even in this situation, progress can be made by looking for points of agreement, such as concern for the future of children or care for Creation. In general, positive conversations that focus on common ground and opportunities for solutions rather than blame for problems are most likely to elicit action.

A Review on the Thermal Hazards of the Lithium-Ion Battery and the Corresponding Countermeasures

As one of the most promising new energy sources, the lithium-ion battery (LIB) and its associated safety concerns have attracted great research interest. Herein, a comprehensive review on the thermal hazards of LIBs and the corresponding countermeasures is provided. In general, the thermal hazards of the LIB can be caused or aggravated by several factors including physical, electrical and thermal factors, manufacturing defect and even battery aging. Due to the activity and combustibility of traditional battery components, they usually possess a relatively high thermal hazard and a series of side reactions between electrodes and electrolytes may occur under abusive conditions, which would further lead to the thermal failure of LIBs. Besides, the thermal hazards generally manifest as the thermal runaway behaviors such as high-temperature, ejection, combustion, explosion and toxic gases for a single battery, and it can even evolve to thermal failure propagation within a battery pack. To decrease these hazards, some countermeasures are reviewed including the application of safety devices, fire-retardant additives, battery management systems, hazard warnings and firefighting should a hazard occur.

Application of National and Sub-National Indicators to Rank Needs of People with Life-threatening Conditions and Chronic Diseases Before, During, and After a Disaster

Introduction:Disasters can damage the essential public health infrastructure and social protection systems required for vulnerable populations. This contributes to indirect mortality and morbidity as high as 70–90%, primarily due to an exacerbation of life-threatening conditions and chronic diseases. Despite this, the traditional focus of public health systems has been on communicable diseases. To address this challenge, disaster and health planners require access to repeatable and measurable methods to rank and prioritize the needs of people with life-threatening and chronic diseases before, during, and after a disaster.Aim:Propose a repeatable and measurable method for ranking and prioritizing the needs of people with life-threatening and chronic diseases before, during, and after a disaster.Methods:The research began with identifying the risk disasters pose to people with life-threatening and chronic diseases. The data gathered was then used to develop indicators and explore the use of DisasterAWARE™ (All-hazard Warnings, Analysis, and Risk Evaluation) to rank and prioritize the needs before, during, and after a disaster.Results:This research found people at greatest risk are those with underlying cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, unstable diabetes, renal diseases, and those undergoing cancer treatment. A sustainable method to help address this problem is to expand the use of DisasterAWARE™ (All-hazard Warnings, Analysis, and Risk Evaluation) to rank and prioritize needs at national and sub-national levels.Discussion:DisasterAWARE™ has been successfully applied to the assessment and prioritization of disaster risk and humanitarian assistance needs in Southeast Asia (ASEAN, Viet Nam), Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua), South America (Peru), and the Caribbean (Jamaica, Dominican Republic). Using the indicators developed through this research, this proven methodology can be seamlessly and easily translated to rank and prioritize the needs of people with life-threatening and chronic diseases before, during, and after a disaster.