About
DERMaL (Dermal Exposure Risk Management and Logic) eToolkit
Version 1.0
March 18, 2015
Product Purpose/Goal/Objectives
The goal of the project is to develop informational resources and tools associated with dermal exposures to chemicals to aid in pre-event planning in addition to during an event. These resources and tools are intended to be used to assist in assessing the hazards associated with dermal contact with chemicals during emergency response activities. By selecting the type of information in this tool, users will be able to access critical information about
- Health Effects
- Exposure assessment
- Selection of control measures
- Medical management
How to Use the DERMaL eToolkit
The main page of the dermal e-tool offers a selection of Incident phases (Preparedness, recovery, and response), with hot buttons searches for the response phase (Decon, PPE, Health Info). Upon selection of the incident phase, the search can be narrowed down by the information category and/or type of information. Each resource was reviewed and rated by a team of subject matter experts in the emergency management field. This ensures the most relevant resources (according to selected criteria) are displayed at the top of the list (the relevance is indicated by the shaded circles). The "word or phrase" search box may be used to identify specific resources by the resource name. The DERMaL eToolkit does not produce chemical specific searches.
Acknowledgments/Credits
This Web page was prepared for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) through an interagency agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). ORISE is managed by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) under DOE contract number DE-AC05-06OR23100. The DERMaL e-tool is a product from the CDC's Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR)-funded project Characterizing Dermal Exposures to Chemicals within Emergency Settings. Andrew Maier, Ph.D., CIH, DABT, a toxicologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Health at the University Of Cincinnati College Of Medicine contributed greatly to the development of the DERMaL eToolkit. Special appreciation is expressed to the following individuals for serving as independent, external reviewers and providing comments that contributed to the development or improvement of this:
- Steven P. Frysinger, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Integrated Science and Technology (ISAT) Coordinator, Environmental Management Program Coordinator, Environmental Information Systems Program Director, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.
- Jon Links, Ph.D., Director, Center for Public Health Preparedness, Chief Risk officer, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
- Matthew Magnuson, Ph.D., Acting Associate Director/Research Chemist, US Environmental Protection Agency, National Homeland Security Research Center, Water Infrastructure Protection Division, Cincinnati, OH.
Those responsible for the development of DERMaL are listed below:
Project Management:
| Name | Expertise | Agency | Degree/Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Naomi Hudson |
Epidemiologist |
CDC/NIOSH |
Dr.P.H., MPH |
|
G. Scott Dotson |
Toxicologist, Senior Team Lead of Document Development Branch |
CDC/NIOSH |
Ph.D., CIH |
|
Pertti (Bert) Hakkinen |
Toxicologist, Acting Head, Office of Clinical Toxicology, Specialized Information Services |
NLM/NIH |
Ph.D., F-SRA |
Subject Matter Experts:
| Name | Expertise | Agency | Degree/Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Chad H. Dowell |
Industrial Hygienist |
CDC/NIOSH |
MS, CIH |
|
PL Estacio |
Medical Director Health Services |
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |
PhD, MD, MPH |
|
Jennifer Hornsby-Myers |
Senior Certified Industrial Hygienist |
CDC/NIOSH |
MS |
|
CAPT Joselito Ignacio |
CBRNE Science Advisor, Industrial Hygienist, Safety & Environmental Health |
DHS/FEMA/Response Directorate/CBRNE Office |
MA, MPH, CIH, CSP, REHS |
|
Jeffrey J. Leifel |
All-Hazards EM Specialist / Fire Instructor / Hazmat Technician / Red Cross |
DOE/ORAU |
BS, CEM, MEP |
|
Murrey E. Loflin |
Investigator-Fire fighter fatality Investigation prevention program |
CDC/NIOSH |
MS |
|
Steven W. Munsell |
Industrial Hygienist, Industrial Hygiene Service |
Army Institute of Public Health |
MS, CIH |
|
Dina M. Siegel |
Industrial Hygiene |
Los Alamos National Laboratory |
BS, MSc, CIH, CSP, CBSP |
|
Terry Tincher |
Chemical Process Safety/Safety |
CDC/NCEH |
MC, CSP |
|
Ken Uzeloc |
Deputy Chief Operations & Technical Teams |
Calgary Fire Department |
BAppBus: ES, CFO, NFPA 472 Specialist |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
-
Why does the DERMaL e-tool not search by chemical?
Answer: The DERMaL e-tool is designed such that it can be used during any phase of an emergency. For example, the resources that populate the “Response, Decontamination” query includes the NIOSH Emergency Safety and Health Database and the Medical Management Guidelines for Chemical Agents (by CDC) and Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders(WISER). These resources contain chemical specific information; however, the Field Management of Chemical Casualties Handbook (by USAMRICD), also included in the resource list, contains useful information pertinent to the scenario that is not chemical specific information. To meet emergency responder’s needs for the ability to search for chemical specific information, there is an option to conduct a pre-defined Google search.
-
Why is the “ID” column not in chronological order?
Answer: The “ID” is the resource ID. The resource ID does not change with each source. As such, it is possible to find a resource using the ID only.
-
How are the resources prioritized within the DERMaL e-tool?
Answer: The DERMaL e-tool is designed to have the most relevant resources appear at the top of the list. As such, the most relevant resources on the web application are illustrated by the shaded circles in the “Relevance” column. The relative rankings for the resources were determined using a Value of Information (VOI) score, which allows for key criteria, i.e. the accessibility and reliability of the data source, to be incorporated into the prioritization of information resources based on the emergency phase and need of the Emergency Management responders. Using subject matter experts (SMEs) recruited from various technical fields, the resources included in the tool’s database were ranked on a set of variables (i.e. quality, accessibility, and popularity). These rankings were used to generate a VOI score that is unique for each resource.
-
How can I submit a resource to be included in the DERMaL e-tool?
Answer: Please submit resources that may have been omitted by using the Contact Us tab. Please contact us to comment on the dermal research content (including additional resources and style/design issue), or to report web site problems such as broken links or browser issues.
Publications about DERMaL
Dotson GS, Hudson NL, Maier A. A decision support framework for characterizing and managing dermal exposures to chemicals during Emergency Management and Operations. J Emerg Manag. 2015 Jul-Aug;13(4):359-80. [PubMed Citation]
DERMaL System Requirements
To fully experience the DERMaL eToolkit, we recommend using a modern web browser, such as:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 10, or later
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Apple Safari, for OSX and iOS
The DERMaL eToolkit uses JavaScript. JavaScript must be enabled in your browser.
This Web page was prepared for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) through an interagency agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). ORISE is managed by Oak Ridge Associated Universities under DOE contract number DE-AC05-06OR23100. This Web site is hosted and maintained by the National Library of Medicine.