1. Disasters – Definition, Classification, Principles

Disasters- definition, classification, principles

Written by Anam Hussain

Disasters definition:

A disaster is a rare and unexpected vent of severe magnitude, to create severe damage and many casualties that overcome our ability to cope with the consequences, therefore we require external help

WHO definition: a disaster is a sudden ecological phenomenon of sufficient magnitude to require external assistance.

UN definition: A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society at any scale, due to hazardous events interacting with conditions of exposure, vulnerability and capacity; leading to one or more of the following: human, material, economic and environmental losses and impacts.

Main features of disaster:

1. Frequency
2. Magnitude/power
3. Consequences- damage to properties and threat to population life and health
4. Disparity between required and available means and capabilities
5. Requirement for external assistance to overcome the consequences

Classification of disasters:

Examples of classifications in use:

• Depending on the size of Area of damage
• Local, regional or global
• Depending on the number of casualties
• Moderate (25-100)
• Medium (100-1000)
• Large (>1000)
• Continuance
• Short (to 1hr)
• Medium (to 24hrs)
• Prolonged (>24hrs)

WHO (World Health Organisation) classifies disasters based on their origin. This classification is accepted in Bulgaria:

• Natural Disasters:
• Meteorological: related to climate and geography of the area e.g. storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, cyclones, extreme heat and cold
• Topological: these disasters change the topography of the Earth’s surface e.g. floods, landslides, avalanches
• Tectonic: calamities whose origin are beneath the Earth’s surface e.g. earthquakes, volcanic eruptions
• Cosmic: calamities related to objects coming from outer space e.g. comets, asteroids, meteors
• Man-made disasters:
• Large industrial failures: chemical, radiological, accidents with blasts or conflagrations
• Social-economics: financial crises, terrorism, famine, social unrest, toxic manias
• Wars- without WMD application
• Transport accidents e.g. ground- road accidents, air- plane crash, maritime-shipwreck, railway- train accidents
• Others: these disasters are those which are not classified into the previous two groups
• Collapsing and incidents in tunnels, mines, underground facilities
• Highly hazardous infections and large-scale epidemics
• Mass poisoning
• Mass water accidents
• Ecological disorders
• Extreme air, water and soil pollution

Disaster Medicine: is an interdisciplinary medical speciality with scientific and medical approach to disasters medical management and support to populations

Principles:

1. Assure safety and security of the medical teams. In losing a medic the negative consequences will be two-fold (DMS loses capability which is scarce already, medic becomes a new casualty)