Preparatory Commission for the	PC-X/B/WP.8
Organisation for the Prohibition	16 February 1995
of Chemical Weapons	Original:  ENGLISH

Tenth Session

(3 - 7 April 1995)

EXPERT GROUP ON SAFETY PROCEDURES

FOURTH REPORT

1.         Introduction

1.1       In accordance with the Plan of Activities and Schedule of Meetings annexed to the Report of the Ninth Session of the Commission (PC-IX/11, Annex 2), the Expert Group on Safety Procedures met from 13 - 16 February 1995 in The Hague.

1.2       Mr. Ray Fatz of the United States of America continued to serve as Chairman of the Expert Group.

1.3       The work of the Group was facilitated by non-papers provided by the delegations of France, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the United States of America.

2.         Tasks of the Group

2.1       The Group considered the following priority task identified by the Commission:

(a)        Consider and approve draft OPCW Health and Safety Regulations.

2.2       The Group considered the other task identified by the Commission:

(a)        Consider the requirements for medical treatment of persons exposed to         chemical agents.

2.3       Further to this other task, the Group received the report of the Task Force on Medical Treatment.

3.         Draft OPCW Health and Safety Regulations

            The Group reviewed the third draft of the OPCW Health and Safety Regulations prepared by the Secretariat on the basis of advice provided by delegations at the Group's Informal Consultations on the draft OPCW Health and Safety Regulations on 17 and 18 November 1994.  The Group extensively simplified and redrafted the Regulations.  The fourth draft of the Regulations is available from the Secretariat, on request.  The Group invited Member States to provide written comments on this draft to the Secretariat by 7 April 1995 and requested the Secretariat to prepare a fifth draft of the Regulations on the basis of these comments.  The Group expressed the hope that a final draft of the Regulations could be approved at its next meeting.

4.         Medical treatment of persons exposed to chemical agents

4.1       The Group received the report of the Task Force on Medical Treatment, which met in The Hague from 6 - 10 February 1995.  The Task Force was established in accordance with the decision of Working Group B (PC-IX/B/4) to address technical issues regarding the medical treatment of persons exposed to chemical agents.

4.2       The Group, in considering the future work of the Task Force, decided on the list of priority and other tasks annexed to this Report.

4.3       The Group took note of the documentation provided to it by the Task Force.  The Group noted the document prepared by the Task Force entitled "Some General Principles of Medical Treatment on OPCW Inspections" (Annex 2 to the report of the Task Force), but expressed concern over the wording of two sections and suggested more appropriate wording for consideration by the Task Force at its next meeting.  The Group agreed that subparagraph 4(b), which at present reads "Inspection procedures must be designed in a way to ensure that manifestation of a known hazard could only lead to one casualty", might be better worded "Inspection procedures must be designed in a way to ensure that no casualties occur".  The Group also agreed that subparagraph 4(d), which at present reads "The Health and Safety personnel cannot under any circumstances be exposed to risk areas, as their contamination would render the team without Health and Safety support.  They may not have 'over and above' duties in risk areas", might be better worded "The Health and Safety personnel cannot under normal circumstances be exposed to risk areas, as their contamination would render the team without Health and Safety support.  They may not have 'over and above' duties in risk areas".

4.4       The Group noted the progress of the Task Force in the preparation of a first draft of the Operational Requirements and Technical Specifications for Medications and Equipment to be Used in the Chemical Weapons Casualty Treatment Kit (Annex 5 to the report of the Task Force).  The Group noted the request of the Task Force regarding guidance on the need for the development of objective criteria for the assessment of the efficacy of antidotes and their cost-effective selection.  The Group agreed to refer the matter back to the Task Force with the instruction that, if the Task Force continued to be unable to reach a decision, then the Task Force should provide more detailed information on the basis of which the Group could make a decision on a course of action. 

4.5       The Group agreed to recommend that Working Group B schedule a further meeting of the Task Force to continue work on its tasks.

5.         Other matters

            The matter of concern for protection of the environment during the destruction of chemical weapons close to the national borders of States Parties and in relation to chemical weapons dumped in bodies of water after 1985 was brought to the Group's attention.  To avoid any duplication, the Group felt that further progress may be based on the result of related discussion under relevant tasks of the Expert Group on Old and Abandoned Chemical Weapons.  The Group agreed to further consider any implication for safety aspects of this issue following submission to it of more fully elaborated material specifically establishing the concern.

6.         Recommendations

6.1       The Group recommended that Working Group B:

(a)        schedule a further meeting of the Task Force on Medical Treatment in the next intersessional period; and

(b)        schedule a further meeting of this Expert Group in the next intersessional period to finalise and approve the draft OPCW Health and Safety Regulations.

6.2       The Group invited Member States to:

(a)        provide written comments on the fourth draft of the OPCW Health and Safety Regulations to the Secretariat by 7 April 1995;

(b)        consider further the recorded discussion and tabled non-papers regarding the pre-treatment, prophylaxis, diagnosis and therapy of chemical weapon poisoning and to exchange views on them at the next meeting of the Task Force on Medical Treatment; and

(c)        provide, on a voluntary basis, additional material to the Technical Secretariat to allow the Task Force on Medical Treatment to finalise its work as detailed in tasks 1 and 4 of the priority tasks annexed to this Report.

6.3       The Group requested the Secretariat to:

(a)        prepare a fifth draft of the OPCW Health and Safety Regulations based on comments received from Member States and to distribute it in advance of the next meeting of the Group;

(b)        prepare a format for the presentation of the material concerning the pre-treatment, prophylaxis, diagnosis and therapy of chemical weapon poisoning, allowing the description of clinical approaches for poisoning of different degrees of severity and phases of treatment at different stages of evacuation; and

(c)        prepare the second draft of the Operational Requirements and Technical Specifications for Medications and Equipment to be Used in the Chemical Weapons Casualty Treatment Kit on the basis of comments received from Member States and make it available to Member States in advance of the next meeting of the Task Force.

7.         Future work

            The Group agreed during the next intersessional period to address:

(a)        the following priority task:

(i)         finalise and approve the draft OPCW Health and Safety Regulations; and

(b)        the following other task:

(i)         consider the requirements for medical treatment of persons exposed to chemical weapons.

Annex

TASK FORCE ON MEDICAL TREATMENT

            Priority tasks

1.         Elucidation of prophylactic and pre-treatment measures relevant for persons at risk of           chemical exposure.

2.         Elucidation of diagnostic methodology and criteria for chemical exposure.

3.         Development of guidance regarding treatment protocols for chemical exposure         patients.

4.         Development of operational requirements and technical specifications for medications          and equipment to be used in the Chemical Weapons Casualty Treatment Kit.

            Other tasks

1.         Compilation of guidance for the setting of allowable exposure levels for chemical    weapons, including categorisations of accidental exposures.

2.         Elaborate guidance on work restrictions to be imposed on persons after exposures,   as well as on rehabilitation procedures and the monitoring of recovery.

3.         Elucidation of the desired organisation and levels of medical treatment chains, and   the expertise, equipment, medications, and kits required at each level.

4.         Review of various international information sources which include chemical            substance data relevant to the effective medical treatment of chemical exposures.

5.         Compilation of a list of international experts and centres of expertise in the field of   treatment of chemical casualties.

6.         Establishment of criteria for establishing the fitness of inspectors.

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