Formal and Legal Requirements for Rescue Entities for the Identification of Chemical Hazards in Poland

Aim: The article presents issues related to selected aspects of chemical and environmental rescue, their location in the legal norms in relation to the performed tasks and taking into account the needs of the society. In this respect, the legal acts relating to the operation of the system of identifying chemical and environmental rescue hazard, its transformation, and its impact on the safety and execution of tasks by the rescue entities were reviewed. Moreover the meaning of records relating to the identification of chemical hazards was analysed and clarified. The topics were based on new legal regulations on the detailed organization of the national rescue and firefighting system and guidelines covering the organization of chemical and ecological rescue in Poland. The reviewed area in this analysis relates to the identification of hazardous materials, the designation of danger zones, the ability of emergency responders to identify hazards in formal and legal conditions, and their identification by the functioning cooperating entities. The dependencies that exist in the identification system and the future directions of its development are indicated. Introduction: In today’s world, the expectations of the society for emergency services focus on the quick and efficient execution of an organized rescue operation. In chemical rescue, the primary factor affecting the course and success of the operation is the identification of the chemical threat. Conducting reconnaissance activities under conditions of changing threats requires skills and the fulfilment of a number of conditions that will affect the functioning of the rescue entities in the reconnaissance system. Experience from ongoing rescue operations shows that reconnaissance tasks are carried out to varying degrees. On the one hand, they depend on regulations, and on the other, on the capabilities of emergency responders and the difficulties arising from the resulting disasters and chemical accidents. Therefore, it is reasonable to review selected legal elements relating to the identification of hazardous materials – in particular, those that condition the efficient and effective operation of the rescue entities in terms of the existing risks. Methodology: The article was developed using analyses of legal acts and literature on improving the system of threat identification. Consideration was given to the existing threats, the current international situation, the possibility of uncontrolled action and the release of hazardous substances with chemical, biological or radiological properties, especially in the border area. In analysing the conducted research, publications on rescue law, legal norms of the national rescue and firefighting system, emergency management, guidelines from chemical and ecological rescue, articles from the area of reconnaissance and conference materials were used. Conclusions: The emergence of new regulations in the Principles of Chemical and Environmental Rescue has led to the need for a unified course of action in the area of identifying the chemical agent. Ongoing monitoring of the area for the presence of a hazardous substance – due to the frequently changing weather conditions at the scene – should be a permanent part of the competence tasks of the rescue units. In addition, continuous and effective analysis of the samples taken at the site of the hazardous substance would allow detection and identification of the hazard relatively early – so that further appropriate action could then be taken. Such a solution would allow the emergency manager to conduct a chemical rescue operation continuously and make accurate decisions at every stage of the operation, despite a possible sudden change in the weather conditions. The inclusion in the regulations of all possible elements of identification in terms of the existing hazards will affect the effectiveness of the rescue entities in the elimination of chemical, biological, radiological hazards. Keywords: hazardous substance, danger zone, chemical and environmental rescue, chemical reconnaissance