Guidance

Chemical, Biological and Radiological (CBR) attacks

Published 2 November 2020

This guidance was withdrawn on 30 May 2022

For the latest, up to date versions of NaCTSO guidance, please visit www.protectuk.police.uk. This NaCTSO page is no longer updated.

1. Introduction

Chemical, Biological and Radiological material (CBR) attacks have the potential to cause significant harm and disruption, but they are difficult for terrorists to carry out effectively and weaponising often requires specialist knowledge and expertise.

Alternative methods of attack, such as explosive devices, are more reliable, safer and easier for terrorists to acquire or use. Nevertheless, it is possible that a terrorist group may seek to use chemical, biological or radiological material against the West in the future.

What is CBR?

Chemical	Poisoning or injury caused by chemical substances, including traditional military chemical warfare agents, harmful industrial or household chemicals.
Biological	Illnesses caused by the deliberate release of dangerous bacteria or viruses or by biological toxins, such as ricin, found in castor oil beans.
Radiological	Illness caused by exposure to harmful radioactive materials.

Within the wider definition of CBR, the term ‘White Powders’ is also often used in a mail context to describe the potential presence of a noxious substance (or hoax material) in a letter or parcel that is designed to cause significant harm or disruption.

2. CBR Mitigation

Good general physical and personnel security measures will contribute towards resilience against CBR incidents. Remember to apply appropriate personnel security standards to contractors and visitors, especially those with frequent access to your site.

Full CBR protection can be extremely expensive to implement, however some measures that will mitigate to a certain extent the effects of a CBR event, can be put in place at relatively low cost.

The following first steps are recommended to increase your resilience to a CBR attack:

• review the physical security measures relevant to areas of your building that may, due to their function (entrances, etc.), be at increased risk of attack
• review the design and physical security of your air-handling systems, such as access to intakes and outlets, avoiding the use of ground level, or near ground-level, air intakes
• ensure CBR response is featured into your site’s major incident plans
• consider evacuation routes
• consider the use of pre-prepared messaging
• improve air filters or upgrade your air-handling systems, as necessary
• restrict access to water tanks and other key utilities
• review the security of your food and drink supply chains
• consider whether you need to make special arrangements for mail or parcels such as a separate post room, possibly with dedicated air-handling, or even a specialist off-site facility noting that mail rooms can be a high-risk area

3. Further information

For further information on the strengths and vulnerabilities of your site or building in relation to CBR threats, contact your police CTSA. PAS 97: 2015 provides more detailed information and best practice for the screening of mail for ‘white powders’ and other threat items.

Note: For search and screening (as in many areas of physical security), knowledge of the target (such as threat material) is key to an effective search regime. Therefore an awareness of CBR is essential if this forms part of your search and screening process.

Go to PAS 97: 2015 Mail Screening and Security specification

4. CBR Recognition

As with other threat methodologies you may receive no prior warning of a CBR incident. An incident may be obvious such as a corrosive liquid being thrown, at which point affected persons should be immediately directed to follow the REMOVE, REMOVE, REMOVE protocol.

Obtain further information, evaluate and immediately inform your security supervisor/security control room etc. Indeed the exact nature of the incident may not be immediately obvious. For example there may be multiple casualties for no apparent reason, in which case, use your own knowledge and experience of your working environment and its people, as a recognition tool.

If you suspect someone has been exposed to a hazardous substance it is vital that the REMOVE, REMOVE, REMOVE protocol is followed.

Other signs of a potential CBR hazard may be:

• individuals showing unexplained signs of skin, eye or airway irritation, nausea, vomiting, twitching, sweating, disorientation, breathing difficulties
• the presence of hazardous or unusual materials/equipment
• unexplained vapour, mist clouds, powder, liquids or oily drops
• withered plant life or vegetation
• distressed birds or animals
• odd smells or tastes

The actions that are taken by building/site managers and security staff can, in the immediate moments following a CBR attack, have a very significant impact on limiting the effects of a CBR incident. Pre-planned actions focusing on limiting the effects of such an incident, such as briefing staff on the REMOVE, REMOVE, REMOVE protocol will help to ensure that building occupants are protected as far as is reasonably practicable.

5. CBR response

In certain instances it should be possible to provide a list of ‘immediate actions’ that staff/security staff should follow, to both mitigate the effects of a CBR attack and to summon the relevant emergency services response. It is strongly recommended that building/site managers and security staff are briefed on, and able to implement the REMOVE, REMOVE, REMOVE protocol, it is the most effective method of limiting the health effects of a CBR incident.

In addition to the REMOVE, REMOVE, REMOVE protocol extra details of your plans and briefings to staff could include:

• Where casualties will be told to go once removed from the affected area.
• Provision for absorbent materials such as tissue paper.
• Provision of corrosive treatment first aid pack.
• Where the closest available running water is.

What information to pass in messages to control rooms, other staff and emergency services. This information can follow the ETHANE format:

E	Exact location
T	Type of incident
H	Hazards present or suspected
A	Access - routes that are safe to use
N	Number, type, severity of casualties
E	Emergency services present and those required

This protocol adopted by all of the emergency services, has been developed as a response to all types of hazardous material exposure, including corrosive (acid) attacks.

The emergency services should always be called following your existing notification mechanism (e.g. via your security control), and their advice followed. Tell the emergency services that you are implementing the REMOVE, REMOVE, REMOVE protocol.

If first aid is needed consider if possible, directing those affected to assist other affected colleagues, do not become contaminated yourself.

Contact with affected persons, and their property, should be avoided and all present should refrain from eating or drinking.

Examples of actions which may be relevant include:

• Call the emergency services and follow their advice.
• Where a hazard can be isolated by leaving the immediate area, do so as quickly as possible, closing doors and windows as you go.
• Move those directly affected by an incident to a safe location (i.e. away from the incident/source of contamination). If safe and practical to do so then the safe location should be selected so as to minimise spread of contaminants from the scene of the incident.
• Separate those directly affected by an incident from those not involved so as to minimise the risk of inadvertent cross-contamination.
• Ask people not to wander off – though you cannot contain them against their will.
• Stay in a safe location and await medical assistance - medical assistance will be on its way so avoid seeking hospital care.
• You do not need to make any special arrangements beyond normal first aid provision. The emergency services will take responsibility for treatment of casualties.
• When the emergency services arrive act upon their instruction as you may need further decontamination and medical help.
• If your external windows are not permanently sealed shut, develop plans for closing them in response to a warning or incident.
• Examine the feasibility of emergency shutdown of air-handling systems and ensure that any such plans are well rehearsed.

The exact composition of the ‘immediate actions’ will vary from building to building and in some circumstances an action that may be appropriate for one building may be inappropriate for another. It is strongly recommended that users ‘get to know their building’ and procedures in preparation for developing a list of immediate actions.

Consultation with your building services manager is essential if you are considering altering the state of your HVAC system as part of a CBR response, as this may not be possible or appropriate.

In developing a CBR response strategy it is important to consider other emergency response plans (e.g. fire) that may already exist within your organisation to ensure there are no conflicts.