All children have the right to protection.

They have the right to survive, to be safe, to

belong, to be heard, to receive adequate care and to grow up in a protective environment.

A family is the first line of protection for children. Parents or other caregivers are
responsible for building a protective and loving home environment. Schools and
communities are responsible for building a safe and child-friendly environment outside
the child's home. In the family, school and community, children should be fully protected
so they can survive, grow, learn and develop to their fullest potential.

Millions of children are not fully protected. Many of them deal with violence, abuse,
neglect, exploitation, exclusion and/or discrimination every day. Such violations limit
their chances of surviving, growing, developing and pursuing their dreams.

edit Steps
1. 1

Understand the importance of child protection. In order to spread the message,

it is important to know the facts. The basics are:

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o Every child should have the opportunity to grow up in a family. If a family

is unable to care for the child, steps should be taken by the authorities to
address the reasons and make every effort to keep the family together.
o Every child has a right to a name and nationality. Registering a child's
birth helps to ensure a child's right to education, health care and legal and
social services. Birth registration is a vital step towards protection from
abuse and exploitation.
o Girls and boys must be protected from all forms of violence and abuse.
This includes physical, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect and harmful
practices such as child marriage and genital mutilation/cutting of girls.
Families, communities and authorities are responsible for ensuring this
protection.
o Children must be protected from all work that is hazardous. Work should
not prevent them from attending school. Children should never be
involved in the worst forms of child labour, such as slavery, forced labour,
drug production or trafficking.
o Girls and boys can be at risk of sexual abuse and exploitation in their
home, school, workplace or community. Measures should be taken to
 prevent sexual abuse and exploitation. Sexually abused and exploited
children need immediate help to stop such abuse.
o Children are vulnerable to trafficking where protection for children is
weak or missing. The government, civil society and families are
responsible for preventing trafficking, as well as helping children who are
victims to reintegrate into their families and communities, if it is in their
best interest.
o Justice for children should be based on child rights. Depriving children of
their liberty (incarcerating them) must always be a last resort. Procedures
that are sensitive to children should be put in place for children who are
victims or witnesses of crime.
o Income support and social welfare services can help keep families together
and children in school and ensure access to health care.

Child Protection

All children have a right to age-appropriate information, to be heard and to

participate in making decisions that concern them. Fulfilment of this right
enables children to take an active role in their own protection against
abuse, violence and exploitation, and to become active citizens.

1. Introduction

Certain types of charity are set up to assist or care for those who are particularly
vulnerable, perhaps because of their age, physical or mental ability or ill health. Charity
trustees are responsible for ensuring that those benefiting from, or working with, their
charity are not harmed in any way through contact with it. They have a legal duty to act
prudently and this means that they must take all reasonable steps within their power to
ensure that this does not happen. It is particularly important where beneficiaries are
vulnerable persons or children in the community. Trustees are expected to find out what
the relevant law is, how it applies to their organisation, and to comply with it where
appropriate. They should also adopt best practice as far as possible – advice on this is
available from a number of knowledgeable sources, some of which are listed below.
Children are an especially vulnerable group and therefore the Charity Commission is
concerned to stress the importance of charities having proper safeguards in place for their
protection.

2. Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a relatively new term which is broader than ‘child protection’ as it also
includes prevention. Safeguarding has been defined as:

 All agencies working with children, young people and their families taking all
reasonable measures to ensure that the risks of harm to children’s welfare are
minimised; and
 Where there are concerns about children and young people’s welfare, all agencies
taking appropriate actions to address those concerns, working to agreed local
policies and procedures in full partnership with other local agencies.
(Safeguarding Children (2005), The 2nd Joint Chief Inspectors Report on
Arrangements to Safeguard Children. A broader definition can be found in
Working Together to Safeguard Children - see sources of further information
below.)

Safeguarding children is vital for charities as charity trustees have a duty of care towards
the children with whom they have contact. Having safeguards in place within an
organisation not only protects and promotes the welfare of children but also it enhances
the confidence of trustees, staff, volunteers, parents/carers and the general public.
Safeguarding children is beneficial to a charity in many ways – protecting its reputation,
helping to effectively meet its objectives and protecting its finances.

The necessity to safeguard children applies both to charities working in the UK and other
countries where children may face different or additional risks of abuse or exploitation.
These safeguards should include a child protection policy and procedures for dealing with
issues of concern or abuse. For the purposes of child protection legislation the term
‘child’ refers to anyone up to the age of 18 years.

3. The Charity Commission’s role

Although the Commission does not administer child protection legislation, it aims to
increase public trust and confidence in charities and, as part of the registration process, it
always asks organisations working with children for (a) information about the policies
and procedures which they have in place for keeping children safe and (b) disclosure of
Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) certificates in respect of trustees where the charity is
legally entitled to obtain these. We have worked with the National Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) to ensure that this guidance is as relevant,
accurate and helpful as possible.

Details of key areas in the recruitment and selection of charity trustees are set out in our
guidance 'Finding New Trustees (CC30)'. This describes the various checks and
safeguards that will be appropriate for charities working with children (or other
vulnerable beneficiaries) when recruiting trustees.

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act of 2006 created the new Independent
Safeguarding Authority (ISA). The ISA will decide who is unsuitable to work or
volunteer with vulnerable groups. We will be reviewing all of our guidance to make sure
that it is up to date before the scheme is fully rolled out. You can find details of the
timetable for the introduction of the scheme on the ISA website www.isa-gov.org.uk.

4. The child protection policy

This is a statement of intent that demonstrates a commitment to safeguard children

involved with a charity from harm. The essential inclusions for a child protection policy
are outlined below:

 the welfare of the child is paramount;

 all children without exception have the right to protection from abuse regardless
of gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality or beliefs;
 the policy is approved and endorsed by the board of trustees;
 who the policy applies to (i.e. all trustees, staff and volunteers);
 children and parents are informed of the policy and procedures as appropriate;
 all concerns, and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously by trustees, staff and
volunteers and responded to appropriately - this may require a referral to
children’s services and in emergencies, the Police;
 a commitment to safe recruitment, selection and vetting;
 reference to principles, legislation and guidance that underpin the policy;
 arrangements for policy and procedures review;
 reference to all associated policies and procedures which promote children’s
safety and welfare e.g. with regards to: health and safety, anti-bullying, protection
of children online, and photography.

5. Child protection procedures and systems

Procedures and systems provide clear step-by-step guidance on what to do in different

circumstances and they clarify roles and responsibilities. Systems for recording
information and dealing with complaints are also needed to ensure implementation and
compliance. Child protection procedures should be linked with the Local Safeguarding
Children Board’s procedures or the All Wales Child Protection Procedures, as relevant.

The procedures and systems should include:

 A named person (and deputy) with a clearly defined role and responsibilities in
relation to child protection, appropriate to the level at which s/he operates.
 A description of what child abuse is, and the procedures for how to respond to it
where there are concerns about a child’s safety or welfare or concerns about the
 actions of a trustee, staff member or volunteer. Relevant contact details for
children’s services, police, health and NSPCC helplines should be available.
 A process for recording incidents, concerns and referrals and storing these
securely in compliance with relevant legislation and kept for a time specified by
your insurance company.
 Guidance on confidentiality and information sharing, legislation compliant, and
which clearly states that the protection of the child is the most important
consideration.
 A code of behaviour for trustees, staff and volunteers. The consequences of
breaching the code are clear and linked to disciplinary and grievance procedures.
 Safe recruitment, selection and vetting procedures that include checks into the
eligibility and the suitability of all trustees, staff and volunteers who have direct
or indirect (e.g. helpline, email) contact with children. In the case of trustees,
because of their position within the charity, we take the view that whenever there
is a legal entitlement to obtain a CRB check in respect of such a trustee, a check
should be carried out. This goes beyond circumstances where the trustee comes
into contact with children.
 A complaints procedure which is an open and well publicised way in which adults
and children can voice concerns about unacceptable and/or abusive behaviour
towards children.
 Systems to ensure that all staff and volunteers working with children are
monitored and supervised and that they have opportunities to learn about child
protection in accordance with their roles and responsibilities.
 Requirements for trustees, staff and volunteers to learn about child protection in
accordance with and as appropriate to their roles and responsibilities.

It is important that each charity’s safeguarding policy and procedures are tailored to the
type of contact that the charity has with children and it also needs to take into account
any particular vulnerabilities of the children with whom the charity has contact; for
example disabled children who are at increased risk of abuse; babies and toddlers who are
vulnerable due to their age and dependence on adults;

6. Sources of further information and support

There are a range of agencies and publications which can guide charities in the
development and updating of  their safeguarding policy and procedures. A selection are
identified below and a more detailed list is available at:  http://www.nspcc.org.uk/

7. Guidance and legislation

England

For current guidance on safeguarding, legislation and resources see

www.everychildmatters.gov.uk
Two documents are particularly helpful:
  What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused (2003)
www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/search/?asset=document&id=17378

 Working Together to Safeguard Children: a guide to inter-agency working to

safeguard and promote the welfare of children (2006) HM Government.
www.everychildmatters.gov.uk

Wales

For current guidance on safeguarding, legislation and resources see

http://wales.gov.uk/children

This publication is particularly helpful:

Safeguarding Children: Working Together under the Children Act 2004 (2006) Welsh
Assembly Government

Criminal Records Bureau (CRB): exists to help organisations identify people who are
unsuitable for certain types of work, especially work involving access to or contact with
children and other vulnerable members of society, by making "disclosures" of any
criminal, police or similar records. This includes trustees of charities who have such
access or contact.

The CRB provides a disclosure service, which offers access to records held by the police,
together with information from the following lists: Protection of Children Act 1999
(POCA), Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) and List 99. A charge is made for
obtaining a disclosure for paid positions, although disclosures for volunteers, which will
include the majority of trustees, are free but will incur an administration charge from the
umbrella group they choose to use. A list of umbrella bodies is available online.

Tel: 0870 90 90 811   Website:  www.crb.gov.uk

Children in Wales - Plant yng Nghymru

This is an umbrella organisation in Wales disseminating information on policy, research
and best practice for children in Wales. They aim to promote the interests of and take
action to identify and meet the needs of children, young people and their families in
Wales. They provide child protection courses for a range of organisations.

Tel: 029 2034 2434  Website: www.childreninwales.org.uk

Churches Child Protection Advisory Service is an independent Christian based charity

working with churches, other faiths and non faith based organisations in order to help
them implement safeguards for children. The organisation runs a helpline service
providing advice and support and to assist with the preparation and maintenance of child
protection policies. It has produced a range of books, training resources and guidance on
writing child protection policy and procedures including: Guidance to Churches:
(CCPAS, 2003); Safeguarding Children and Young People: a manual for child
protection and safe practice (CCPAS, 2004).

Tel: 0845 120 45 50 Website: www.ccpas.co.uk

“Finding New Trustees: What charities need to know” (CC30)

A Charity Commission publication which advises on how to recruit, select, appoint and
induct trustees. It has sections on vetting trustees prior to appointment and the Criminal
Records Bureau which answers some of the more common questions.

Tel: 0845 300 0218

National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations (NCVCCO) is an umbrella

organisation for voluntary child care organisations in England. Their mission is to ensure
the well being and safeguarding of children by promoting the voluntary sector's
contribution to the provision of services. They produced ‘Positively Safe: a guide to
developing safeguarding practices’, 2005.

Tel: 0207 833 3319  Website: www.ncvcco.org

National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) is a registered charity and
membership organisation. It aims to raise the profile of youth work, share good practice
and influence policy development. It has devised safeguarding standards and an
accreditation scheme (Sound Systems) to promote and recognise good practice in
safeguarding young people. NCVYS has published Keeping it Safe: a young person-
centred approach to safety and child protection which is a guide to the standards, the
implementation of safeguarding policy and procedures.

Tel: 020 7422 8630   Website: www.ncvys.org.uk

NSPCC is a registered charity established to prevent cruelty to children. They provide a

range of services for children and their families. They also provide a child protection
helpline and there4me.com which is an online service for children. Childline, a helpline
service for children is now also part of the NSPCC.
NSPCC Consultancy Services have a number of publications (also available in
Welsh/English) to help organisations develop child protection policy and procedures, for
example:

Firstcheck (2006): a step by step guide to help organisations prepare child protection
policies and procedures.

Safetycheck(2006): a set of standards for safeguarding and protecting children in

organisations.

Kidscheck (2005): a companion product for children and young people  to assess their
organisation themselves and contribute to making it safer.
The charity offers a consultancy service which provides advice and guidance to
organisations on the implementation of safeguards to prevent abuse; training services are
also available.

Tel: 0116 234 7227  Website: www.nspcc.org.uk/consultancy

To report or discuss concerns about a child’s welfare:

NSPCC Child Protection Helpline (24 hours): To report or discuss concerns about a
child's welfare. Tel: 0808 800 5000 or textphone: 0800 056 0566 or email:
help@nspcc.org.uk

NSPCC Cymru/Wales Child Protection Helpline  Tel: 0808 100 2524 (Mon-Fri 10am-
6pm)

NSPCC Asian Child Protection Helpline Tel: 0800 096 7719

Childline Tel: 0800 1111

NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit is a joint NSPCC/Sport England initiative. It

provides an accreditation scheme for national governing bodies and county sports
partnerships; provides advice and training to a range of sport and leisure organisations
and has produced a range of child protection resources for training and child protection
policy development: including Sportscheck; Safe Sports Events (NSPCC and Sport
England, 2003); Standards for Safeguarding and Protecting Children in Sport (NSPCC
and Sport England, 2003), and Safe Sport Away(ASA and NSPCC 2001).

Tel: 0116 234 7278 or Website:  www.thecpsu.org.uk

Save The Children. A registered charity established to promote the welfare of children
worldwide by the relief of their hardship and distress.
Tel: 020 7012 6400 Freephone: 0800 814 8148.
Website: www.savethechildren.org.uk/

In 2003 Save the Children in partnership with NSPCC, Christian Aid, People in Aid,
EveryChild and the Tearfund produced Setting the Standards: A common approach to
child protection for international NGOs. A copy of the standards can be downloaded
from the publications section of www.peopleinaid.org or contact info@peopleinaid.org

The Keeping Children Safe Coalition Member Agencies revised and renamed the
standards document as Keeping Children Safe: Standards for child protection.
Thesestandards form a part of Keeping Children Safe: A toolkit for children protection
(Save The Children, 2006). The toolkit is a complete package for people working in child
protection across the world. The toolkit comprises of the standards, a resource pack on
how to implement the standards and flexible training exercises.
See www.keepingchildrensafe.org.uk

Safeguarding Children Partnership is a registered charity  working with the voluntary

and community sectors to assist organisations attain SAFE (Safer Activities for
Everyone) standards. The charity supports and advises with regards to safer recruitment,
working practices and policies; and it produces resources, information packs and training.
It also acts as an umbrella body for CRB disclosures.

Tel: 01379 678961 Website: www.oursafesite.com

CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

The University’s Views on Child Protection

The University of Central Lancashire is committed to the principles and practice of child
protection and recognises the role which all members of the University, staff and students
have to play in safeguarding the welfare of children.

The Children Act 1989 places a duty on local authorities to take steps to safeguard or
promote the welfare of children, believed to be suffering or likely to suffer significant
harm that live or are found in their area. Certain powers are also given to the Police so
that they can take action to protect children. (“Child” in this context is defined as a
person who has not reached their eighteenth birthday).

This policy has been devised primarily within the context of the responsibilities arising
under the 1989 Children Act.

Other factors guiding the policy include:

(i) The United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child

(ii) Guidance on staff recruitment including CEF notes 62, 70 and 94
(iii) Changing patterns of course programme provision
(iv) The need for a set of clear corporate policies

Child Abuse

This can involve:

Neglect

Children under the age of 18 years who have been persistently or severely neglected, or
the failure to protect a child from exposure to any kind of danger. This would include
exposing a child to extreme cold temperatures or starvation or extreme failure to carry out
important aspects of care resulting in the significant impairment of the child’s health or
development.
NB: Neglect is a ‘silent’ form of abuse but it can be as dangerous for a child as injury.

Physical Injury

Children under the age of 18 years where the nature of the actual or likely injury is not
consistent with the account of how it occurred or where there is definite knowledge or
reasonable suspicion that the injury was inflicted (or knowingly not prevented) by any
person. This would include children who have been physically injured or who are likely
to be injured or where there has been a failure to prevent physical injury or suffering.

Physical injury may include deliberate poisoning, attempted drowning or suffocation,

Munchausen’s Syndrome by proxy and accidents which have occurred when a child has
been left unattended or inadequately supervised.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse is the actual or likely exploitation of a child or adolescent under 18 years of
age by any person. This would include any form of sexual activity to which the child
cannot give true consent either by law or because of ignorance, dependence, development
immaturity or fear.

NB: This does not include young women of 16 years of age and over who are
willing and able to give true consent, unless the sexual activity includes the
parent or care giver.

Emotional Abuse

Actual or likely severe adverse effect on the emotional and behavioural development of a
child under the age of 18 years, caused by persistent or severe emotional ill-treatment.

All child abuse involves some emotional ill-treatment. This category should be used
where it is the main or sole form of abuse.

Social Services departments maintain a child protection register on behalf of the

Child Protection Committee. The register facilitates good inter-agency
communication, provides a point of enquiry and acts as an early warning system.

Policy Statement on Child Protection

The University is committed to:

1. The principles and practice of child protection as covered by the Children Act
1989.
 2. Working together with the local area Child Protection Committee and Social
Services, including the proper use of their procedures.

3. Raising awareness of all staff on the importance of child protection.

4. The nomination of a member of staff to undertake child protection

responsibilities.

5. Providing appropriate staff development to employees of the University.

Awareness-making will be provided for all staff. More specialist training will be
provided for some staff and in particular for the nominated member of staff with
child protection responsibilities.

6. Seeking to safeguard and protect children through staff recruitment procedures.

Personnel procedures will be compatible with responsibilities under the Children
Act 1989.

7. Establishing and maintaining clear procedures for dealing with suspicions or

allegations of child abuse.

8. The monitoring and regular review of relevant procedures. The responsibility for
this will be delegated to the nominated person.

9. The inclusion of information relating to child protection in the University

prospectus.

10. The establishment and operation of a system of secure confidential recording

concerning information relating to child abuse and allegations of abuse.

Principles of Implementation

The University has a Child Protection Procedure for dealing with suspicions or
allegations of child abuse. A copy of the procedure is available from Student Services,
Marsh Building and the Office of the Head of Services & Resources, Newton Rigg.

 Dangers during flight. Children can fall victim to violence, disease, malnutrition
and death as they flee. They may become separated from their families, placing
them in danger of forced recruitment, human trafficking, hazardous labour and
sexual exploitation. 
 Risks in camps. Crowded conditions and poverty in refugee and internally
displaced persons (IDP) camps increase people’s vulnerability to disease,
violence, abuse and exploitation. Displaced children also face discrimination and
 incarceration and often lack legal identities – a factor that makes them attractive
to human traffickers.
 Lack of legal recognition. Many countries in our region have yet to ratify the
1951 UN Convention on refugees and do not recognize internally displaced
populations within national boundaries.

UNICEF in Action

UNICEF believes that all children have the same rights to food, health and education, as
well as the right to preserve their identity. We seek to help refugee and IDP children by:

 Advocating that governments ratify and uphold the Guiding Principles on Internal
Displacement and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the
Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict; 
 Providing access to education and other basic services; 
 Launching income-generating projects for displaced communities; 
 Raising awareness and understanding of children’s rights and protection issues;
and 
 Conducting disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes for
former child soldiers.

©
UNICEF/EAP02901//YR
Three generations find
refuge after a tsunami
destroys their home in
Thailand

UNICEF in Action

When natural disasters strike, UNICEF is on the ground immediately in response to its
mandate to protect and assist children’s and women’s rights and development. Our
emergency activities include:

 Restoring basic services such as health, education, water and sanitation, and
overseeing rehabilitation and long-term reconstruction;
  Providing psychosocial and other support for young survivors;
 Supporting governments in developing emergency preparedness plans;
 Conducting disaster-preparedness training for children and young people; and
 Developing indicators that guide decision-makers on how to address the needs of
children and young people during emergencies.

earn About the Types of Disasters

 Chemical Emergencies
 Dam Failure
 Earthquake
 Fire or Wildfire
 Flood
 Hazardous Material
 Heat
 Hurricane
 Landslide
 Nuclear Power Plant Emergency
 Terrorism
 Thunderstorm
 Tornado
 Tsunami
 Volcano
 Wildfire
 Winter Storm

Types of Disaster
Earthquake

Earthquake is an unexpected and rapid shaking of earth due to the breakage and shifting
of underneath layers of Earth. Earthquake strikes all of a sudden at any time of day or
night and quite violently. It gives no prior warning. If it happens in a populated area, the
earthquake can cause great loss to human life and property.

Tornado

Tornado is one of the most violent storms on earth. It seems like a rotating and funnel
shape cloud. It expands from the thunderstorm to the ground in the form of whirl winds
reaching around 300 miles per hour. The damage path could move on to one mile wide
and around 50 miles long. These storms can strike quickly without any warning.

Flood
Flood is also one of the most common hazards in the United States and other parts of the
world. The effects of a flood can be local to a neighborhood or community. It can cast a
larger impact, the whole river basin and multiple states could get affected. Every state is
at its risk due to this hazard.

Water Damage

Water damage has a huge effect on your home, its neighborhood and your city. It is very
much necessary that you should prepare for water damage. You must know what should
be done during and after water damage.

Hail

Hail comes into existence when updrafts in the thunder clouds take the raindrops up
towards the extremely cold regions in the atmosphere. They freeze and combine forming
lumps of ice. As these lumps can be very heavy and are not supported by the updraft,
they fall off with the speeds of about 100 km per hour or more. A Hail is created in the
form of an enormous cloud, commonly known as thunderheads.

Wildfire

Wild forest areas catching fire is a very big problem for the people who live around these
areas. The dry conditions caused several times in the year in different parts of United
States can increase the possibility for wildfires. If you are well prepared in advance and
know how to protect the buildings in your area, you can reduce much of the damage
caused by wildfire. It is everyone’s duty to protect their home and neighborhood from
wildfire.

Hurricane

Hurricane also like the tornado is a wind storm, but it is a tropical cyclone. This is caused
by a low pressure system that usually builds in the tropical. Huricanes comes with
thunderstorms and a counterclockwise spread of winds near the surface of the earth.

Winter Freeze

Winter freeze storms are serious threats for people and their property. They include,
snow, frozen rain, strong winds and extreme cold. Many precautions have to be taken in
order to protect yourself, your family, home or property.

Lightning

Lightning is a much underestimated killer. Lightning is an abrupt electric expulsion

which comes from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth followed by an emission of light.
Lightning is a common phenomenon after heavy rain and can also occur around 10 miles
off from rainfall. Most lightning victims are people who are captivated outdoors in
summer during the afternoon and evening.

Volcano

Volcano is a mountain that has an opening downwards to the reservoir of molten rock
towards the surface of earth. Volcanoes are caused by the accrual of igneous products. As
the pressure caused by gases in the molted rock becomes intense, the eruption takes
place. The volcanic eruption can be of two kinds, quiet or volatile. The aftermaths of a
volcano include flowing lava, flat landscapes, poisonous gases and fleeing ashes and
rocks.Read on to know more on types of disasters.

A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard (e.g., flood, tornado, hurricane,
volcanic eruption, earthquake, or landslide). It leads to financial, environmental or human
losses. The resulting loss depends on the vulnerability of the affected population to resist
the hazard, also called their resilience.[1] This understanding is concentrated in the
formulation: "disasters occur when hazards meet vulnerability."[2] A natural hazard will
hence never result in a natural disaster in areas without vulnerability, e.g. strong
earthquakes in uninhabited areas.[3] The term natural has consequently been disputed
because the events simply are not hazards or disasters without human involvement.[4] A
concrete example of the division between a natural hazard and a natural disaster is that
the 1906 San Francisco earthquake was a disaster, whereas earthquakes are a hazard. This
article gives an introduction to notable natural disasters, refer to the list of natural
disasters for a comprehensive listing.

Main articles: Disaster and List of natural disasters

Contents
[hide]
 1 Geological disasters
o 1.1 Avalanches
o 1.2 Earthquakes
o 1.3 Volcanic eruptions
 2 Hydrological disasters
o 2.1 Floods
o 2.2 Limnic eruptions
o 2.3 Tsunamis
 3 Meteorological disasters
o 3.1 Blizzards
o 3.2 Cyclonic storms
o 3.3 Droughts
o 3.4 Hailstorms
o 3.5 Heat waves
o 3.6 Tornadoes
 4 Fires
  5 Health disasters
o 5.1 Epidemics
o 5.2 Famines
 6 Space disasters
o 6.1 Impact events
o 6.2 Solar flares
 7 Protection by international law
 8 See also
 9 References

 10 External links

Geological disasters
Avalanches
Main article: List of avalanches
See also: Avalanche

Avalanche on the backside (East) of Mt. Timpanogos, Utah at Aspen Grove trail

Notable avalanches include:

 The 1910 Wellington avalanche

 The 1910 Rogers Pass avalanche
 The 1954 Blons avalanches
 The 1999 Galtür Avalanche
 The 2002 Kolka-Karmadon rock ice slide

Earthquakes
Main article: List of earthquakes
See also: Earthquake

An earthquake is a sudden shake of the Earth's crust caused by the tectonic plates
colliding. The vibrations may vary in magnitude. The underground point of origin of the
earthquake is called the "focus". The point directly above the focus on the surface is
called the"epicenter". Earthquakes by themselves rarely kill people or wildlife. It is
usually the secondary events that they trigger, such as building collapse, fires, tsunamis
(seismic sea waves) and volcanoes, that are actually the human disaster. Many of these
could possibly be avoided by better construction, safety systems, early warning and
evacuation planning.Earthquakes are caused by the discharge of energy accumulated
along geologic fault.

Some of the most significant earthquakes in recent times include:

 The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, the third largest earthquake in recorded
history, registering a moment magnitude of 9.1-9.3. The huge tsunamis triggered
by this earthquake cost the lives of at least 229,000 people.
 The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami registered a moment magnitude of 9.0.
The death toll from the earthquake and tsunami is over 13,000, and over 12, 000
people are still missing.
 The 8.8 magnitude February 27, 2010 Chile earthquake and tsunami cost 525
lives.[5]
 The 7.9 magnitude May 12, 2008 Sichuan earthquake in Sichuan Province, China.
Death toll at over 61,150 as of May 27, 2008.
 The 7.7 magnitude July 2006 Java earthquake, which also triggered tsunamis.
 The 7.6-7.7 2005 Kashmir earthquake, which cost 79,000 lives in Pakistan.

Volcanic eruptions
Main article: List of largest volcanic eruptions
See also: Types of volcanic eruptions

Volcanoes can cause widespread destruction and consequent disaster through several
ways. The effects include the volcanic eruption itself that may cause harm following the
explosion of the volcano or the fall of rock. Second, lava may be produced during the
eruption of a volcano. As it leaves the volcano the lava destroys any buildings and plants
it encounters. Third, volcanic ash generally meaning the cooled ash - may form a cloud,
and settle thickly in nearby locations. When mixed with water this forms a concrete-like
material. In sufficient quantity ash may cause roofs to collapse under its weight but even
small quantities will harm humans if inhaled. Since the ash has the consistency of ground
glass it causes abrasion damage to moving parts such as engines. The main killer of
humans in the immediate surrounding of an volcanic eruption is the pyroclastic flows,
which consist of a cloud of hot volcanic ash which builds up in the air above the volcano
and rushes down the slopes when the eruption no longer supports the lifting of the gases.
It is believed that Pompeii was destroyed by a pyroclastic flow. A lahar is a volcanic
mudflow or landslide. The 1953 Tangiwai disaster was caused by a lahar, as was the
1985 Armero tragedy in which the town of Armero was buried and an estimated 23,000
people were killed.

A specific type of volcano is the supervolcano. According to the Toba catastrophe theory
70 to 75 thousand years ago a super volcanic event at Lake Toba reduced the human
population to 10,000 or even 1,000 breeding pairs creating a bottleneck in human
evolution. It also killed three quarters of all plant life in the northern hemisphere. The
main danger from a supervolcano is the immense cloud of ash which has a disastrous
global effect on climate and temperature for many years.

Hydrological disasters
Floods
Main article: List of floods
See also: Flooding

The Limpopo River, in southern Mozambique, during the 2000 Mozambique flood

Some of the most notable floods include:

 The Huang He (Yellow River) in China floods particularly often. The Great Flood
of 1931 caused between 800,000 and 4,000,000 deaths.
 The Great Flood of 1993 was one of the most costly floods in United States
history.
 The 1998 Yangtze River Floods, also in China, left 14 million people homeless.
 The 2000 Mozambique flood covered much of the country for three weeks,
resulting in thousands of deaths, and leaving the country devastated for years
afterward.
 The 2010 Pakistan floods, damaged crops and the infrastructure, while claiming
many lives.

Tropical cyclones can result in extensive flooding and storm surge, as happened with:

 Bhola Cyclone, which struck East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1970,

 Typhoon Nina, which struck China in 1975,
 Hurricane Katrina, which struck New Orleans, Louisiana in 2005, and
 Cyclone Yasi, which struck Australia in 2011

Limnic eruptions
See also: Limnic eruption
A cow suffocated by gases from Lake Nyos after a limnic eruption

A limnic eruption occurs when a gas, usually CO2 suddenly erupts from deep lake water,
posing the threat of suffocating wildlife, livestock and humans. Such an eruption may
also cause tsunamis in the lake as the rising gas displaces water. Scientists believe
landslides, volcanic activity, or explosions can trigger such an eruption. To date, only two
limnic eruptions have been observed and recorded:

 In 1984, in Cameroon, a limnic eruption in Lake Monoun caused the deaths of 37

nearby residents.
 At nearby Lake Nyos in 1986 a much larger eruption killed between 1,700 and
1,800 people by asphyxiation.

Tsunamis
Main article: Historic tsunamis
See also: Tsunami

The tsunami caused by the December 26, 2004, earthquake strikes Ao Nang, Thailand.

Tsunamis can be caused by undersea earthquakes as the one caused in Ao Nang,

Thailand, by the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake, or by landslides such as the one which
occurred at Lituya Bay, Alaska.
  Ao Nang, Thailand (2004). The 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake created the
Boxing Day Tsunami and disaster at this site.
 Lituya Bay, Alaska (1953).
 2010 Chile earthquake
 On October 26, 2010, a tsunami occurred at Sumatra, Indonesia
 On March 11, 2011, a tsunami occurred near Fukushima, Japan and spread
through the Pacific.

Meteorological disasters
See also: Meteorological disasters

Young steer after a blizzard, March 1966

Blizzards
See also: Blizzard

Blizzards are severe winter storms characterized by low temperature, strong winds, and
heavy snow. The difference between a blizzard and a snow storm is the strength of the
wind. To be a considered a blizzard, the storm must have winds in excess of 35 miles per
hour, it should reduce the visibility to 1/4 miles, and must last for a prolonged period of 3
hours or more. Ground blizzards require high winds to stir up snow that has already
fallen, rather than fresh snowfall. Blizzards have a negative impact on local economics
and can terminate the visibility in regions where snowfall is rare.

Significant blizzards include:

 The Great Blizzard of 1888 in the United States

 The 2008 Afghanistan blizzard
 The North American blizzard of 1947
 The 1972 Iran blizzard resulted in approximately 4,000 deaths and lasted for 5 to
7 days.

Cyclonic storms
Main article: List of tropical cyclones
See also: Tropical cyclone and Cyclone
Cyclone, tropical cyclone, hurricane, and typhoon are different names for the same
phenomenon a cyclonic storm system that forms over the oceans. The deadliest hurricane
ever was the 1970 Bhola cyclone; the deadliest Atlantic hurricane was the Great
Hurricane of 1780 which devastated Martinique, St. Eustatius and Barbados. Another
notable hurricane is Hurricane Katrina which devastated the Gulf Coast of the United
States in 2005.

Droughts
See also: Drought

Well-known historical droughts include:

 1900 India killing between 250,000 and 3.25 million.

 1921-22 Soviet Union in which over 5 million perished from starvation due to
drought
 1928-30 northwest China resulting in over 3 million deaths by famine.
 1936 and 1941 Sichuan Province China resulting in 5 million and 2.5 million
deaths respectively.
 As of 2006, states of Australia including South Australia, Western Australia, New
South Wales, Northern Territory and Queensland had been under drought
conditions for five to ten years. The drought is beginning to affect urban area
populations for the first time. With the majority of the country underwater
restrictions.
 In 2006, Sichuan Province China experienced its worst drought in modern times
with nearly 8 million people and over 7 million cattle facing water shortages.

Hailstorms
See also: Hail

Hailstorms are rain drops that have formed together into ice. A particularly damaging
hailstorm hit Munich, Germany, on July 12, 1984, causing about 2 billion dollars in
insurance claims.

Heat waves
See also: Heat wave

The worst heat wave in recent history was the European Heat Wave of 2003.
Hurricane Katrina

A summer heat wave in Victoria, Australia, created conditions which fuelled the massive
bushfires in 2009. Melbourne experienced three days in a row of temperatures exceeding
40°C with some regional areas sweltering through much higher temperatures. The
bushfires, collectively known as "Black Saturday", were partly the act of arsonists.

The 2010 Northern Hemisphere summer resulted in severe heat waves, which killed over
2,000 people. It resulted in hundreds of wildfires which causing widespread air pollution,
and burned thousands of square miles of forest.

Tornadoes
Main article: List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
See also: Tornado
This section requires expansion.

A tornado (often referred to as a twister or, erroneously, a cyclone) is a violent,

dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and
a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. Tornadoes come in
many shapes and sizes, but are typically in the form of a visible condensation funnel,
whose narrow end touches the earth and is often encircled by a cloud of debris and dust.
Most tornadoes have wind speeds less than 110 miles per hour (177 km/h), are
approximately 250 feet (80 m) across, and travel a few miles (several kilometers) before
dissipating. The most extreme can attain wind speeds of more than 300 mph (480 km/h),
stretch more than two miles (3 km) across, and stay on the ground for dozens of miles
(more than 100 km).[1][2][3]

Fires
Main article: List of forest fires
See also: Wildfire

Wildfires are an uncontrolled fire burning in wildland areas. Common causes include
lightning and drought but wildfires may also be started by human negligence or arson.
They can be a threat to those in rural areas and also wildlife.

Notable cases of wildfires were the 1871 Peshtigo Fire in the United States, which killed
at least 1700 people, and the 2009 Victorian bushfires in Australia.

Wildfire Prevention

A new and ecologically evolutionary art of science and practice, termed "Hydro-
Pyrogeography"[[1]], promises to bound wildfire from passing through any wildland-
urban interface anywhere on earth that practice of the art is put into place, and thereby
diminishing, even eliminating oppositions and concerns to traditional fuel management
techniques.

Health disasters
Epidemics
Main article: List of epidemics
See also: Epidemics

The A H5N1 virus, which causes Avian influenza

An epidemic is an outbreak of a contractible disease that spreads at a rapid rate through a

human population. A pandemic is an epidemic whose spread is global. There have been
many epidemics throughout history, such as Black Death. In the last hundred years,
significant pandemics include:

 The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, killing an estimated 50 million people worldwide
 The 1957-58 Asian flu pandemic, which killed an estimated 1 million people
 The 1968-69 Hong Kong flu pandemic
 The 2002-3 SARS pandemic
  The AIDS pandemic, beginning in 1959
 The H1N1 Influenza (Swine Flu) Pandemic 2009-2010

Other diseases that spread more slowly, but are still considered to be global health
emergencies by the WHO include:

 XDR TB, a strain of tuberculosis that is extensively resistant to drug treatments

 Malaria, which kills an estimated 1.6 million people each year
 Ebola hemorrhagic fever, which has claimed hundreds of victims in Africa in
several outbreaks

Famines
Main article: List of famines
See also: Famine

In modern times, famine has hit Sub-Saharan Africa the hardest, although the number of
victims of modern famines is much smaller than the number of people killed by the Asian
famines of the 20th century.

Space disasters

Fallen trees caused by the Tunguska meteoroid of the Tunguska event in June 1908.

Impact events
See also: impact event
This section requires expansion.

One of the largest impact events in modern times was the Tunguska event in June 1908.

Solar flares
See also: solar flare

A solar flare is a phenomenon where the sun suddenly releases a great amount of solar
radiation, much more than normal. Some known solar flares include:

 An X20 event on August 16, 1989

  A similar flare on April 2, 2001
 The most powerful flare ever recorded, on November 4, 2003, estimated at
between X40 and X45
 The most powerful flare in the past 500 years is believed to have occurred in
September 1859

Protection by international law

International law, for example Geneva Conventions defines International Red Cross and
Red Crescent Movement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
requires that "States shall take, in accordance with their obligations under international
law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, all
necessary measures to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in
situations of risk, including the occurrence of natural disaster."[6] And further United
Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is formed by General
Assembly Resolution 44/182.

See also
Disasters portal
 Act of God
 Biggest natural disasters from 2000 to 2010
 Emergency management
o Civil defense
o Disaster relief
o Disaster Risk Reduction
 Environmental disaster
o List of environmental disasters
 Environmental emergency
 Magnitude and frequency principle
 Survivalism
 World Conference on Disaster Reduction

References
1. ^ G. Bankoff, G. Frerks, D. Hilhorst (eds.) (2003). Mapping
Vulnerability: Disasters, Development and People. ISBN ISBN 1-85383-964-7.
2. ^ B. Wisner, P. Blaikie, T. Cannon, and I. Davis (2004). At Risk - Natural
hazards, people's vulnerability and disasters. Wiltshire: Routledge. ISBN ISBN
0-415-25216-4.

BOMB THREAT

If you receive a bomb threat:

 1. Attempt to notify someone in your work area to call Emergency Dispatch at 9-
911. Do so while the person is still on the line. Be sure to tell the dispatcher to
notify Campus Police for you.
2. Remain calm. Follow the Bomb Threat Checklist (Exhibit G-1).
3. Notify Director, Nurse, or VP for Student Affairs.
4. If the Police or the Director orders evacuation, follow the Emergency Evacuation
Plan.
5. A bomb threat will be announced as a "Code Red."

EXPLOSION

See "Severe Weather" plans and proceed accordingly.

VIOLENT/POTENTIALLY VIOLENT PATIENT

This is a patient who is carrying a weapon or has imposed physical harm or threatened
physical harm to a member of the staff, a patient, or visitor. Follow the procedure below:

1. Call 9-911 if this is possible.

2. If calling 9-911 is not possible, attempt to reach a Panic Button, located at the
Director's desk, Front Office, or Nurse's desk.

FIRE

See "Emergency Evacuation" plans and proceed accordingly.

HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL

See "Emergency Evacuation" plans and proceed accordingly.

POWER FAILURE

If a power outage occurs for an extended period of time, the Student Health Services will
be evacuated according to the "Emergency Evacuation" plan. The SHS has an
emergency lighting system to provide sufficient lighting to evacuate the building in case
of such an emergency. The alarm system has an emergency power source (battery) back-
up system.

In case of a power outage or other emergency in the building that will later require repair,
the clerk/receptionist or the nurse calls in the work order to the Physical Plant
Department during normal working hours.

SEVERE WEATHER (Earthquake, Flood, Tornado)

In case of severe weather, follow the procedures below:

1. Evacuate building if there is adequate time for notification.
2. If there is inadequate time to evacuate the building:
A. Management of Staff/Patients
 The Director or her/his designee will be responsible for the overall
coordination of the activities. This includes communicating with
and coordinating the emergency transportation of patients to
outside facilities as required. By calling 9-911, the Emergency
Dispatcher will be able to notify the Silver City Police/Fire
Department/ Ambulance, as well as the Campus Police. The Office
of the Vice-President for Student Affairs should also be notified
immediately. The Nurse or Clerk/Receptionist will assist the
Director in the overall coordination. If the Director is unavailable
or incapacitated, another provider will assume the role. If there is
no other provider, the Nurse will assume the role. The
Clerk/Receptionist will report to the front lobby and assist the
Director or Nurse as necessary.
 All injured staff and patients who are ambulatory will go to the
front lobby area.
 The Director or the provider will be the "Triage Provider." The
Nurse will assist him/her. If it is determined that the building must
be vacated, both will report to the front lobby. The Triage Provider
will determine what patients can safely leave the building, after
receiving any necessary First Aid, and which patients will need
medical transport to Gila Regional Medical Center. Any patient
requiring ambulance transfer to GRMC will be stabilized with First
Aid and placed near the Ambulance/Emergency door. The Triage
Provider and the Nurse will then circulate around the building,
assisting with evacuation, and providing emergency First Aid to
non-ambulatory, injured patients/staff left in the halls or other
rooms. In the event that the provider is injured or unavailable, then
any other provider available would be the Triage Provider.
 All other uninjured personnel will report to their designated
Emergency Stations. All uninjured non-clinical personnel will
evacuate the building leaving by the most convenient exit. All
uninjured patients will evacuate the building leaving the most
convenient exit.
 The Nurse will assist the provider in triaging the non-ambulatory
patients and staff. NO ONE IN THIS CATEGORY SHOULD
LEAVE THE BUILDING UNLESS THE DISASTER
WARRANTS EVACUATION.
B. B. Space

The front lobby will be used only for triage of ambulatory injured patients
and/or staff.
The exam rooms will be used for evaluating and treatment of non-
ambulatory injured patient/staff.
 C. C. Supplies

The Nurse and her/his designee will supervise the monitoring and
distribution of supplies. A First Aid Supply Kit for Disaster Casualties will
be maintained in the Pharmacy. The First Aid Supplies will include items
listed on (Exhibit G-2). The Urgent Care Box will be transferred by the
Nurse to the front lobby and will be another source of supplies.
Five Gallons of potable water is kept in the Pharmacy.

D. D. Communications

Communications will be routed through front office by the clerical staff

and the Director, assisted by the Clerk/Receptionist. A cordless telephone
and a portable battery operated AM/FM radio should be available. Only
essential calls from the outside will be taken, and queries from
patients/others will be referred to GRMC Emergency Room.

E. E. Security
The WNMU Campus Police, at the request of the Director, will provide
security (crowd control).

TERRORISM

See "Violent/Potentially Violent Patient" plans and proceed accordingly.

MEDICAL EPIDEMIC

The Director of the SHS will supervise medical epidemics occurring on campus. This
includes a wide range of situations such as mass food poisoning from a dining hall, and
viral epidemics. The Director makes the decisions when to declare an epidemic and
implement this policy.

Procedure:

1. The Director of the SHS or her designee will keep the Vice- President for Student
Affairs advised of any possible epidemic.
2. All staff so requested by the Director or her/his designee will remain on duty to
handle the emergency until emergency staff relief can be arranged and/or
transferred if patients need care at another facility.
3. All appointments will be cancelled and walk-in patients triaged to determine
whether their problem is urgent. A provider will see only those patients who
require urgent care. The other walk-ins will be asked to schedule an appointment
at a later date.