Terrorism preparedness training for occupational health professionals

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess occupational health professionals' terrorism preparedness and perceptions of worksite readiness. Methods: Questionnaire data were collected at the conclusion of an educational workshop on disaster response. Results: Participants reported increased confidence in clinical skills and the ability to avoid exposure while providing care to victims of terrorist attacks as a result of the workshop. Fewer than one third (32%) of participants reported that their employer was prepared for a bioterrorism attack, and a large percentage (75%) reported feeling unprepared to provide mental health counseling after a terrorist attack. Conclusions: Relatively brief training in terrorism preparedness can increase the confidence of occupational health professionals in their ability to respond to terrorism. Adequate preparedness for the broad range of potential terrorist events may require much more intensive training than is currently being provided to occupational health professionals.