Decontamination: The Role Played in Safeguarding Worker Health and Safety

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Decontamination The Role Played in Safeguarding
Worker Health and Safety
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What is Decontamination? The removal or
neutralization process of contaminants that have
amassed on personal protective equipment (PPC),
chemical protective clothing (CPC), and other
tools and equipment used in hazardous waste sites
or when working with hazardous substances is
defined as decontamination. Why is
Decontamination Important? Decontamination is
commonly used to protect workers from the
permeation of various hazardous materials and
chemicals through protective clothing and
respiratory equipment to their bodies. When
workers undergo a decontamination process, it
minimizes the transfer of contaminants into clean
areas, non-contaminated surfaces, and people who
have not been otherwise exposed to these harmful
substances. The unrestrained transmission of
poisonous and harmful materials to the community
and the environment is also prevented when
decontamination takes place. Decontamination also
prevents the accidental mixing of incompatible
chemicals further safeguarding the health of
workers.
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Who is Eligible to Undergo the Decontamination
Process?
Any worker who is exposed to, or works with,
hazardous materials and chemicals must undergo a
decontamination process when they leave the
contamination zone.
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What is a Decontamination Plan?
The employer must have in place a Decontamination
Plan before work begins at a hazardous worksite.
This Decontamination Plan details all the
elements as recommended by the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to
safeguard the health and safety of workers
working at hazardous worksites. The
Decontamination Plan will help employers to
identify the hazards at the worksite, evaluate
methods to prevent worker exposure to hazards,
formalize procedures to prevent contamination of
clean areas, understand the number and
positioning of decontamination stations that will
be required, and determine the best way to
dispose of contaminated PPE and other equipment,
among other aspects. Thus, the Decontamination
Plan helps employers to design and execute a
decontamination facility that will adequately
address the needs of the decontamination process
by considering the types of contamination, the
factors affecting permeation of contaminants in
PPE and respirators, as well as ensuring adequate
and proper supplies for decontamination are
always available. As with all occupational-relate
d safety and health aspects, the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulates
the process of decontamination on a worksite
under the HAZWOPER regulation in 29 CFR
1910.120. Remember, the Decontamination Plan
must be reviewed and revised periodically as well
as when there are changes to hazards at the
worksite, PPE, or equipment used to change, or
when new information becomes available.
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What are the Types of Decontamination Methods?

• Effectively there are two main types of
  decontamination methods, the third is the
  combination of both. These are
• Physical decontamination
• Chemical decontamination
• Physical and chemical decontamination

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What are the Types of Decontamination Methods?
1. Physical Decontamination When
decontamination takes place using methods such as
scraping, brushing, rinsing, wiping, or any other
means of displacement, this is referred to as the
physical decontamination process. This type of
decontamination method is normally the first to
be used and is often done using water or heat. It
is commonly used when hazardous substances in the
form of dust or vapor are loosely stuck to and
when glues, resins, and cement have adhered to
PPE, tools, or equipment. As physical
decontamination also includes evaporation,
volatile liquids such as gasoline and ethanol can
also be removed using this method of
decontamination.
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What are the Types of Decontamination Methods?
2. Chemical Decontamination Chemical
decontamination involves neutralizing a
contaminant using a compatible chemical solution.
This involves dissolving, solidifying, rinsing,
sterilizing, or disinfecting the contaminant from
the contaminated surface, equipment, tool, or
protective clothing to which it is attached.
Solvents, surfactants such as household
detergents and soaps, and other chemical cleaning
and disinfecting solutions are used in the
chemical decontamination process. The chemical
decontamination process is hence often a
wash/rinse process.
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What are the Types of Decontamination Methods?
3. Combined Decontamination Process There are
instances when physical decontamination is
inadequate, in this case, chemical
decontamination must be done as well to ensure
the complete removal of all contaminants from a
workers PPE, and other equipment used at the
hazardous worksite.
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Where Can You Learn More About Decontamination?
This article gives an overview for employers and
employees to understand the importance of
decontamination in safeguarding the health of
workers in an occupational setting, especially in
hazardous worksites. To learn more and gain an
in-depth understanding, enroll today in our
40-Hour HAZWOPER Online Training Course. If you
are already certified, then you can refresh your
training with our 8-Hour HAZWOPER Refresher
Training Course. All our courses are updated
regularly and use modern teaching methods to make
training effective.
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