DECONTAMINATION

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DECONTAMINATION
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REGULATION OSHA 1910.120(q)

• Employer shall develop plans
• Operations level basic implementation
• Technician understand and implement
• Specialist determine and implement
• IC understand importance

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DEFINITION

• The process of removing or neutralizing
  contaminants that have accumulated on personnel,
  property, and equipment

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DECONTAMINATION PLAN

• Development
• Part of scene safety plan
• Person responsible

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DECONTAMINATION PLANREASONS

• Number and layout of decon stations
• Equipment needs
• Appropriate decon methods
• Preventing contamination of clean areas
• Contaminant contact minimized
• Disposal of clothing and equipment

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DECONTAMINATION PLANFLEXIBILITY

• REVISE THE PLAN WHENEVER
• Level of PPE changes
• Ambient or other conditions change
• Hazards are reassessed

TRAIN ALL PERSONNEL ON THE PLAN
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CONTAMINATION PREVENTION
SAFE WORK PRACTICES
DO NOT (if possible)

• Walk, sit, or stand, get splashed by, or come in
  contact with airborne or liquid materials
• Use contaminated equipment and instruments

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CONTAMINATION PREVENTION

• DO
• Use disposable garments and equipment when
  possible
• Cover equipment and tools when possible
• Use proper donning and doffing procedures
• Use remote sampling and handling equipment
• Encase the source of contamination with plastic
  sheeting or overpacks

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CONTAMINATION PREVENTION

• PPE INSPECTION
• Ensure there are no cuts or punctures
• Close all flaps, zippers, buttons, and ties
• Tape openings of gloves, boots, and jackets
• Dress prior to entering work zone

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CONTAMINATION LOCATION

• Surface only or permeated into PPE
• Sometimes easy to detect and remove on the
  surface
• Permeated material may be difficult or impossible
  to detect and remove
• Without removal, permeation continues until
  breakthrough occurs

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FIVE MAJOR FACTORS OF PERMEATION

• Contact time
• Chemical concentration
• Temperature
• Ambient
• Chemical
• Size of chemical molecules and pore space of PPE
  material
• Physical state (solid, liquid, or gas)

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THREE DECON METHODS

• 1. Physical removal
• Dislodging / displacing
• Washing / rinsing
• Wiping / brushing
• Evaporation
• High pressure (air or water)
• Disposal
• Vacuum (dry decon)

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THREE DECON METHODS

• 2. Chemical removal
• Done only if recommended by a chemist, industrial
  hygienist, or qualified professional
• 3. Inactivation (rendering inert)
• Chemical detoxification
• Disinfection
• Sterilization

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CLEANING SOLUTIONS
EPA RECOMMENDS ONLY SOAP AND WATER FOR ALL WET
DECON

• Before using any other solution, contact the
  chemical manufacturer and check chemical
  compatibility and suit material compatibility

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EXAMPLES OF CLEANING CHEMICALS
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TESTING DECON EFFECTIVENESS

• Visual observation
• Natural light
• Discoloration or stains
• Material degradation and breakdown
• Ultraviolet light
• Some hydrocarbons become visible
• Colorimetric tube
• Individual chemical testing

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TESTING DECON EFFECTIVENESS

• Wipe sampling
• Natural light
• Dry or wet cloth swab send to lab
• Sample inner and outer surfaces
• Cleaning solution analysis
• Sample final rinse
• pH of final rinse
• Permeation testing
• Send sample pieces of suit to lab

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HEALTH AND SAFETY HAZARDS

• Compatibility of decon solution with PPE and
  hazardous substances
• Possible health hazard to workers
• Effective decon methods
• Decon line established before anyone enters the
  Hot Zone

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DECON DESIGN

• Located in the Contamination Reduction Zone (CRZ)
  between the Hot and Cold Zones
• The level and type of decon are dependent on the
  material(s) found
• Should include emergency contingencies

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CONTAMINATION REDUCTION ZONE
Equipment Decontamination
Hot Zone Hot Line
Exit Path
Wash and Rinse
Wind
Tank change
Auxiliary access control path
CRZ
Emergency Decon
Dirty Side
Clean Side
Warm Zone
CRC
Redress
Cold Line Cold Zone
Support Staff
Enter Path
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CONTAMINATION REDUCTION ZONE
Recommended heavy equipment DECON
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DECON PROCEDURES

• Place chemically impervious ground cover in decon
  area
• Follow a series of specific tasks
• Perform work at several separate stations to
  prevent cross contamination
• Perform work in order of decreasing contamination
  (dirty to clean)

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DECON PROCEDURES

• Set up in a straight line when possible
• Size depends on
• Number of work stations
• Scene layout and topography
• Usually 75' x 15' is adequate

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Overall DECON
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Entering the DECON corridor
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Personnel DECON
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Emergency Shower
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19-STEP DECON LINE
Boot cover and glove wash
Decon Layout Level A Protection
Tape removal
Boot cover removal
Segregated equipment drop
Outer glove removal
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4
3
2
Exclusion/ Hot Zone
1
6
HOT LINE
BC and G rinse
Suit and boot wash Suit and boot rinse Safety
boot removal FES removal CBA backpack
removal Inner glove wash Inner glove rinse Face
piece removal Inner glove removal Inner clothing
removal
7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
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Tank change
Contamination Reduction or Warm Zone
Contamination Reduction Corridor
COLD LINE
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Field wash
Support or Cold Zone
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Redress
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Equipment Drop B drop all equipment except the
information that goes to the Command Center
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Gross wash and rinse done by the Entry Team
personnel with assistance from DECON personnel
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DECON personnel conduct the second wash and rinse
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Final rinse
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Decision Change-out tank or remove suit?
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Tank change-out done by the rinser
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Removal of the chemical suit
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SCBA Removal
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Field wash and rinse, or shower, or DECON trailer
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DECON shower with privacy curtain
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Shower B PVC pipe and a 200-gal. catch basin
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Shower and final rinse
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Shower for cooling personnel
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DECON trailer
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Stools for members of the Entry Team remaining in
their suits B medical monitoring and debriefing
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Medical monitoring and debriefing for out-of-suit
personnel
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Air-inflatable tent used for medical monitoring
and debriefing
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DECON line diagrammed onto a clear polyethylene
sheet
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F.S.O.P. No. 7 MINIMUM A AND B DECON
201
Wind direction
Decon solution
Water
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Support Zone
Decon outer garments
Equipment drop
Remove boots/gloves and outer garments (For
disposal and offsite decontamination)
Remove boot covers and outer gloves
Tank changeover point
Plastic sheet
Can (10 gallon)
Hot Line
Exclusion zone
Can (32 gallon)
Contamination Reduction Zone
Remove SCBA
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EPA's 7-STEP DECON LINE
Decon Layout Level A and B Protection
Exclusion or Hot Zone
Segregated equipment drop
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HOT LINE
Outer boot, glove, FES wash and rinse
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3
Outer boot and glove removal
Contamination Reduction or Warm Zone
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Tank change
Boot, glove, and FES removal
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6
SCBA removal
Contamination Reduction Corridor
COLD LINE
Field wash
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Support or Cold Zone
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7-step Decontamination Line
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DECON COMPLETE LAYOUT
Station 2 - Second Wash and Rinse
Station 4 - Tank Change / Cartridge
Station 1 - Gross Wash and Rinse
Station 6 - Field Wash or Shower
B. Bucket with brush
F. Stools
AA. Vacuum
D. Trash can
C. Plastic pool
K. Cylinders
BB. Extra pads
G. Shower ( if used )
E. Wash solution
L. Supply of outer gloves
A. Equipment drop
O. Table
H. Drums for spent solution
M. Outer boot covers
B. Bucket with brush
P. Bucket of soap and water
I. Garden hose with spray wand
C. Plastic pool
Q. Bucket of water

D. Bucket for trash
J. Stabilizing device
Station 5 - Equipment Removal
R. Supply of inner suits
E. Wash solution
D. Trash can
Station 3 - Final Rinse

F. Stool
F. Stools
Station 7 - Medical Monitoring / Debriefing
G. Shower (if used)
C. Plastic pool
H. Drums for trash
F. Stools
G. Shower (if used)
N. Trash bags
H. Drums for spent solution
O. Table
H. Drums for spent solution
O. Table
S. Blood pressure cuff and thermometer
P. Bucket of soap and water
I. Garden hose with spray wand
J. Stabilizing device
Q. Bucket of water
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PERSONAL PROTECTION

• Decon workers can set up the decontamination
  reduction corridor in level D protection
• Once the warm zone has been activated, the
  minimum level of protection is one level less or
  the same as the entry team's
• The first position in decon may require a greater
  level than the rest

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DISPOSAL METHODS

• All equipment used must be disposed of or
  decontaminated properly
• All spent solutions must be collected and
  disposed of properly

Clothing and solid materials must be placed in
plastic bags pending further testing, decon,
and/or disposal according to local, state, or
federal standards
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DECON workers must clean up their area, restock,
then DECON themselves
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Basic emergency
DECON set-ups
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EMERGENCY DECONTAMINATION

• The primary concern is for response personnel,
  then the public
• Prevent loss of life
• Prevent severe injury
• Plan for medical emergencies
• Decon victim(s)
• Protect medical personnel

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EMERGENCY DECONTAMINATION

• Decision to decon victim is based on
• Type and severity of contamination or injury
• Immediate life-saving and first aid needs
• Aggravation of the injury or delay of life-saving
  treatment

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EMERGENCY DECONTAMINATION

• Alert medical personnel of potential
  contamination protect medic unit
• Send chemical information with the victim
• Send response personnel familiar with the
  incident with victim if possible

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Dispose of contaminated PPE
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Wash, rinse, and/or cut off PPE or clothing