Emergency Decontamination Procedures

A worker who is suspecfed of having inhaled harmful levels of confaminanfs should be removed from fhe area immediafely and receive appropriafe firsf-aid freafmenf while he or she is waifing for freafmenf by a physician. 

If the contaminant is on the skin or in the eyes, immediate measures should be taken to remove it and counteract its effects. First-aid treatment usually involves flooding the affected area with clean water for at least 15 minutes. For a few chemicals, water may cause more serious problems [1]. The safety plan should anticipate and contain procedures for dealing with such possibilities. 

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Protocols for cleaning and disinfection programs vary from country to country, and often within any particular country, they will vary from state to state or province to province. In addition, the protocols vary depending on whether the disinfection procedure is part of a scheduled maintenance program or an emergency decontamination response. Commonly, however, the disinfection procedures fall into three parts. 

Air locks and pass-throughs are bidirectional and can be used for movement in either direction. When used as an exit route, the decontamination procedure can be omitted. Where production volumes warrant separate entry and exit, air locks may be necessary to maintain both adequate capacity and separation between clean and used items. In an emergency, airlocks can serve as emergency exits for personnel, in which case the interlocks can be overridden. 

Assumes control of the incident beyond what is required for Level 1. Requires 24 hours of training equivalent to Level 2 with competencies in the Incident Command System and Emergency Response Plan, hazard and risk assessment, and decontamination procedures. 

Contact the emergency response team or your response contractor for decontamination procedures. 

All potential points of leaks and other hot spots have to be identified in the stage of design. The decontamination procedures in case of accident have to be elaborated. The specification of the equipment for eventual decontamination and the means of decontamination are defined in laboratory instructions and manuals. All necessary safeguards and security systems are the elements of the project design. In case of emergency all means limiting the decontamination spreading out have to be used. 

Poisoning emergencies are a common occurrence. In 2002, The Toxic Exposure Surveillance System of the American Association of Poison Control Centers reported 2 380028 toxic exposures and 1153 resultant fatalities. Of these total exposures, 548 093 (22.2%) were managed in a healthcare facility and 72 877 were admitted to a critical care unit (3.1%). The mortality rate associated with these overdose patients was less than 1%. Thorough evaluation, adequate supportive care, and the use of a few specific antidotes have resulted in lowered morbidity and mortality if the poisoned patient arrives at the hospital in time for the healthcare team to intervene. In select cases, decreasing further toxin absorption by various decontamination procedures may be of benefit. 

Cases of rodenticide poisoning in small animals should always be regarded as emergencies. General decontamination procedures, such as inducing... 

Safety and Health Procedures Personnel Responsibilities Decontamination Procedures Required Monitoring Training Requirements Hazards Identification Personnel Protective Equipment Emergency Procedures Hazardous and Toxic Materials On Site Medical Surveillance Hospital Location Emergency Response Personnel... 

C. Group III will consist of unpackaged or poorly packaged items that have been exposed to an agent in either vapor or liquid form. Decontamination of food itself will be attempted only in emergency situations when there is no alternative supply of food. The general decontamination procedure to be followed in sequence is ... 

At the emergency treatment station, the casualty is provided emergency lifesaving medical care and is stabilized for the 10- to 20-minute decontamination procedure that is necessary before he can enter the clean area of the MTF for more-elaborate treatment. 

Know of the state emergency response plan and of the Federal Regional Response Team. Know and understand the importance of decontamination procedures. 

After emergency operations have terminated, the IC shall implement appropriate decontamination procedures. If it is determined that it is necessary to remove hazardous substances, health hazards and materials contaminated with them (such as contaminated soil or other elements of the natural environment) from the site of the incident, the employer conducting the clean-up shall comply with one of the following ... 

Aside from the issues related to effective decontamination procedures, training of emergency department personnel must also be considered. There are few courses emergency department personnel may attend to improve their level of preparation for decontamination of large numbers of people. 

Emergency recognition and prevention Safe distances Places of refuge Evacuation routes Site security and control Decontamination procedures Emergency medical treatment and first aid Emergency alerting and response procedures Personal protective equipment (PPE)... 

OSHA issued a special regulation dealing with chemical spills. The standard, 29 CFR 1910.120, is called the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, or HAZWOPER. The standard covers two important parts of a plant s operation emergency response and hazardous waste operations. Emergency response roles consist of five levels—first responder awareness level, first responder operations level, hazardous materials technician, specialist level, and incident commander. Hazardous waste operations consists of the incident command system, scene safety and control, spill control and containment, decontamination procedures, and the all clear. 

Report to the decontamination area and indicate that you wish to be decontaminated. Ensure that you have adequate breathing air in the SCBA or battery time on the PAPR. If you do not have adequate air or battery time, or if you are in medical distress, indicate this and then emergency procedures should be used to immediately remove the PPE using heavy-duty shears to cut away the PPE (Figure SI.13), followed by emergency decontamination. 

A comprehensive site safety and control plan should include the following summary analysis of hazards on the site and a risk analysis of those hazards site map or sketch site work zones (clean zone, transition or decontamination zone, work or hot zone) use of the buddy system site communications command post or command center standard operating procedures and safe work practices medical assistance and triage area hazard monitoring plan (air contaminate monitoring, etc.) decontamination procedures and area and other relevant areas. This plan should be a part of the employer s emergency response plan or an extension of it to the specific site. 

Hazardous waste operations—incident command system, scene safety and control, spill control and containment, decontamination procedures, emergency termination or all-clear notification... 

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