Mobile decontamination facilities

Unsecured objects, such as bricks and gas cylinders, near the edges of elevated surfaces, such as catwalks, roof tops, and scaffolding, which may dislodge and fall on workers Debris and weeds that obstruct visibility Install skid-resistant strips and other antiskid devices on slippery surfaces Construct operation pads for mobile facilities and temporary structures Construct loading docks, processing and staging areas, and decontamination pads... 

In addition to the modular storage equipment offered by States Parties, there are heavy equipment items such as decontamination systems, mobile laboratories, field hospitals, medical equipment, and facilities for the temporary accommodation of persons. Protection equipment for the team will also be put into modules to facilitate storage, handling, and transport. 

The Portable Unit arrived at the Times Beach Dioxin Research Facility on July 8, 1985, to demonstrate decontamination of the dioxin laden soil. The Unit was set up and made ready for operation within a few hours after arrival to the site. This rapid setup demonstrated its unique capability for mobility. The testing personnel followed a safety plan developed by the Missouri DNR which included pretest physical examinations, use of Class C safety clothing, and vital sign monitoring and rest periods for personnel. The weather was hot and humid which required the work in the trailer to be limited to 20 minutes at a time. 

The CAM uses ion mobility spectrometry to provide a portable hand-held point detection instrument for monitoring nerve or vesicant agent vapors. It provides a graduated readout (low, medium, high). Response time is dependent on concentration but generally takes from 10 to 60 seconds. Minimum levels detectable are about 100 times the AEL for the nerve agents and about 50 times the AEL for vesicants. An obvious drawback to this relative insensitivity to low concentrations is an inability to fully check the efficacy of decontamination efforts, both in the field and subsequently at treatment facilities. 

After disposal of the decontamination devices (abrasion tools for concrete, washing facilities) and contaminated equipment (mobile filtering stations, vacuum cleaner, decent water collecting facilities etc.), the plant is free of artificial radioactive nuclides generated during the former plant operation. This will be assessed by measurement, documented and confirmed by the authorities. Based on this documentation, the AVR plant will be released from the obligations under atomic law. 

The normal method of decontamination is the rinse-wipe-rinse method (Box 2.9). When the need for decontamination exceeds the capacity for this, mass decontamination techniques can be used. These include spray from a fire hose, portable showers and purpose-built mobile units. Occasionally, fixed facilities away from the immediate incident... 

---