Decontamination Procedures
Introduction
Terrorist organizations throughout the world have used a variety of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons (collectively known as HAZMAT/weapons of mass destruction [WMD]) to further their agendas. The possibility of such incidents requires first responders to prepare for such events, which can affect individuals or inflict mass casualties.
Events involving HAZMAT/WMD are complicated because victims may become contaminated with the hazardous material. The purpose of decontamination is to make an individual and/or their equipment safe by physically removing toxic substances quickly and easily.
First responders need a rapid and efficient procedure to decontaminate individuals or large numbers of people in a short amount of time. Such a procedure should consider:
The condition of the victims - for example, whether they are able to walk (ambulatory) or not; age and health-related factors; and whether they show symptoms of exposure to a hazardous material
The need to observe victims for delayed symptoms of exposure or evidence of residual contamination
The potential need for secondary decontamination
Environmental factors (mainly cold weather)
This page describes a procedure for decontaminating individuals as well as victims of a mass casualty event. It was derived from Guidelines for Mass Casualty Decontamination during an HAZMAT/Weapon of Mass Destruction Incident: Volumes I and II, published by the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) and updated in August 2013, and from the Emergency Response Safety and Health Database.
In this procedure, you:
Set up the decontamination and support areas
Conduct decontamination triage (for mass casualty events)
Decontaminate the victims
Segregate victims for observation or treatment
Release the victims afterwards
Each of these steps is discussed in further detail.
Step 1: Set Up the Decontamination and Support Areas
Once the initial isolation and protective action distances (and thus the Hot, Warm, and Cold Zones) have been established (see CHEMM page Arrival on Scene), set up the decontamination and support areas. These include the: