Hazardous Materials Decontamination Procedure PDF

Procedure 501 Chesapeake Fire Department Fire Procedure Manual Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/03/25, All Rights Reserved.Published with permission by Chesapeake Fire Department Hazardous Materials Decontamination - 1 Hazardous Materials Decontamination 501.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE This document provid...

Procedure 501 Chesapeake Fire Department Fire Procedure Manual Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/03/25, All Rights Reserved.Published with permission by Chesapeake Fire Department Hazardous Materials Decontamination - 1 Hazardous Materials Decontamination 501.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE This document provides arrival and on-scene procedures for decontamination of Chesapeake Fire Department personnel equipment operating at a Hazardous Materials Incident. Corresponding Policies: Hazardous Materials Response Hazardous Materials Training 501.2 DEFINITIONS Exclusion zone (hot zone) - The area with actual or potential contamination and the highest potential for exposure to hazardous substances. Contamination reduction zone (warm zone) - The transition area between the exclusion and support zones. This area is where responders enter and exit the exclusion zone and where decontamination activities should take place. Support zone (cold zone) - The area that is free from contamination and that should be safely used as a planning and staging area. Decontamination Corridor - An area set up in the warm zone providing a water wash for personnel leaving the hot zone. 501.3 FIRST FIVE MINUTES The first arriving Chesapeake Fire Department unit should contact the Emergency Communications Center and provide the following information: • Unit on-scene • Initial scene size-up • Primary (Level 1) Staging location, which should be in the cold zone • Unit assuming incident command (IC) The IC should: #Identify the hazardous material(s) involved in the incident through: • Any available location pre-plan. • Material Safety Data Sheets. • Information from site representatives. • Visible placards or signs. • The shape of tanks or other holding areas. Chesapeake Fire Department Fire Procedure Manual Hazardous Materials Decontamination Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/03/25, All Rights Reserved.Published with permission by Chesapeake Fire Department Hazardous Materials Decontamination - 2 • Reference to the Emergency Response Guidebook, which should be located on all apparatus and command vehicles. #Determine if decon is required based on the hazardous material involved and whether there is actual or potential exposure. #Assign a member trained in hazardous materials decon as Decontamination Group Supervisor with the responsibility of setting up and operating decon activities. #Assign a sufficient number of personnel trained in decon activities to staff the decon group to conduct decon activities based on available resources and scene conditions. #Contact the Emergency Communications Center and request additional resources necessary to establish and operate decon activities including any specialized resources such as hazardous materials response units available to the department from neighboring jurisdictions and county, state or federal agencies. 501.4 PROCEDURES 501.4.1 RESOURCE DEPLOYMENT (a) Apparatus 1. Equipment and support vehicles should stage in the support (cold) zone until the location for the decontamination corridor is established by the IC or the decon group supervisor. Once a location is identified only apparatus directly involved in decon operations should enter the warm zone. (b) Personnel 1. Personnel assigned to decon should wear PPE appropriate for the decon process and hazards involved. 2. Personnel assigned to perform emergency decon should be trained in decon procedures. 501.4.2 EMERGENCY DECONTAMINATION To facilitate this work, it is recommended that a pre-assembled emergency decontamination kit be carried containing at least one brush, one bucket, and some soap. Failing this, water should be used in copious amounts.A pumper or other water source is required. All run-off wash water should be contained. A salvage cover laid over a charged 2 1/2 hose with a kenan loop will serve as a pool during emergency decontamination. The following steps should be followed: (a) Establish a decontamination area. (b) Remove, or preferably, have victim remove clothing. (c) Hose off the contaminated person. (d) Wash the person with soap, using the brush.(Have the victim wash them self, if possible.) Chesapeake Fire Department Fire Procedure Manual Hazardous Materials Decontamination Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/03/25, All Rights Reserved.Published with permission by Chesapeake Fire Department Hazardous Materials Decontamination - 3 (e) Rinse with a generous amount of water. (f) Repeat steps 2 through 5 as necessary. These steps should take only a few minutes. They may be altered as necessary. Remember that speed may be of the essence and, that if time or equipment deficiency requires it, a thorough washing with water is considered emergency decontamination. Also, remember that this emergency decontamination may be insufficient for safe transport to a medical facility, and that a more technical decontamination may be warranted. Until a determination can be made as to whether further decontamination is necessary, those people undergoing decontamination should be isolated. 501.4.3 OPERATIONS Personnel who enter the warm or exclusion (hot) zone at a hazardous materials incident risk becoming contaminated. Members who have worked in the hot zone should pass through the warm zone before entering the cold zone. The specific methods and operations used by the decon group, listed below, will depend on the circumstances surrounding the incident and the level of contamination. (a) Locating the decon area 1. Considerations for locating the decon area include: • Accessibility. • Surface material. • Lighting. • Drains and waterways. • Water supply. • Weather. (b) Decon methods 1. The IC and decon group supervisor should consider employing one or more of the four universal decon methods, based upon the hazardous material and available resources: (a) Dilution: Use of water to flush the contaminant from a victim, member or piece of equipment. (b) Absorption: Use of an absorbent for picking up a liquid contaminant. (c) Chemical degradation: Use of another material to change the chemical structure and neutralize the hazardous material. (d) Isolation and disposal: Collection and disposal of hazardous material according to state and federal regulations. (c) Decon Operations Chesapeake Fire Department Fire Procedure Manual Hazardous Materials Decontamination Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/03/25, All Rights Reserved.Published with permission by Chesapeake Fire Department Hazardous Materials Decontamination - 4 1. There are three main types of decon. These are technical, emergency and mass decontamination. (a) Technical decon operations 1. Apparatus which may have been contaminated should be cleaned in accordance with manufacturer's instructions and at a level necessary to remove the hazardous materials involved. 2. The decon officer should determine if contaminated items are salvageable. Items that cannot be properly decontaminated should be disposed of in accordance with state and federal regulations. Items that can be decontaminated should be returned to the member after being properly decontaminated. 3. Bags containing contaminated items should not be placed in command vehicle, ambulance or apparatus passenger compartments. 4. Towels and other items used to dry off should also be placed in a bag for decontamination or disposal. 5. All articles of contaminated structural firefighting PPE and uniform clothing should be placed in a bag, then sealed and tagged. The tag should list the contaminant, contents of the bag, member’s name, along with the time and date. 6. If a member’s uniform has been contaminated, the member should proceed to a showering station. After showering, he/she should dry off and change into clean clothes. The decon group supervisor/ officer is responsible for ensuring that members who require showering are afforded all due privacy. 7. After a member has been rinsed off and decontaminated as much as possible, the member should proceed to the final area where a decon team member will assist the member in removing his/her protective clothing. 8. At the entrance of the decon area the member should discard any tools and equipment at the edge of the corridor so that they can be decontaminated. 9. Establish a decon corridor within the contamination reduction (warm) zone. Whenever practicable, the decon corridor should be easily accessible to personnel leaving the hot zone and located up-wind and uphill of the hot zone and with good drainage. (b) Emergency decon operations - Emergency decon should be used if an emergency occurs such as when a responder or civilian is in medical distress caused by the hazardous material or has been exposed to a highly toxic material. 1. Strip away contaminated clothing. Chesapeake Fire Department Fire Procedure Manual Hazardous Materials Decontamination Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/03/25, All Rights Reserved.Published with permission by Chesapeake Fire Department Hazardous Materials Decontamination - 5 2. Thoroughly flush and wash using large volumes of water. 3. When practicable, runoff from emergency decon should be contained or directed to a holding area. 4. Isolate contaminated PPE, clothing and equipment according to the technical decon operations listed above. (c) Mass decon operations - Mass decon is emergency decon conducted at the mass casualty incident level using emergency decon operations and based upon available resources: 1. Responders must quickly identify the problem and establish hot, warm and cold zones 2. Responders should communicate the need for assistance and what the victims must do. (d) Non-Ambulatory victim decon operations 1. Get as much information about the status and needs of non-ambulatory personnel or civilian victims as possible from rescue personnel. 2. As much as practicable, decon should take into account the medical condition of the victim. 3. Victims should be placed on a backboard or roller system so the patient is not lying in dirty water or spent decon solution Chesapeake Fire Department Fire Procedure Manual Hazardous Materials Decontamination Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/03/25, All Rights Reserved.Published with permission by Chesapeake Fire Department Hazardous Materials Decontamination - 6 501.5 PROCEDURE DECISION TREE