Public decontamination

User:

Typically fire brigade

When to apply:

If there is an indication that people (not requiring immediate medical treatment or transport) may be contaminated by the presence of radioactive smoke, liquid or dust or by available monitoring results and decontamination area could be promptly established.

Steps:

1. Establish a decontamination area outside the inner condoned area as appropriate for the available resources and number of people to be decontaminated:
   • Field decontamination for large numbers
   • Full decontamination for small numbers

   Note:

   Establish field decontamination in an area with security and protection from the weather (if required) and with controlled entrance and exit points and provisions for people to wash hands and face and partly remove outer clothing

   Establish full decontamination in an area with security and provisions for taking a shower and immediately obtaining clean clothing. Separate areas for males and females must be established.

   Water used for decontamination should be collected if it can be done without delaying the decontamination.

2. Acquire blankets, clothing and anything else that could be used to dress people who have removed their outer clothing
3. Acquire a receipt for contaminated item(s), tags for marking bags of contaminated clothing and bags for other items
4. If terrorism or criminal activity is suspected, ensure that people are searched for weapons before being decontaminated and emergency workers are protected from potentially armed suspects
5. Perform decontamination using the instructions below:

   Instructions for performing immediate decontamination

   1. Wear gloves and protective clothing as available, changing gloves regularly. Follow personnel protection guidelines. Periodically get monitored. If contaminated to levels >1 µSv/h, get decontaminated
   2. Keep families together and ask adults to assist children or others needing assistance (if possible)
   3. Instruct the people as follows depending on the level of decontamination being performed:

      Field decontamination

      • Not to eat, drink or smoke and to keep hands away from mouth until outer clothing will be removed and person showered
      • To remove as much as possible of their outer clothing (as conditions permit and if replacement clothing is available) and to place the clothing in bags with a tag identifying owner
      • To wash their face and hands with water or with a wet cloth
      • To change all clothing and shower as soon as possible after being released
      • To place potentially contaminated outer clothing in a bag for potentially contaminated waste

      Full decontamination

      • Not to eat, drink or smoke and to keep hands away from mouth until outer clothing will be removed and person showered
      • To completely remove their clothes and to place the clothing in a bag for potentially contaminated waste
      • To shower with water and detergents (if available). Very carefully wash hair — this part of body potentially could be most contaminated
      • Provide decontaminated people with new clothing

   4. Fill out a registration form
   5. Provide people with information on where to get further instructions once released
   6. Issue a receipt for contaminated clothing and personal items and release the person
   7. Treat monitoring results, registration forms and contaminated clothing as evidence
   8. Move bags with potentially contaminated items to an isolated and secure location regularly
   9. When relieved from your monitoring duties, do not leave until decontaminated at the response contamination control area