Decontamination
What the candidate must know
Decontamination protects responders, the public, and the environment by removing contaminants from people, equipment, and the scene. Candidates must understand the decon corridor: hot zone (exclusion), warm zone (contamination reduction), and cold zone (support), with a contamination reduction corridor containing tool drop, gross decon, secondary decon, and doffing stations. Know the difference between emergency decon (immediate, life-saving, often gross) and technical decon (thorough, planned). Understand decon methods: dilution, absorption, chemical neutralization, and disposal, and the rule that decon water is a hazardous waste requiring containment. Know patient decon priorities and the importance of not letting contaminated runoff spread.
Traps in questions
- Letting responders doff PPE in the hot zone or without a buddy check.
- Forgetting to contain decon runoff; it becomes a secondary release.
- Using the wrong decon solution (e.g., water on water-reactive chemicals).
- Skipping gross decon before technical decon.
Rule of thumb
Decon from the top down and from the cleanest area to the most contaminated; contain all runoff. Emergency decon first, technical decon second.
Worked example
An ambulatory patient exposed to a corrosive: perform emergency gross decon with copious water (if compatible), remove contaminated clothing, and contain runoff. Then move to technical decon for thorough washing and doffing before transport.