Chapter 9 Decon Flashcards
Contamination is the transfer of:
A hazardous material to persons, equipment, and the environment in greater than acceptable quantities
Pg 434
Decontamination or contamination reduction is:
The process of removing hazardous materials to prevent the spread of contaminants beyond a specific area and reduce contamination to levels that are not longer harmful.
Pg 434
Decon operations minimize:
Harmful exposures and reduce or eliminate the spread of contaminants.
Pg 434
Decon is performed at hazmat/wmd incidents to remove hazardous materials from:
Responders, victims, ppe, tools, equipment, and anything else that has been contaminated.
Pg 434
Anything in the hot zone is subject to contact with hazardous material. Because of this anything and everything that leave the hot zone is subject to:
A decon
Pg 434
The type of decon operations conducted at an incident will be determined by:
The number of people requiring decon, the type of hazardous materials involved, weather, personnel available, and a variety of other factors.
Pg 435
The 3 basic principles of decon are:
Get it off
Keep it off
Contain it
Pg 435
Decon methods can be divided into 4 broad categories:
Wet or dry methods
Physical or chemical methods
Pg 435
The most effective means of decon is often as simple as:
The removal of the outer clothing or PPE that has been contaminated by the hazardous material
Pg 435
Removal of contaminated clothing/PPE and flushing with water is usually sufficient for:
Emergency and mass decon
Pg 435
The decision whether to perform emergency or technical decon is determined based on:
The hazardous material involved and the urgency in removing the victim from the contaminated environment
Pg 436
Wet methods of decon usually involve:
Washing the contaminated surface with solutions of flushing with a hose stream or safety shower
Pg 436
Dry methods of decon have the advantage of:
Not creating large amounts of contaminated liquid runoff.
Pg 436
Dry methods of decon may be accomplished through:
Systematic removal of disposable PPE while avoiding contact with any contaminants.
Pg 437
__________ methods of decon may be used in cold weather:
Dry
Pg 437
Physical methods of decon remove the contaminants from a contaminated person without:
Changing the material chemically
Pg 437
Examples of physical decon are:
Absorption, adsorption, brushing and scraping, dilution, evaporation, isolation and disposal, washing and vacuuming
Pg 437
Examples of chemical methods include:
Chemical degradation, sanitation, disinfection, sterilization, neutralization, and solidification
Pg 437
General guidelines for decon:
Ensure decon is set up prior to personnel entering the hot zone
Begin emergency decon quickly. Speed is determined by the material type
Always wear ppe
Avoid contact with hazmat and contaminated victims
Pg 437/438
Decon operations may be coupled with:
An initial seperation of victims into ambulatory/nonambulatory and male/female
Pg 438
Assess all victims believed to have been in the hot zone to determine the need for decon before:
Moving them to the cold zone. Decon as necessary
Pg 438
Establish clearly designated decon entry points so that:
Victims and responders both know where to go
Pg 438
When conducting decon of victims the more clothing removed:
The better. Unless a victim is soaked in something that would have penetrated outer clothing and into their underwear there is no real need to have people disrobe completely
Pg 438
Establish a medical triage and treatment area just outside the decon zone so that persons exiting the decon area:
Can be evaluated for injuries and exposure related medical symptoms
Pg 438
Communicate with victims by using :
Hand signals, signs with pictures, apparatus public address systems, megaphones, or other methods to direct them to decon gathering areas as well as though the decon process itself
Pg 438
START triage stands for:
Simple triage and rapid treatment/transport
Pg 440
Victims who are able to understand directions, talk and walk unassisted are considered to be:
Ambulatory
Pg 41
Nonambulatory patients are victims or responders who are:
Unconscious, unresponsive, or unable to move unassisted
Pg 442
As a general rule, deceased victims are the scene should:
Remain untouched
Pg 443
The goal of emergency decon is:
To remove the threatning contaminant from the victim as quickly as possible.
Pg 444
During emergency decon there is no regard for:
The environment of property protection
Pg 444
The following situations are examples of instances where emergency decontamination is needed:
Failure of protective clothing
Accidental contamination of emergency responders
Heat illness or other injury suffered by emergency workers in the hot zone
Immediate medical attention required
Pg 444
Technical decon uses:
Chemicals or physical methods to thoroughly remove or neutralize contaminants from responders PPE and equipmemnt
Pg 445
Operations level responders involved in technical decon operations must do so under the guidance of a:
Hazmat technician, SOPs, or an allied professional
Pg 445
Resources for determining the correct technical decon procedure include the following:
Niosh pocket book Safety data sheet Emergency response centers Pre incident plans Technical experts ERG Poison control center Pg 446
Absorptions:
Process of picking up liquid contaiminants with absobents. Expensive to dispose of. Works extremely well on flat surfaces
Pg 446
Adsorption:
Process in which a hazardous liquid interacts with he surface of a sorbent material
Pg 447
Brushing/scraping:
Brushing and scraping alone is not sufficient decon. It is used before other types of decon
Pg 447
Chemical degradation:
Process of using another material to change the chemical structure of a haz mat
Pg 447
Dilution:
Process off using water to flush contaminants from contaminated victims or objects and diluting water soluble hazardous materials
Pg 447
Dilutions is advantageous because:
Of the accessibility speed and economy of using water
Pg 447
Neutralization:
Process of changing the ph of a corrosive raising or lowering it toward 7 on ph scale
It should not be performed on living tissue
Pg 447
Sanitation:
Reduces the number of microorganisms to a safe level
Pg 448
Disinfection:
Kills most of the microorganisms present
Pg 448
Sterilization:
Kills all microorganisms present
Pg 448
As with mass decon monitoring should be conducted to:
Determine if decon operations are effective
Pg 451
Mass decon:
The physical process of rapidly reducing or removing contaminants from multiple persons in potentially life threatening situations.
Pg 451
Mass decon is initiated when:
The number of vicitims and time constraints do not allow the establishment of an in depth decontamination process
Pg 451
Mass decon methods include:
Dilution, isolation, and washing
Pg 453
Mass decon can be most readily and effectively accomplished with a simple:
Water shower system that merely dilutes the hazardous product and physically washes it away
Pg 453
The actual showering time is an incident specific decision but may be as long:
2-3 minutes per individual under ideal situations
Pg 453
Existing facilities for rapid decon methods include:
Overhead fire sprinklers, public fountains, swimming pools or swimming areas
Pg 453
It is recommended that all victims undergoing mass decon remove clothing at least down to:
Their undergarments before showering
Pg 453
Victims should be encouraged to remove as much clothing as possible proceeding from:
Head to toe
Pg 453
To determine victim priority divide into two groups:
Ambulatory
Nonambulatory
Pg 453
Advantages of mass decon:
Accommodates large numbers of people
Can be implemented quickly using limited amounts of personnel and equipment
Reduces contamination quickly
Pg 457
Limitations of mass decon:
Does not always totally decontaminate the victim
Relies on cooperations of the victim
Can create contaminated runoff that can be harmful to the environment and other exposures
Pg 457
If large number of individuals are being deconed briefly check each. If smaller. Numbers check each:
More carefully
Pg 457
If contaminated individuals are detected after decon they should be:
Redirected through the decon process again
Pg 457
Victims still complaining of symptoms or effects should be:
Checked for contaminants.
Pg 458
If the effectiveness of decon is called into question victims should:
Go through decon again prior to transport
Pg 458
The following factors are considered when choosing a decon site:
Wind direction Weather Accessibility Terrain an surface material Lighting and electrical supply Drains and waterways Water supply Pg 459
All bags that contain contaminated clothing should:
Remain in the warm zone on the dirty side of the decon line
Pg 460
If the temp is ______ degrees or lower consideration should be given to protecting victims from the cold:
64
Pg 463
Evidence collection on the scene by law enforcement personnel must be:
Appropriately packaged. Only the exterior o the packaging will be deconed
Pg 464
After concluding decon activities a debriefing needs to be held:
As soon as practical
Pg 464
Provide exposed persons with as much info as possible about :
The delayed health effects of the hazardouls materials involved in the incident
Pg 464
Emergency decon is conducted:
In life threatening situations
Pg 465
Mass decon is conducted when:
Large number of victims are involved
Pg 465
Technical decon is typically conducted on:
Emergency responders and at incidents when very few victims are involved
Pg 465
