Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Handbook
OG 4058 On Scene Contamination
Issued By: OPERATIONS (B. Clarke)
Approved By: Fire Chief William H. Mosher
Date of Issue: 2011/08/24
Forms Required: FD-001 Exposure Record Form
BACKGROUND:
The contaminants firefighter’s can be exposed to during emergency incidents may cause short and long term physical effects if proper control measures are not followed. These contaminants come from a variety of sources, including body fluids, products of combustion (i.e. soot, ash & runoff), building materials (i.e. insulation and other building materials), and chemicals used or stored at the emergency scene.
Rapid decontamination conducted at the emergency scene will provide health benefits:
• It will reduce the severity and duration of exposure to contaminants for firefighter’s at the scene; and;
• It will reduce the amount of contamination which is brought back from the scene into fire apparatus, fire stations, and firefighter’s personal vehicles and ultimately back to the firefighter’s home and family.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this guideline is to limit the spread of and exposure to contaminants which are present at emergency scenes.
OBJECTIVE:
To ensure the health and safety of Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency members when in contact with contaminants at emergency scenes.
SCOPE:
This guideline applies to all Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency (HRFE) members when operating at emergency scenes such as fires, motor vehicle collisions and medical emergencies.
This guideline does not apply to hazardous materials incidents. At any hazardous materials incident where the Dangerous Goods Response
Team (DGRT) is working, decontamination procedures will be determined by the DGRT team leader and safety officer.
PROCEDURE:
Biological Contamination
Anyone who becomes exposed to biological contaminants should remove the equipment or clothing that is contaminated as soon as possible, and always before mounting apparatus or getting in a personal motor vehicle. They should place the contaminated items inside two (2) clear plastic bags and tag the items for cleaning. (See OG 1502 Maintenance of Personal Protective Equipment and OG 4002 Cleaning & Disinfection of Equipment Exposed to Body Fluids.)
In the event of gross contamination (large amounts of blood, vomit or other materials), rinse off the clothing or equipment before bagging. Use a 0.5" hose line and nozzle at a low discharge pressure (6080 psi). The person(s) rinsing this equipment should wear exam gloves, eye protection and a N95 respirator (if required) to prevent contamination by splashing.
Contamination other than Biological
Anyone who becomes contaminated at an incident should take steps to prevent the contamination from spreading beyond their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This includes preventing the contaminants from being inhaled, ingested, or adsorbed in to their body. Furthermore, they should attempt to prevent the cross contamination of other people, vehicles, or surroundings.
PPE that is contaminated as a result of fire by-products such as soot, charred material, insulation, dusts, or dirt should be rinsed off at the scene with a low flow line ( 0.5") at a pressure of 6080 psi. This should be done before the PPE is removed. Keep in mind where the run off will flow and avoid flushing contaminates into sensitive areas such as natural waterways or water supplies.
The PPE should then be washed on scene with a solution of PH neutral cleaner and a brush.
After scrubbing, rinse the firefighter again.
It is preferable that on scene decontamination be completed before the firefighter’s SCBA face piece is removed, if possible.
Once this is done, if you believe that products of combustion remain that pose a contamination hazard, remove the PPE and put it inside two (2) clear plastic bags. Tag the bag for cleaning.
If the outdoor temperature is below freezing, you may attempt to remove contaminants by using a brush only.
During on scene decontamination, pay special attention to preventing water from entering the SCBA first and second stage regulators.
PPE that is contaminated by products which pose an environmental risk such as fuels, acids and other liquids must be removed, placed inside two (2) clear bags and tagged for special cleaning.
PPE that is contaminated by water reactive dry dust particles must first be vacuumed off with a
HEPA filter equipped vacuum (Tact 1 or Decon unit) and then bagged and tagged for proper cleaning.
If contamination by asbestos is suspected, perform wet decontamination before the SCBA (including face piece) is removed. Keep all protective clothing wet to prevent fibers from becoming airborne. Bag & tag the protective clothing for cleaning. Hard goods such as helmets, boots, hand tools, etc., should be washed using wet washing methods. If rags are used to wash the equipment, those rags should be disposed of in the garbage.
SCBA Cylinders and Packs
During firefighting operations, attempt to decontaminate SCBA cylinders and packs.
Wipe the cylinders with rags or rinse them with water to prevent contaminants from obstructing the proper sealing of the first stage regulator with the cylinder. The SCBA packs may be decontaminated at the scene using the same procedure as for the cylinders.
If time permits, cylinders and packs should be decontaminated at the scene before they are loaded on a vehicle and transported back to a fire station. All cylinders must be decontaminated before refilling at filling stations. The SCBA packs must be cleaned before being put back into service. Both the packs and the bottles may be washed with a PH neutral cleaner, rinsed and returned to service.
Equipment Required on Apparatus
Every engine shall carry a decontamination kit, which includes:
• A bucket
• Bottle of PH neutral cleaner
• Bristle brush with 2 4 foot handle
• Minimum of three (3) tyvex coveralls (change of clothing)
• 12 clear plastic bags
• 6 beige equipment tags, 6 red equipment tags and 6 wire ties
• One grease pencil (china marker)
• One short (2550') length of 0.5" hose with nozzle
• one 1.5" to 0.5" reducer
RELATED POLICIES/ OPERATING GUIDELINES:
• OG 1502 Maintenance of Personal Protective Clothing
• OG 4002 Cleaning and Disinfection of Equipment Exposed to Body Fluids
OPERATING GUIDELINE REVIEW:
This operating guideline shall be reviewed when/if there are changes/amendments to the process followed for on scene decontamination