Information On Portable Decontamination Shower

By Jennifer Long


Circumstances can occur that call for cleaning of a human body to get rid of contamination from radioactive substances, toxic chemicals and infection causing agents. These materials affect the health of a person and can be detrimental to the safety of a property. To achieve the cleaning, portable decontamination shower are used.

These decon showers are used for humans and sites that are exposed to harmful sites. They are used in the event of accidental, intentional or industrial contamination. A chemical accident can occur within the industry or during transportation. Radioactive contamination occurs due to an industrial accident or through a terrorist action. During diagnosis and assessment of new emerging diseases, disinfection is done to all workers and people within the quarantine region.

These above reasons prompt the use of decon units. Some chemical manufacturing plants have their workers cleaned out before they leave the premise as a safety precaution. On top of providing the routine services, the United State department of Labor requires these industries to be equipped for emergency cases. Most companies have mobile decons for emergency situations.

These showers have large heads unlike the ones used at homes. The large size ensures that the whole body is covered during the wash out for maximum removal of the chemicals. They have steel bodies to avoid build up of bacteria and other infectious agents. There must be sufficient water that is clean for the device to work efficiently. The device must be able to heat water according to the American National Standards Institute.

The latest equipments have sensors which get activated when a person steps under the shower area. These portable devices should have controlled air flow to prevent build up of vapours that are dangerous. The environment should be warm for the comfort of the casualty. The flow rate of water should be quite high. A decon unit should have stretchers for the non ambulant casualties.

There are many decon units a company can purchase or hire. Some accommodate only a single person while others can contain multiple persons. There are those that can be disassembled to small parts and set up again. Some are light in weight and others heavy. When purchasing, the number of casualty is the main determinant to consider and the ease of setting up the equipment.

Decon units are usually set in the scene of the accidents for ease of access by the victims and to prevent spread of the contamination. An emergency set up should be within a walking distance of ten seconds. The decontamination process is done in three procedures. First, the victim clothing is removed plus any other possessions on them. The second part involves the cleaning procedure. Large amounts of water are used. The person stays under the water for a minimum of fifteen minutes. Lastly, the person is covered with clean clothes.

The equipment should be set in a safe place. Care should be taken to prevent more trauma experience on the victim. The sooner the action is taken after an accident, the better the outcome.




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