Pordecon™ Hazmat Decontamination Tank Systems

What is the risk of secondary contamination to rescuing personnel, transport vehicles or hospital emergency room departments?

The Concept of Secondary Contamination¹

SUBSTANCES WITH SERIOUS POTENTIAL FOR SECONDARY CONTAMINATION

• Unless the victim has been properly decontaminated, substances like those listed below in Table 1 may persist in significant amounts on the victim’s clothing, skin, hair or personal belongings, and may jeopardize health care workers or other attendants.

• Recommended protective gear should always be worn.

• Reducing the potential for chemical exposure from any form of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, including use of pocket one-way valve mouth-to-mouth resuscitation devices should be carefully considered when the victim has been exposed to one of the listed gases.

• If resuscitation efforts are necessary, a bag valve mask with reservoir device or manually triggered oxygen powered breathing device should be applied to the patient.

• Contact with even lightly contaminated skin or clothing should be minimized prior to decontamination.

Note: Proper decontamination by adequately protected personnel must be carried out before the victim is treated by pre-hospital or emergency room department personnel.

Table 1: Substances with a High Risk of Secondary Contamination

Examples:

• Acids, alkali and corrosive (if concentrated)

• Asbestos (large amounts, crumbling)

• Cyanide salts & related compounds (e.g., nitriles) and hydrogen cyanide gas

• Hydrofluoric acid solutions

• Nitrogen-containing and other oxidizers which may produce methemoglobinemia (aniline, aryl amines, aromatic nitro-compounds, chlorates, etc.)

• Pesticides

• PCB’s (polychlorinated biphenyls)

• Phenol and phenolic compounds

• Many other oily or adherent toxic dusts and liquids

SUBSTANCES WITH LITTLE RISK FOR SECONDARY CONTAMINATION

Many of the substances listed in Table 2 are highly toxic. However, even if they persist in the victim’s clothing, skin, hair or personal belongings after removal from the hot zone, they are not likely to jeopardize health care workers or rescuers and are not likely to secondarily contaminate vehicles or the emergency department.

Note: On-scene decontamination, if indicated, is desirable especially clothing removal and victim wash, but not essential.

Table 2: Substances with a Low Risk of Secondary Contamination

Examples:

• Most gases and vapors unless they condense in significant amounts on the clothing, skin or hair

• Weak acids, weak alkali and weak corrosives in low concentrations (excluding hydrofluoric acid)

• Weak acid or weak alkali vapors (unless clothing soaked and excluding hydrofluoric acid vapor)

• Arsine gas

• Carbon monoxide gas

• Gasoline, kerosene & related hydrocarbons

• Phosphine gas

• Smoke / combustion products (excluding chemical fires)

• Small quantities of common hydrocarbon solvents (e.g., toluene, xylene, paint thinner, ketones, chlorinated degreasers)

1. Revised February 1991 by the California EMS Authority

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The ICS Pordecon™ Decontamination Tank Systems was designed, patented and is manufactured by a firefighter and his family in Santa Barbara, California, USA since 1984.

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