Decontamination is a vital part in any emergency response effort.  You never know what you may have come in contact with that can affect not only your health, but the health of those around you.  For decontamination to be effective, preparedness is the key.  It is important that you maintain open communications on the hazards that you face in your work or hazard environment.  You should also establish operational and emergency procedures to be prepared for an incident response.  Personnel protective equipment selection criteria should be put into place as well to ensure the safety and health of the responders.  Some elements to consider are the levels of protective equipment that may be required, whether it’s disposable or re-usable, how to layer to avoid cross-contamination during doffing procedures, whether physical, chemical or combination decontamination will be used, and how to collect and dispose of contaminated items.  Overall, communication, training, practice drills and periodic program reviews will provide feedback to ensure that your decontamination plan is effective, up-to-date, and ready for implementation should an event occur.

For more information on decontamination, review chapter 10 of DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 85-115 @ https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/85-115/pdfs/85-115-d.pdf?id=10.26616/NIOSHPUB85115