Decontamination Procedure

What Is Decontamination Procedure?

A decontamination procedure is the actual step-by-step process a contaminated person or piece of equipment goes through at the decon corridor, as opposed to the planning that decides what method to use or the physical layout of the corridor itself. For personnel, technical decontamination typically follows a sequence: initial tool/equipment drop, gross contamination removal, primary wash and rinse, secondary wash and rinse if needed, controlled PPE doffing in a specific order (outer gloves and boots before SCBA, SCBA before the inner suit), and a field wash before medical monitoring and release. Emergency decontamination is a shortened version of this — a fast gross rinse with no formal station sequence — used when a contaminant poses immediate life-threat and there's no time to set up full technical decon.

Why Decontamination Procedure Matters on the Fireground

The order matters more than most people assume: doffing SCBA before outer gloves and boots, for example, can expose bare skin or the face piece seal to contaminant still on the outer PPE. A decon procedure followed out of sequence can recontaminate a responder during the very process meant to clean them, which is why the step order is trained and drilled, not improvised on scene.

Relevant NFPA Standards

• NFPA 470: Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Standard for Responders
• OSHA 1910.120: Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER)
• DOT ERG 2024: Emergency Response Guidebook for First Responders

Field Procedures & Tactical Steps

1. Drop tools and gross equipment at the entry point to the corridor before starting the wash sequence.
2. Perform gross decon: a low-pressure rinse to remove the bulk of visible contamination from outer PPE.
3. Perform technical decon: soap-and-water or solution wash followed by a rinse, repeated a second time if contamination is heavy or the substance requires it.
4. Doff PPE in sequence — outer gloves and boots first, then outer suit, then SCBA/face piece last — with a helper assisting so the responder doesn't touch contaminated exterior surfaces.
5. Complete a field wash of exposed skin, then route the responder to medical monitoring before release from the corridor.

Common Context & Application

The decon procedure is what's actually being trained and drilled at the company level — annual hazmat refreshers and live-agent drills focus on doing the wash/rinse/doffing sequence correctly under time pressure, since this is the part of decon most likely to be rushed or done out of order during a real incident.

Frequently Asked Questions about Decontamination Procedure