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Importance Of Portable Decontamination Shower

By Jennifer Long


Contact with chemicals, radioactive substances and infectious materials cause a person to be contaminated. This causes a great risk to the health and life of a person unless immediate action is taken to remove the contagious material. In such cases it is necessary to use portable decontamination shower for remedy.

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.

Modern devices have sensors that activate the system once a person steps in cleaning zone. The unit should be able to accommodate the ambulant and non ambulant victims in a favorable way. To ensure comfort of the victim, the environment should be well heated. The unit should be set up such that there is good air flow to avoid contamination of air from evaporating chemicals. The flow rate of water must be high.

There are many companies that manufactures decon equipments. The market has a variety to offer for the portable units. They vary according to the number of people that they can accommodate at a go, size, compatibility and ease of setting the unit up. The collapsible ones are easy to transport and store since most parts can be folded in.

For effectiveness, the decon units should be set in the chemically exposed areas. They should be within reach by walking for about ten seconds. The process of decontamination involves three steps. The first part involves undressing and stripping. Then the casualty steps in the cleaning unit. For optimum results, the person should stay in the shower for at least fifteen minutes. In the last part, the person is given clean clothes and taken to the hospitals depending on the case.

Immediate decontamination is necessary to reduce the effects of more absorption of toxic. It is also prudent to clean the casualties before transporting them to the hospital to avoid contamination of the ambulance. The unit should be set up such that it is the only exit from the scene. Most importantly it should be done in a safe environment despite the close proximity to the accident site.




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