UCSC EH&S Radiation Safety Procedure
Number
Revision
1
Personal Decontamination
Issue Date
1. PURPOSE
This document..
2. Personal decontamination
The over-riding consideration is that medical emergencies should take priority over decontamination procedures. In the
event of contamination co-inciding with a serious medical condition, the medical condition should be treated without
regard to the former in so far as life saving action is required. The treatment should however be carried out whilst
attempting to minimize the spread of contamination. Decontamination of persons or areas arising out of such treatment
should then be carried out after the emergency has been dealt with.
A. Gross Whole Body Contamination
. Explain the decontamination process, equipment used,Explain that patient specimens are taken and contamination
precautions to the patient prior to the start of any decontamination procedure
. Scan patient with survey meter prior to decontamination. If contaminated, remove patient's clothing.
. Bag, label and hold contaminated clothing and other contaminated items for Radiation Safety Officer. The bag
should be clearly marked ‘Do Not Discard’.
. Scan slowly (about several inches per second). Monitor carefully the hands, forehead, nose, mouth, neckline, torso,
knees and ankles. Repeat this technique with the back of the body. Monitor soles of the feet.
. If areas of high levels of radioactivity are found, localize and mark.
. Seal open wounds with plastic and/or waterproof adhesive tape to prevent contamination being washed into the
wounds and limit spread of contamination.
. Shower or wash with tepid water and soap, taking care that the contamination from high level areas is washed off
rather than spread over the rest of the body. Do not abrade the skin
. As soon as body contamination is lowered, begin wound treatment or, if no wounds are present, shift to localized
skin decontamination.
B. Skin contamination
Sites of contamination should be washed or scrubbed gently using warm water, soap and a soft nail brush. Do not break the
surface of the skin or allow contamination to enter the blood stream. This is the significance of gentle scrubbing using
nothing more abrasive than a soft nail brush. Uncontaminated cuts or sores should be covered with a waterproof dressing
prior to washing. Washing can be carried out over an ordinary sink. Extensive skin contamination should be removed by
washing in a shower.
Persistent skin contamination, i.e. that which cannot be removed as above, may be removed by a chemical
decontamination procedure (ONLY AT MEDICAL FACILITY) as follows: a 4% solution of potassium permanganate can
be applied to the contaminated area and allowed to dry. The resultant brown staining may then be removed with a 5%
solution of sodium metabisulphite.
After decontamination the skin should be dried and monitored with the procedure repeated if necessary.
C. Hair
Hair should be washed using ordinary shampoo taking care to limit the spread of contamination by shielding
uncontaminated areas by using polythene, plastic aprons and disposable gloves etc. If the contamination is persistent the
hair should be cut.
Approved
RSO
University of California, Santa Cruz
EH & S Radiation Safety
New Radiation Worker Procedures
D. Finger nails
Under-nail contamination should be removed by washing using a soft nail brush. Persistent contamination can be removed
by carefully cutting the nails. Calamine lotion may also be used. This should be applied, allowed to dry, and then removed
by dry brushing using the soft nail brush with brush and fingers inside a plastic bag.
E. Eyes
Eyes should be washed copiously using normal 0.9% saline eye wash. If persistent, refer for medical attention.
F. Mouth
The subject should be advised not to swallow. If dentures are worn these should be removed. Decontamination should be
removed by extensive mouth washing and brushing teeth.
G. Ears and nose
The subject should be referred for medical attention. Swabs and cotton buds can be used for decontamination, along with
ear wash. Initial nose decontamination can be carried out by blowing the nose.
H. Open wounds
These should be irrigated with sterile water or saline.
I.
Monitoring
With all the above, monitoring should be carried out at the end of the procedure to confirm whether decontamination has
been achieved or whether the process needs repeating or the subject needs to be referred for further medical attention.
RSOP 14: Radiation Personal Decontamination
UCSC EH&S Radiation Safety Procedure
Number
Revision
1
Personal Decontamination
Issue Date
3. Decontamination kit
A decontamination kit should be kept in an accessible position near to a radiation monitor. The number of kits needed
per Department will vary according to its size and the geography of the building. One kit per suite of radioisotope
laboratories kept ready to hand would normally be sufficient. The location of the kit should be indicated by a notice
where it is kept and supplemented by an additional notice in each laboratory.
The decontamination kit should comprise the following items:
Basic Radioactive Spill Kit

Box disposable gloves

Large ziplock polythene bags and smaller specimen bags.

Roll paper towel, paper tissues or Kleenex packs

Gauze sponges (3"x3'')

Small forceps or remote handling tools.

Q tips on long stem (sterile pack)

Adhesive radioactive warning tape and notice.

Soap useable as shampoo.

Detergent (e.g. Decon Soap).

Soft nail brush,disposable

Eye wash

Isotonic (saline) for rinsing wounds.

Filter paper and liquid scintillation vials for wipe test

Notebook, forms, labels and pen.

Povidine iodine (Betadine) [where Radioiodines present]

Crayon or sharpie for labeling
The kit should be inspected regularly to establish that the contents are complete.
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UCSC EH&S Radiation Safety Procedure
Number
Revision
1
Personal Decontamination
Issue Date
Personnel Contamination and Exposure
1. First and foremost, determine the need to administer first aid to any injured personnel and administer it as
needed. If a medical emergency exists, activate 911 IMMEDIATELY.
First aid treatment is much higher priority than decontamination
2. Notify other personnel in the lab so they can assist you and contact radiation safety ( x9-2553 or 911 after hours)
if hair, eyes, mouth, non-intact skin is involved or if initial efforts are not successful.
3. Determine if any personnel have been contaminated with radioactive material. Contaminated personnel should
immediately remove any contaminated clothing (this is no time for modesty - use a clean lab coat).
4. Wash the contaminated area immediately with tepid water using a mild soap. The face and extremities can be
easily washed in a sink. While decontaminating the face, special care must be taken not to contaminate the eyes or
lips. A decon kit is located in __________________________

Decontamination of the eyes should be undertaken immediately by gently irrigating with copious amounts of
water or eye wash solution. Save any rinseate in clean bag. After this initial treatment, further treatment and
evaluation should be continued by medical personnel.

Decontamination of the mouth should be undertaken immediately by rinsing with warm water. Save any rinseate
in a clean bag. After this initial treatment, further treatment and evaluation should be continued by medical
personnel.

In the case of large area or whole body contamination, assist the affected individuals to wash under a safety
shower.
5. The skin should be washed a few minutes at a time and monitored.
6. If contamination persists, repeat washing several times checking the areas with a G-M detector in cases where
the contaminating radionuclide can be detected with one.
7. Stop washing if there is any indication of skin damage or after 10 minutes. DO NOT abrade the skin. Intact skin is
an excellent barrier to radioactive material by will be damaged using any abrasives, strong detergents or harsh
brushing. Abrasion or strong detergent/solvent may de-fat or injure the skin causing not only external but also
internal contamination.
8. Keep dosimetry badges free of contamination.
9. Call the Radiation Safety Officer (x9-2553 or 911 after hours) promptly if any person has been contaminated.
10. Keep all persons out of the accident area until help arrives and do not remove anything from the accident area.
11. Bag or segregate personal items that may have become contaminated.
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