Mass decontamination

Mass decontamination

Mass decontamination (abbreviated mass decon) is the decontamination of large numbers of people, in the event of industrial, accidental, or intentional contamination by toxic, infective, caustic, polluted, or otherwise unhealthful or damaging substances.


Contents

Mass hysteria and security aspects

Scenes of mass contamination are often scenes of collective hysteria, with hundreds or thousands of victims in a state of panic. Therefore, mass decontamination may require police, security, or rescue supervision to help control panic and keep order. Under these circumstances, mass decon can take on some features of mass arrests, with victims forcibly rounded up, then treated inside impromptu detention areas. Successful municipal decontaminations are greatly aided by a close collaboration between police and fire departments. An organised, informed and aware populace can be better prepared for possible emergencies, and is less likely to panic. In some situations volunteers may be needed to augment or replace rescue/security personnel to help maintain calm and/or assist with decontamination procedures.

For example, the Australian "Workplace Relations Act 1996" calls for detention of victims of a hazardous materials (hazmat) incident:

  • The ACTFB has also gained additional powers under the Emergencies Act 2004 to detain people at a HazMat/CBR incident.[1]

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also suggests that:

  • victims... might be detained for... decontamination.[2]

Even some of the clear-thinking subjects may resist efforts to decontaminate them. Those who know or think they have not been contaminated may resist being herded into close quarters with sick or toxin-ridden victims who still have the potential to harm those nearby. Those carrying weapons or some form of contraband may require force to part them from their contaminated clothes and effects. Others may simply fear contact with the authorities, as well as separation from family and loss of job resulting from quarantines, more than they fear the contaminant.

Military groups, church groups, Boy Scouts groups, Girl Guides, businesses, etc. can prepare for possible contaminations by performing drills of decontamination procedures. This can have the effect of decreasing the likelihood of panic, and allowing for faster, more successful decontamination.

Mass decontamination equipment

Mass decontamination is performed by way of decontamination tents, trailers, or fixed facilities. Most hospitals and airports have at least one mass decontamination facility. Some newer airports have a mobile facility that can generate decontamination foam in large quantities.

LAX - Los Angeles International Airport has a decontamination system with four soap cannons to spray down hysterical crowds. The facility features pop up tents so that once soaped, the victims can file on either side of the rig (one gender on each side) to rinse in specially designed showers where they can remove all clothing, dry off, and receive replacement clothing or other suitable modesty garb (i.e., makeshift clothing such as bedsheets, tablecloths, or garbage bags with head and arm cutouts).

See also

References

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Mass fatality incident — (abbreviated MFI) is an emergency management term used to identify an incident involving more dead bodies and/or body parts than can be located, identified, and processed for final disposition by available response resources. Although it is a… …   Wikipedia

  • Human decontamination — This article is about the process of human decontamination. For the New York based media company, see Decon. Decontamination of humans is usually done by a three step procedure, separated by sex: removal of clothing, washing, and reclothing.… …   Wikipedia

  • UK Government Decontamination Service — The UK Government Decontamination Service (sometimes written without the UK prefix or abbreviated to GDS) is an organisation within the UK Government that provides advice and guidance to help the UK resist and recover from any deliberate or… …   Wikipedia

  • Chemical warfare — For other uses, see Chemical warfare (disambiguation). This article forms part of the series Chemical agents Lethal agents Blood agents Cyanogen chloride (CK) …   Wikipedia

  • Triage — This article is about the concept of triage as it occurs in medical emergencies and disasters. For other uses, see Triage (disambiguation). Typical triage tag, with tear off sections for decontamination and patient tracking …   Wikipedia

  • Strip search — A strip search is the stripping (removal of clothing, search of person and/or personal effects) of a person to check for weapons or other contraband.Legality of strip searchesIn North America, civil lawsuits, as well as criminal code changes… …   Wikipedia

  • Crowd control — For other meanings, see Crowd control (disambiguation). Crowd control is the controlling of a crowd, to prevent the outbreak of disorder and prevention of possible riot. Examples are at soccer matches, when a sale of goods has attracted an excess …   Wikipedia

  • New Haven Fire Department — Established 1862 Staffing Career Strength 350 Stations 10 Engines 10 Trucks …   Wikipedia

  • New York City Fire Department — Fire Department of New York Motto:  New …   Wikipedia

  • Ambulance bus — An ambulance bus is a mass casualty, mass evacuation, mass decontamination, or mass quarantine vehicle for transporting large numbers of patients from a mass casualty incident. A typical ambulance bus transports 20 to 24 patients on… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”