OBJECTIVE
SET UP A PERSONNEL DECONTAMINATION STATION
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1. GENERAL
a. This material contains an example of a PDS recommended for emergency use by EOD units.
Normally a NBC team will set up and operate a decontamination station which is capable of
decontaminating all personnel who have become contaminated as a result of a chemical or
biological incident. In an emergency situation, the EOD unit or team must be capable of
decontaminating its own personnel and equipment.
b. The actual arrangement of individual stations will depend on the type and amount of agent
involved. Four principles should be followed when establishing the PDS:
(1) Move into the wind as undressing progresses.
(2) Decontaminate and remove the most heavily contaminated items of apparel first.
(3) All articles of clothing worn at the accident/incident site will be removed and deposited in
appropriate containers.
(4) The protective mask and hood should be the last items removed prior to washing.
NOTE: Once protective mask and hood are worn in a contaminated area, they are
considered an inseparable unit.
c. The hot line (see the figure on the following page) is an arbitrarily selected line separating the
contaminated area from the contamination reduction area. It must be established in a clean
area, upwind of the accident/incident, and must be a minimum of 50 meters downwind from the
CP. The hot line should be as close to the accident/incident site as possible but must not be
inside the fragmentation radius of the munition involved. All personnel and equipment entering
and leaving the area are channeled through the control point on the hot line.
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