Decontamination Procedures

OSHA provides detailed Field Standard Operating Procedures (FSOPs) for decontamination procedures. These procedures come from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Office of Emergency and Remedial Response's (OERR) document titled Interim Standard Operating Safety Guides.

Here are some important things to note about these requirements:

• EPA and OERR requirements are based on designated levels of personal protection equipment, as set forth in 29 CFR 1910.120 Appendix B and as covered in Unit 4, "Characterizing Sites." (In this unit, we will cover Level A, Level B, and Level C).
• The procedures given are for the maximum and minimum amount of decontamination used for each level of protection. (For example, you will learn the maximum decontamination measures and the minimum decontamination measures for Level A.)
• The minimum and maximum decontamination procedures involve stations. There are 19 stations for maximum decontamination procedures and seven for minimum decon procedures for each level.
• The charts provided include the actions that should be taken at each of these stations. Each station emphasizes an important aspect of decontamination.
• The maximum decontamination procedures for the different levels of protection include specific activities for each of the 19 stations.

On its webpage dedicated to Hazardous Waste Decontamination, OSHA provides the details of these guidelines. You will learn them all in detail in this unit.

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