Decontamination

On its webpage dedicated to Hazardous Waste Decontamination, OSHA defines decontamination as "the process of removing or neutralizing contaminants that have accumulated on personnel and equipment." Decontamination is necessary to ensure worker and environmental health and safety at hazardous waste sites.

Some important things to remember about decontamination include the following:

• Decontamination protects workers from hazardous substances that may contaminate and eventually permeate the protective clothing, respiratory equipment, tools, vehicles, and other equipment used on site.
• Decontamination protects all site personnel by minimizing the transfer of harmful materials into clean areas.
• Decontamination helps prevent the mixing of incompatible chemicals.
• Decontamination protects the community by preventing uncontrolled transportation of contaminants from the site.

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