Decontamination Procedures

The Safety and Health Program must include decontamination procedures. Decontamination refers to the neutralization or removal of dangerous substances, radioactivity, or germs from an area, object, or person. Decontamination procedures will vary depending on the nature of the employee's job, the conditions of the work site, the PPE worn by employees, and the hazardous substances to which employees are exposed. Employers must tailor the decontamination procedures in the Safety and Health Program to each specific work site, and inform employees of these procedures before they enter the work site.

Safety and health officers must monitor the decontamination procedures of employees, the decontamination and disposal of clothing and work equipment, and the solvents that the company uses for decontamination; and the company must perform this monitoring before the employees leave the work site. The company must decontaminate any impermeable protective clothing that has been exposed to hazardous substances before the employee removes the clothing.

In some circumstances, employers must provide a shower and change room to workers who are exposed to hazardous substances. Employees who require a shower (for instance if his or her non-impermeable clothing becomes severely contaminated with hazardous substances) must immediately remove their clothing and take a shower on site.

Employers should decontaminate, clean, launder, maintain, and replace (if necessary) PPE to maintain quality condition and effectiveness. Employers are required to inform individuals who launder exposed clothing or equipment of their exposure to hazardous substances and the potentially harmful effects of treating them.

To learn more about Hazardous Waste visit our Hazardous Waste Safety Online Training web page.