Personnel Decontamination

DOE-STD-1128-98

Guide of Good Practices for Occupational Radiological Protection in Plutonium Facilities

4. Use soft bristle scrub brushes for fingernails and other difficult-to-clean areas as long as the

skin barrier is maintained intact. It may be difficult to decontaminate the cuticles and under the

5. Dry the skin area with cleansing tissue.

6. After the skin is thoroughly dry, survey it for any remaining contamination.

7. If no contamination is detected, apply a good-quality hand cream to prevent chapping.

Another effective nonabrasive decontamination method involves placing the contaminated hand in

a cotton glove and then a Latex glove (causing the hand to perspire).

The decontamination factor is the ratio of the initial contamination level to the contamination level

after decontamination methods are applied, as determined by survey instrument readings.

Nonabrasive methods should be repeated until the decontamination factor between washes drops

below 2 or 3 with significant contamination still remaining.

If contamination persists on the skin, a more abrasive decontamination method may be necessary.

The decision to proceed with a more abrasive method should be based on the effectiveness of the

decontamination. An abrasive soap should be applied with a moist gauze sponge or soft handbrush

while rubbing the skin to develop a soapy lather. Care should be exercised to prevent damage to

the skin surface. If contamination persists after using the abrasive soap, potassium permanganate

(KMnO4) and sodium acid sulfite should be considered. Page 196 of the 1970 edition of the

Radiological Health Handbook gives details on the use of KMnO4 and sodium acid sulfite.

Liberal irrigation with lukewarm water or saline solution is recommended for eye, nose, and mouth

contamination. These procedures are performed by the medical staff to remove contamination.

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