Author Topic: Decontamination of Skin, What to use? (Read 40495 times)

Melissa White · « **Reply #25 on:** Oct 20, 2003, 07:55 »

Something folks might want to try: Baby wipes.
We used them on a lead job at VY in '98, for the purpose of satisfying the lead hygeine requirements, but it takes care of loose contamination as well. No additional water waste, and easy on the skin.
I work in a hospital now and we've incorporated it into our disaster plan. We'll use the traditional ways if necessary, but if a quick wipe does the trick, I'm all for it.

Rain Man · « **Reply #26 on:** Oct 20, 2003, 01:50 »

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Something folks might want to try: Baby wipes.

Every steam machine nukeworker should be as soft as a baby's behind.

alphadude · « **Reply #27 on:** Oct 21, 2003, 03:16 »

dark matter -i must assume that since u are an MD u can prescribe the use of a chemical on the skin that is not intended for that use...

SloGlo · « **Reply #28 on:** Oct 22, 2003, 04:35 »

darkmatter, just because yinze kin use wd40 as attractant on yer fishing lures, whatever wood make ya think dat it'd bee safe fer yer skin?

HAIRDUDE · « **Reply #29 on:** Oct 22, 2003, 12:42 »

Shaving cream......Hold the nozzle right next to the skin and as the solution comes out and begins to foam, it creates a 'lifting' action and carries contamination away from the skin rather well. If you use the aloe inriched brands it is actually good for the skin too. ....Hey, I put the stuff on my face all the time so I imagine it has little or no detrimental affect on other body parts.
Floyd

alphadude · « **Reply #30 on:** Oct 22, 2003, 03:04 »

hmm u know about the other body parts and shaving cream do ya??? i thought that was my little secret!

darkmatter · « **Reply #31 on:** Oct 23, 2003, 05:14 »

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darkmatter, just because yinze kin use wd40 as attractant on yer fishing lures, whatever wood make ya think dat it'd bee safe fer yer skin?

I've never said WD-40 was safe, nor do I recommend it. I merely stated that I have seen it used to good effect for skin decon and the MSDS shows less harmful effects then some of the "approved" chemicals

More things in heaven and nuclear power then dreamed of by Management

rockyradtech · « **Reply #32 on:** Oct 23, 2003, 07:21 »

use any liquid laundry detergent, I prefer
ALL, but Tide works well to....

alphadude · « **Reply #33 on:** Oct 23, 2003, 08:03 »

these suggestions are ok, but there seems to be an undercurrent of ideas that the contamination must be removed?? all current literature suggests the protocal i stated earlier- initial wash with soaps designed for the affected area, triage, then dose assessment-be the rule. anything above this should have the approval of a physician, CHP, or controls (procedures) i think if u have to ask about these things u should not be performing this type of operation and this behavior may lead to experimentation on the human body. the use of laundry detergents may cause contact dermatitus and may change a simple external contamination into an internal issue.. anything above a "medical" type scrub is the start of skin damage. the use of any chemical not approved by the USEPA or FDA or the CPC for topical skin cleaning is a violation of federal law. (that looks good in court)

actinium224 · « **Reply #34 on:** Oct 23, 2003, 10:19 »

The can-do attitude that permeates from the majority of the posters on NukeWorker is commendable. But, the line in the sand that defines what should be done can become blurred at times. Medical procedures are part of the decontamination effort and should be performed by trained medical personnel. Any attempt at decon that breaks the skin has done more damage than good. As a NukeWorker I would prefer to do whatever it takes to correct or improve a situation, from creating that "special tool" to writing my own computer code. But medical procedures, no matter how small or seemingly easy, are not on that list. Just look at the contaminated-injured man scenario. What do rad people do? First-aid until the real medical people get there, then pretty much observe and try to limit the spread of contamination. I am not here to admonish anyone, just realize that the cure can be worse than the problem.
There it goes again; the absolute value of my Karma just keeps sky-rocketing.

Roll Tide · « **Reply #35 on:** Oct 24, 2003, 02:39 »

Puke,
I have to share one with you. There is a road tech with me here at BFN who had a boilerfitter use a wire brush on his heavily calloused hand. His defense is no damage and it was a success. Of course, this tech doesn't have to do personnel decon anymore either.

darkmatter · « **Reply #36 on:** Oct 24, 2003, 02:51 »

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Puke,
I have to share one with you. There is a road tech with me here at BFN who had a boilerfitter use a wire brush on his heavily calloused hand. His defense is no damage and it was a success. Of course, this tech doesn't have to do personnel decon anymore either.

I too have seen many things done in the field by OPs, Mech-a-necks, RPs, etc. that would make the "cubicle world" folks shudder in their ligigation driven mindsets. I'm not trying to tweat others in the forum, I just calls it as I sees it. Innovation and thinking outside the box comes with a price. That price can be your job or a promotion depending on the current phase of the Moon!

SloGlo · « **Reply #37 on:** Oct 27, 2003, 06:14 »

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I've never said WD-40 was safe, nor do I recommend it. I merely stated that I have seen it used to good effect for skin decon and the MSDS shows less harmful effects then some of the "approved" chemicals

More things in heaven and nuclear power then dreamed of by Management

darkmatter... sari. i wuz being facetious, an aberant behovior, eye shan't let it happen agin until next tyme. sari to cawz yinze stress, karma to make up, 'k?
btw, wd40 is an excellant attractor on surface plugs fer shallow pike.

darkmatter · « **Reply #38 on:** Oct 28, 2003, 01:12 »

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darkmatter... sari. i wuz being facetious, an aberant behovior, eye shan't let it happen agin until next tyme. sari to cawz yinze stress, karma to make up, 'k?
btw, wd40 is an excellant attractor on surface plugs fer shallow pike.

Yes, I know about the fishing lure WD-40 connection. Thanks for the Karma--some back to ya on the plus side and a smite to alphadude for decending to mudslinging.
[smiley=laugh.gif] [smiley=laugh.gif] [smiley=laugh.gif]

alphadude · « **Reply #39 on:** Oct 28, 2003, 01:36 »

ahh professionalism is now mud slinging ohh well once a tech always a tech

azkidd · « **Reply #40 on:** Oct 30, 2003, 07:11 »

Soap and running stream of warm water. NOTHING works better. Ever ask for a PO from the warehouse for TIDE, WD 40 to be used for personnel decon??

Me neither. All the previous posts are great for thinking outside the box. But really, soap and water. If it doesn't come off, best send for a body count.

trailorqueen · « **Reply #41 on:** Nov 04, 2003, 03:00 »

After having spent an outage at IP2 at the access with all the decon materials here is what I walked away with:
Never continue if the skin reddens, this will only drive the contamination further in.

Tepid water and soap (they had Dawn). Usually if initial washing didn't help, I let it sit on the skin for about a minute before washing off. If that didn't work then...

A paste mix lightly rubbed on area. Usually tide or cornmeal. If that didn't work then...

Hydrogen Peroxide. It bubbles out a lot! If that didn't work then...

Try to sweat it out. If still no luck, go get someone to get this poor bastard out here!

mikeland · « **Reply #42 on:** Feb 05, 2004, 06:58 »

Well!
This is an interesting thread ....

Of course one should ask what was going on that got one soooo contaminated in the first place without the 'gear' on??

Anyway - being unlucky enough to get a lung full of some - er, trans-uranics one evening ... I can vouch that a lavage is not fun ... and the chelation isn't either.
Nothing like a reading on ones phglem ... hack hack ... always wondered who got the job on rendering down urine ...

Spray on plastic or wax (yes - steamers should also have baby skin and be waxed~!) would be a good thing for those 'hard to remove' problems ... the old addage that the skins outer later is made up of dead cells ....
There are some things that just don't come off with scrubbing ... and you want to get them off.

mikeland · « **Reply #43 on:** Feb 05, 2004, 07:02 »

Almost forgot ... Bleach! Sodium hypochlorite ... forms an alkaline solution on water .. hence gives that lovely slipery soap sensation ... and also forms neat specific complexes with certain metal species and ions ... use sparingly - as will eat through the 'dead skin' layers quickly.

alphadude · « **Reply #44 on:** Feb 06, 2004, 07:56 »

bleach tends to passify certain iron species and forms chlorides which my allow for tissue transport. there is an over reaction here about decon. clean the skin in a typical manner, perform a dose assessment, and then go to the next level of management with the authority to implement a medical plan for such events. these "out of the box items" are not applicable for human tissue... you are not deconning a screw driver folks-its human tissue.

Author Topic: Decontamination of Skin, What to use? (Read 40495 times)

alphadude

HAIRDUDE

alphadude

rockyradtech

alphadude

actinium224

alphadude

trailorqueen

mikeland

mikeland

alphadude