Control measure

Firefighter decontamination: Radioactive materials

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TRAINING SPECIFICATION

Knowledge and understanding

Control measure element	Learning outcome
Firefighter decontamination: Radioactive materials	Understand: Firefighter decontamination procedures for radioactive materials The need for medical intervention when personnel have been exposed to radioactive materials

Control measure element

Learning outcome

Firefighter decontamination: Radioactive materials

Understand:

Firefighter decontamination procedures for radioactive materials
The need for medical intervention when personnel have been exposed to radioactive materials

NOS knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand:
You need to know and understand - TO BE ARCHIVED 2816
K Safe working practices of your organisation when responding to fire and rescue incidents K Hazards and risks of fire and rescue incidents affecting people, property and the environment K Your organisation's control measures to mitigate risk K Resources available to respond to fire and rescue incidents
Health and safety
K 3 Safe working practices of your organisation when responding to fire and rescue incidents K 4 Hazards and risks of fire and rescue incidents affecting people, property and the environment K 7 Your organisation's control measures to mitigate risk
Technical
K 20 Resources available to respond to fire and rescue incidents

Practical application

Control measure element	Learning outcome
Firefighter decontamination: Radioactive materials	Demonstrate: Firefighter decontamination procedures for radioactive materials The need for medical intervention when personnel have been exposed to radioactive materials

Control measure element

Learning outcome

Firefighter decontamination: Radioactive materials

Demonstrate:

Firefighter decontamination procedures for radioactive materials
The need for medical intervention when personnel have been exposed to radioactive materials

NOS performance criteria

You must be able to:
Provide special advice to control fire and rescue incidents
P 1 Gather information for fire and rescue incidents within your area of expertise in line with your organisation's procedures P 2 Identify and maintain awareness of risk for fire and rescue incidents within your area of expertise in line with risk assessment processes P 3 Identify control measures to reduce fire and rescue risks in line with risk assessment processes P 4 Assess factors affecting fire and rescue incidents for your area of expertise and in line with the organisation's procedures P 6 Formulate safe tactical plans for incidents in your area of expertise in line with your organisation's requirements P 11 Maintain the safety and welfare of yourself and others during fire and rescue incidents in line with your organisation's procedures for safe working

You must be able to:

Provide special advice to control fire and rescue incidents

P 1

Gather information for fire and rescue incidents within your area of expertise in line with your organisation's procedures

P 2

Identify and maintain awareness of risk for fire and rescue incidents within your area of expertise in line with risk assessment processes

P 3

Identify control measures to reduce fire and rescue risks in line with risk assessment processes

P 4

Assess factors affecting fire and rescue incidents for your area of expertise and in line with the organisation's procedures

P 6

Formulate safe tactical plans for incidents in your area of expertise in line with your organisation's requirements

P 11

Maintain the safety and welfare of yourself and others during fire and rescue incidents in line with your organisation's procedures for safe working

Control measure knowledge

Once any contamination with a radiation source has been identified using appropriate instrumentation, decontamination procedures should be implemented. Decontamination for radioactive materials is usually a ‘dry’ or ‘safe’ undress process. Using large amounts of water, such as in showers, is discouraged as this will lead to the spread of contamination. Wet decontamination should only be used where emergency responders have been inadvertently contaminated; this should be restricted to using wet flannels and wipes wherever possible.

Whenever emergency responders have been contaminated with radioactive materials, medical attention should be sought at the earliest opportunity.

Strategic actions

Fire and rescue services should:

Provide procedures and support arrangements regarding the hazards that may be encountered and actions to take to decontaminate emergency responders from radioactive contamination
Provide equipment to allow contamination monitoring and the decontamination of responders who have become contaminated by radioactive materials
Provide means for occupational health monitoring for responders who may have become contaminated

Tactical actions

Incident commanders should:

Ensure an appropriate decontamination process is set up before committing responders into the radiation hazard area
Monitor for contamination of radioactive material before and after decontamination to determine the effectiveness of the process
Consider a safe undress/dry decontamination from chemical protection clothing (CPC) or firefighting personal protective equipment (PPE) where radioactive materials are involved
Where necessary, consider further decontamination with soapy water and flannels if skin has become contaminated – all contaminated waste must be contained
Seek medical attention for any emergency responder who may have been exposed to radioactive material

Control measure
Containment: Radioactive materials
Control measure
Decontamination: Radioactive materials

Hazardous materials Health hazards

Control measure

Firefighter decontamination: Radioactive materials

Control measure

Firefighter decontamination: Radioactive materials

TRAINING SPECIFICATION

Knowledge and understanding

NOS knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand - TO BE ARCHIVED 2816

Practical application

NOS performance criteria

Control measure knowledge

Strategic actions

Tactical actions