RE: Treatment of Contaminated Personnel

["NAQUIN,TYRONE DANIEL(RSD)" <NAQUIN@mx.afrri.usuhs.mil>]

I'm not sure if there's any document that can impress all concerned (first
responders, docs, etc.) that the primary concern is the well-being of the
patient.  You are exactly right, Warren, that contamination is a nuisance
and issues related to that aspect can be resolved later.  My experience has
been, in our training with FRs, we discuss issues, such as radiation vs.
contamination, what do our boundaries and signs mean, radioactivity in
perspective (where is the bigger danger; the fire in the building or that
the building is a radiological work facility?).  The EMPHASIS of any
training like this should be, do your job; don't do something different
because of where you are; don't hesitate because you see a tri-foil.  First
responders are very well trained people and tend to act instinctively.  The
worst thing we could do is to change that.  We need to foster a relationship
with our first responders, security personnel, and hospitals that would deal
with casualties of a mixed nature to give the best opportunity to succeed.

T. D. Naquin
LCDR MSC USN
Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI)
8901 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20889-5603
(301) 295-9135   FAX (301) 295-5673
e-mail: naquin@mx.afrri.usuhs.mil <mailto:naquin@mx.afrri.usuhs.mil> 
 
AFRRI Website: http://www.afrri.usuhs.mil
 
 


-----Original Message-----
From: Warren Church [mailto:Warren_Church@uml.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 1999 3:14 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: Re: Treatment of Contaminated Personnel


We identified a similar problem during our annual exercise at out research
reactor.  The scenario involved a worker who had a severe head injury and
was also contaminated with microcurie ammounts of Na-24. Outside safety
officials and campus police questioned us allowing the EMTs into the
contaminated area.  (There is a emphasis in first responder training theses
days not to place the FRs in harms way in their rescue efforts-two victims
instead of one.)  As we know much of the public views any radioactive
contamination, especially if its in a reactor, as a very hazardous
situation.  In our EPlan training to outside responders we try to emphasize
that the contamination in more of a nuisance interms of its cleanup and in
most cases represents little if any hazard and should not be a factor when
responding to any injured victims. The training must be done in such a way
as to make sure the FRs will rely on appropriate emergency team personnel to
evaluate any radiological hazards and whether it is safe to enter.  BTW for
security reasons FR must be escorted into the reactor by reactor personnel
anyway.
NCRP 65 gives some guidance on response to accidents when contamination is
involved.

Warren_Church@uml.edu

Jim Casto wrote:

> Radsafers,
> Can anyone please direct me to where guidance documents or such can be
> reviewed regarding emergency medical treatment of personnel who are
> also contaminated. We were challenged on this recently during a
> training class where we indicated that emergency
> medical treatment of contaminated personnel should have priorty over
> concern for potential contamination of emergency responders. What
> what would be most helpful are guidance documents for non-health
> physics types (e.g., EMTs, hospital personnel, fire,etc), which I
> can use as a reference.  Our university uses almost exclusively
> low to medium level beta emitters  in typical wet chemistry lab
> operations-our most likely scenario for contamination.
> Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
>
> -Jim Casto
> ----------------------
> Jim Casto
> Radiation Safety Officer
> Department of Environmental Health & Safety
> University of California
> Santa Barbara, CA. 93106
> (805) 893-3588
> (805) 893-8659 fax
> Jim.Casto@ehs.ucsb.edu
>
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