Trash Bag Decon®: Using black square large black trash bags is an inexpensive way to provide both modesty protection as well as starting the decontamination process. A rule of thumb for minimizing hazardous materials exposure is to follow the teachings used for radiological exposure.

Time
Distance
Shielding

If you can remove ALL the clothes from an exposed ambulatory victim, 90% of any radiological contamination or 80% for some hazardous materials can be removed. Use of a garden hose or booster line to provide a gross decon is the next step but the problem is that people are very concerned about getting undressed in front of a bunch of firefighters and while being filmed live on the local television station. This usually equates to a law suit down the road.

Want to protect your district from this? Buy yourself a box of black large trash bags that are rectangular in shape and do not have a drawstring. Fold the trash bag in half and cut out a small 1/2 circle the diameter of your fist. When you open it up, you should have a half circle cut out in the middle of the bottom of the bag. To reinforce the bag, strips of duct tape are attached to both "shoulders" to provide additional strength.

The bag is given to a victim to slip over their head, allowing them complete privacy to remove any contaminated clothing. If needed, a garden hose or booster line can be used to provide gross decontamination (water flush only). Special attention needs to be paid to the patients airway, ensuring that there are no hazardous materials that can be inhaled by the victim.

Pre-making these Trash Bag Decon® Bags, will ensure that if an incident does occur, you will be able to provide immediate modesty protection and the ability for the victim to minimize exposure. This concept has been taught nationwide to hospital emergency room personnel, preparing for a surge of contaminated victims.

Here's how to prepare the Trash Bag Decon® unit (graphically)...

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