containers may become contaminated, most of this
radioactive material can be removed by washing. The
container can then be opened and the contents removed
and used without fear of causing significant
contamination.
The outer wrappings on medical supplies and the
peelings on fruit and vegetables also afford protection
to their contents. After carefully removing the outer
coverings and checking the contents, it may be found
that these materials will be safe to use.
CLOTHING.—Contaminated clothing should be
handled with care. Such clothing should never be
casually placed on furniture, hung on walls, or dropped
on floors, but, instead, should be stored in garbage cans
or disposable containers. If these are not available,
contaminated clothing should be placed on pieces of
paper large enough to be rolled and secured. Grossly
contaminated clothing should be properly disposed of
by an authorized method, such as burial at sea or in
deep pits or trenches, whichever is appropriate. If
clothing is in short supply, lightly contaminated
clothing may be salvaged by special laundering. Three
washings in hot water with detergent should be
sufficient. To be sure that this procedure has freed the
clothing from radioactive material, each article should
be monitored before it is released for reuse. Rubber
and plastic materials are readily decontaminated in a
warm detergent wash.
SUMMARY
In this chapter we discussed the recognition and
treatment of chemical, biological, and radiological
(CBR) hazards, and the Medical Department’s role in
meeting the medical aspects of CBR defense. These
included protection from CBR hazards, mass-casualty
decontamination, decontamination stations, and
supplies for decontamination.
8-18
