EMERGENCY PROCEDURE
IN THE EVENT OF AN INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT, THE FOLLOWING
STEPS SHOULD ASSIST IN THE ORDERLY MANAGEMENT OF CONTAMINATED PEOPLE AND / OR
EQUIPMENT.
DO NOT PANIC! CAREFULLY PLAN REMEDIAL ACTIONS!
PRESERVE LIFE!
DO NOT DELAY TREATMENT OF THE INJURED AS THE BENEFIT OF
SAVING A LIFE OUTWEIGHS THE RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRESENCE OF RADIOACTIVE
CONTAMINATION.
- Evacuate the area.
- Carefully monitor individuals who were in the
immediate area of the incident.
- Contact your Radiation Safety Officer for guidance and
instruction in regards to the remedial actions required.
- Cordon off the affected area.
- Attempt to decontaminate personnel by removing
contaminated clothing and washing them with soapy water.
- Contaminated items should be carefully double bagged
ensuring radioactive contamination is not spread around the site.
- Injured/contaminated individuals requiring medical
attention should be transported to a medical center without delay.
Care should be taken to minimize contamination of the transport
vehicle. Vehicle surfaces that
may be in contact with the contaminated individual should be covered with
absorbent pads or plastic bags. Similar
precautions should be attended to by an experienced physician.
Advice for such care can be obtained by calling Dr. R. Kloiber,
Nuclear Medicine Physician, Foothills Hospital, Calgary Ph: 403-670-1115.
Foothills is a decontamination / treatment center.
- Perform radiation / contamination survey of the area
drawing a map of the area indicating the levels of the activity in the
different areas.
- Notify Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission in Calgary
at 403-292-5181 or in Ottawa at 613-995-0479.
- Keep detailed notes with the name of individual
involved in the incident and the nature of the remedial actions.
Revised 04/30/01
