Appendix 37 - Emergency actions
Contents
- Fire Involving Sources of Ionising Radiations
- Injury Involving Actual or Possible Contamination from Radioactive Materials
- Actual or Suspected Exposure to X-rays
- Personal Decontamination Procedures
- Reporting Accidents and Incidents Involving Sources of Ionising Radiations
1. FIRE INVOLVING SOURCES OF IONISING RADIATIONS
Proceed as per the instructions in the 'Fire Action Notice' for your School/Unit but remember to tell all parties concerned that radiation is involved.
The possibility of Fire Brigade personnel and University Staff becoming contaminated should be kept in mind. This may involve the setting-up of a contamination zone for men and their equipment, so that a radiation check can be made before they leave the zone.
2. INJURY INVOLVING ACTUAL OR POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION FROM RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
(a) Serious injury
Treatment of the patient takes priority over all decontamination procedures. Request the attendance of an ambulance, emphasising to the ambulance control that the casualty involved has been exposed to radioactive contamination. A competent person with knowledge of the type and extent of the radiation hazard should accompany the casualty to hospital. The Casualty Department should also be given forewarning that a potential radioactive contaminated victim is en route to the hospital.
(b) Minor injury
Provide first aid - then proceed as in 4 below.
3. ACTUAL OR SUSPECTED EXPOSURE TO X-RAYS
Switch off the X-ray generator and lock off the power supply to ensure other members of staff/students cannot use the generator until it has been inspected. Post an appropriate notice warning other members of staff that there is a fault with the generator.
The person exposed to the X-rays should be taken to Hospital as the X-rays may cause serious burns. A competent person with knowledge of the equipment including details of the length of exposure to X-rays and also the operating voltage and current should accompany the casualty to hospital.
4. PERSONAL DECONTAMINATION PROCEDURES
For all personal decontamination, the possible need to seek medical advice should be borne in mind.
For contamination of the skin e.g. arms, hands etc., the first step is to wash the affected area with soap and water as normal. If the contamination persists, it should be washed and scrubbed gently, using a soft brush, with a deep cleansing soft soap or liquid soap e.g. 'Clearasil' or 'Dermactyl'. Care must be taken not to break the skin.
If the contamination still persists after several wash and scrub treatments and the contamination is restricted to parts of the hands, these may be cleaned with a saturated potassium permangenate solution. This will remove a superficial layer of skin and care must be taken to ensure that no undissolved crystals are present. The brown discolouration left by the permangenate can be removed with a 10% solution of sodium metabisulfate. If any other parts of the body are contaminated and the contamination is not easily removed by ordinary washing, then specialist help should be obtained.
If serious injury, cuts and wounds are associated with the contamination, these should be irrigated and first-aid measures taken before dealing with the contamination. Body openings such as eyes, ears, nose and mouth should always be decontaminated first Decontamination of any 'hot spots' on other parts of the body should be dealt with next. Care should be taken to ensure that washings do not contaminate other areas.
Emergency showers are rarely the best solution for dealing with a contaminated person as this can spread the contamination. For hand, arm and head contamination, it is better to use a hand wash basin and for legs a foot bath
5. REPORTING ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS INVOLVING SOURCES OF IONISING RADIATIONS
In the event of any accident or incident involving the use of any source of ionising radiation, the following people must be contacted immediately after the above action has been completed:
(i) The University Radiation Protection Adviser (URPA);
(ii) The DRPS; and
(iii) The University Safety Adviser.
In any emergency, steps must always be taken to minimise the doses received from sources of penetrating radiations and also to avoid the spread of contamination from open sources of radioactive materials.