Responding to Emergency Contamination Incidents Including Steps Involved

How companies respond to a contamination incident depends on several variables. First there is the type of contaminant in question, then there is where the contaminant is found or believed to be, the volume of the contaminant to be disposed of and then different jurisdictions will have different requirements.

So, the response to contamination and the steps involved will vary somewhat and one scenario does not fit all. Also, a very detailed guide is beyond the scope of this article. There are, however, some general principles regarding how the response to contamination should be carried out. Professionals that are experience with hazardous material decontamination will tailor the response to the contaminant involved.

In today’s blog article, we are going to list and describe the basic steps that are always involved. At any point, if the contaminant is ruled out, then the investigation may stop or continue looking for another, different contaminant.

1. Suspect presence of a contaminant. Documentation starts.
2. Initiate gathering of information and laboratory testing for confirmation.
3. Confirm presence of contaminant.
4. Check for other contaminants possibly.
5. Perform risk assessment(s) and alert appropriate persons or public.
6. Start operational phase.
7. Begin recovery, decontamination, abatement, and remediation.
8. Decontaminate.
9. Perform further testing.
10. Begin clearance of area for work.
11. Debrief and review process of decontamination and response.

For the decontamination of some materials like asbestos in BC, special training and certification is required. The decontamination of workspaces is dangerous work, and we highly recommend that you select seasoned professionals to do your abatement and remediation, for the safety of those decontaminating and those who will live or work in the spaces afterwards.

Hazardous materials abatement is our business, and we are available to help you if you need an experienced decontamination company. We can be reached toll-free in Surrey, BC at (888) 296-2499.

Enviro-Vac is one of the oldest privately owned environmental contractors in Canada offering a full suite of services in hazardous materials abatement and decontamination including negative pressure shrink-wrap containments, industrial vacuum services and abrasive blasting. We are available to work both small and large-scale projects across Canada. The head office is based in Surrey, BC. 

If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about hazardous materials abatement, decontamination or shrink-wrap solutions, please call us on our toll-free number, (888) 296-2499.