Biological
PERSONAL WIPE DOWN
If you know or suspect toxins or other biological
The personal wipe down technique is most
agents are present, remove the contamination with
effective when done within 15 minutes of being
soap and water. If water is not available, use M258A1
contaminated. Every Seabee wipes down his or her
decon wipes in the same manner as described for
mask, hood, gloves, and other essential gear. (An
chemical agent decon.
exception is when a thickened agent is globed on the
overgarment.) For chemical and biological decon,
Radiological
Seabees use their skin decon kits. Radiological
contamination may be brushed away.
Radiological contamination can readily be
detected and located with monitoring equipment.
Do not attempt to remove chemical contamination
Remove the contamination and you reduce the hazard.
from your protective overgarment. The special
Brush the dust off your load-bearing equipment and
protective properties of the garment minimize hazards
mask carrier. If you are contaminated with a dry
f r o m chemical agents. However, brush off
contaminant, such as fallout, shake your clothing and
radiological, biological, or frozen chemical agent
gear. Wash the exposed areas of your skin. Use
contamination from your overgarment.
M258A1 decon wipes if soap and water are not
If radiological contamination is not removed, your
available. Pay particular attention to your hair and
radiation exposure will increase over time.
fingernails. Avoid breathing the dust you shake off by
wearing a piece of cloth over your face. If you were
contaminated by a wet radiological contaminant, you
Chemical
must immediately conduct a MOPP gear exchange.
Brushing or shaking will not remove the wet
The stocks and handgrips of individual weapons
radiological contaminant or its hazard. Wipe off your
also tend to absorb chemical agents. Once absorbed,
mask, hood, helmet, gloves, footwear covers, and
they may present a vapor hazard for days. To reduce
other personal equipment with warm, soapy water. If
this penetration and vapor hazard, decontaminate
warm, soapy water is unavailable, use rags or damp
individual equipment using the M291 or the M258A1
paper towels. Ensure contamination is not spread to
kits. You must decontaminate gloves, hood and mask,
clean areas.
helmet, and weapon if they are contaminated.
Perform personal and equipment wipe down within 15
OPERATOR'S SPRAY DOWN
minutes after being exposed to liquid contamination.
Additionally, wearing your Kevlar helmet protective
After you have decontaminated yourself and
cover will prevent or reduce the absorption of any
your personal equipment, you may need to decon
liquid chemical agent.
other mission-essential portions of your equipment
before continuing your mission. For example, you
If an agent is globed on your overgarment, you
may need to decon the vehicle you are operating or
may scrape it off with a stick or other object;
a crew-served weapon. To ensure you do not pickup
otherwise, do not attempt to decontaminate chemical
contamination from these items, decontaminate
agents on your overgarment. This will provide little,
those surfaces you or your crew must touch while
if any, extra protection and you probably will not have
operating the equipment. This decon is called the
enough M291 and M258A1 decon wipes to do so.
"operator's spray down" and is most effective when
done within 15 minutes after personal wipe down.
Decon wipe 1 works better against the G-type of
Starting this technique later is not as effective;
nerve agents but can burn your skin. Decon wipe 2
contamination, especially chemical agents, will
works better against CX-type of nerve agents and
probably have spread and will be more difficult to
blister agents. Additionally, decon wipe 2 is not as
remove by this technique.
caustic to the skin and should help to neutralize some
of the caustic compounds in wipe 1. When M291 and
Chemical
M258A1 decon wipes are not available, field
expedient methods, such as washing with soap, water,
Decontaminate those surfaces you must touch to
do your job. Use an onboard portable decon
and bleach solution, are partially effective (see
apparatus, such as M11 or M13 (fig. 6-3).
6-9