1.
Station 1.
Initial wash.
This station removes the gross contamination and dirt from the vehicle. The
vehicle is sprayed for two or three minutes with hot, soapy water. It is
then scrubbed to help remove caked-on dirt.
The mechanical action of
scrubbing also helps remove thickened chemical agents.
Although the
undersurfaces are difficult to reach, try to remove as much dirt as
possible. After scrubbing the vehicle, spray again for two or three minutes
to remove loosened dirt and contamination.
This station will use
approximately 250 gallons of water per vehicle. Larger vehicles or vehicles
with large quantities of dirt will use more water.
The runoff is
contaminated and must be treated as hazardous.
This requires high water
pressure systems (M12A1 PDDA or M17 LDS) rather than high water volume
systems (65-gallon pump).
The effectiveness of the wash depends upon the type of wash:
hot, soapy
water, hot water, cold water, steam. Hot, soapy water is water heated to
about 120, to 140,F. to which a detergent has been added to reduce its
surface tension. The detergent removes the agent by emulsification followed
by mechanical displacement of the suspension.
Hot water alone is less
effective than hot, soapy water.
Because of the high temperature, some
agents are best removed by steam through vaporization.
Finally, for some
chemical agents, cold water exhibits better solvent characteristics.
2.
Station 2.
DS2 Application.
The objective of this station is to apply decontaminant to the entire
vehicle. The vehicle is divided in four parts and a member of the scrubbing
team is assigned that part of the vehicle. This limits the workload of each
member of the scrubbing team and avoids duplication of work. DS2 is applied
starting at the top of the vehicle and working toward the undercarriage,
especially if the vehicle has crossed a contaminated area. The mop is the
least tiring method of applying DS2.
Using a mop to apply DS2 creates a
large amount of spillage, however, continual use of the M13 DAP requires the
scrub team to exert more energy than using the mop. The M13 DAP can be used
to apply DS2 in hard-to-reach areas.
Prior to the start of the decon operation, the scrub team pours 5-gallon
cans of DS2 into 30-gallon trash cans, if mops are going to be used instead
of the M13 DAP. Each member of the scrub team will wear TAP Aprons or wet
weather gear to protect from the DS2.
Water adversely affects the ability of DS2 to react with chemical agents.
When water in DS2 reaches 20% by weight, the reaction between DS2 and the
chemical agent stops. If excess water remains on the vehicle from Station
1, there are several options:
4-20
CM2300
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