Gross decontamination is defined as which of the following?

• A. Thorough cleaning after the incident
• B. A quick wipe of contamination on equipment
• C. Rapid removal of external contamination from a person or equipment at the scene, performed as the first decon step to reduce exposure risk
• D. Delayed decon

Answer: (C)

Gross decontamination is the rapid removal of external contamination from a person or equipment at the scene, performed as the first decon step to reduce exposure risk. The idea is to quickly strip away the most contamination and prevent it from spreading or being absorbed, before moving on to more thorough cleaning later. This is done on-site to minimize secondary contamination and lower the dose or exposure risk to responders and bystanders. It’s different from thorough cleaning done after the incident, which is more time-consuming and detailed, and it’s more than a simple wipe because the goal is to rapidly reduce contamination in the moment. Delayed decon would miss that immediate risk reduction.