PAH participates in Decon Training

Staff members of the Punxsutawney Area Hospital participated in a rigorous Decontamination Training on the campus of PAH. The decon process is conducted when people have been contaminated by hazardous agents seek medical treatment at the hospital. Some examples of sources of contamination include but are not limited to: home chemical exposures, agricultural exposures, transportation exposures, and industrial spills. The decontamination process reduces and prevents the spread of hazardous agents to employees and within the facility.

“Punxsutawney Area Hospital plans and trains for hazardous material contamination incidents so that we can be prepared to serve the needs of our community whenever a situation arises. We also commit ourselves to protecting the health and safety of our employees by ensuring proper training delivered by healthcare professionals who are experts in decontamination” state Deanna Beveridge Disaster Preparedness Officer for PAH.

Emergency Educators, LLC. trained 14 employees on the proper steps to take in the event of hazardous material contamination. The staff participating in the training ran a drill where they cared for and decontaminated 49 patients in 1 hour and 40 minutes by processing them through a decontamination tent where the patients were showered and rid of the contaminate.