For personal decontamination after OC exposure, which steps are recommended?

• A. Have the person stay still, breathe normally, and flush their face and eyes with clean water.
• B. Run vigorously to expel spray and rub eyes with hands.
• C. Use hot water and soap to scrub eyes immediately.
• D. Apply ice to the face and eyes to reduce swelling.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is to minimize spreading the irritant and reduce eye/face irritation by starting gentle, controlled decontamination: keep the person still and breathing normally, then flush the eyes and face with clean water to remove the OC.

Staying still and breathing normally helps prevent inhaling more spray and stops unnecessary movement that could spread droplets. Flushing the face and eyes with clean water physically washes the irritant away from sensitive tissues, which lowers burning, tearing, and discomfort and avoids rubbing which can worsen injury or spread the irritant to other areas.

Rubbing the eyes or running around vigorously would only spread the spray and increase irritation. Using hot water and soap on the eyes is inappropriate and can worsen irritation or cause additional harm. Applying ice to the face or eyes isn’t a decontamination step and can cause tissue damage or mask symptoms without addressing the contaminant.

After the initial rinse, continue to rinse as needed and seek medical guidance if symptoms persist.