OXNARD : Hospital Team Holds Toxic Cleanup Drill

A hospital-based hazardous materials team in Oxnard conducted a drill on Monday that simulated the decontamination of a farm worker accidentally dusted with pesticide.

Volunteers from the staff of St. John’s Regional Medical Center coated a co-worker with talcum power and escorted him to a “decontamination” tent outside the hospital’s emergency room entrance.

Dressed in chemical-resistant suits, two team members hosed down Ricky Takeshita with water and then sprayed him with detergent. “I am the newest member so I get the water,” said Takeshita, director of pharmacy and newest member of the team.

In a real accident, the victim would then be treated in the emergency room, said Rick Hixson, assistant vice president of the hospital. An independent company, under contract with the hospital, collects and disposes of victims’ clothing and special suits and gloves worn by team members, he said.

A typical decontamination takes 15 to 30 minutes, Hixson said.

The nine-member team was formed two years ago at St. John’s to deal with victims of hazardous spills, he said. The team has averaged about six cases a year, most of them involving people who have accidentally sprayed themselves or ingested commercial insecticides, Hixson said. So far, none have been fatal.