Decontamination
Contaminated kit quarantined. Treated. Returned — or condemned.
DeconBag quarantine workflow for PPE exposed to hazardous substances. Five contamination types, guided treatment pathways, photo documentation, and individual garment assessment before any contaminated item re-enters the processing flow.
Quarantine workflow
Flagged at intake. Isolated immediately.
When contaminated garments arrive at goods-in, the operator flags them as contaminated and assigns them to a DeconBag. The garments are quarantined — physically separated from the standard processing flow and digitally locked from any wash or inspection task until decontamination is complete.
Each DeconBag has a unique barcode identifier. The system tracks which garments are inside, when they entered quarantine, and which contamination type was recorded. Nothing leaves the DeconBag without a recorded assessment.
Contamination types
Five categories. Each drives a different treatment pathway.
Soot
Products of combustion from structural fires. Standard decontamination wash at elevated temperature.
Chemical
Industrial chemicals, fuel spills, hazmat exposure. Specialist treatment pathway required.
Biological
Blood, bodily fluids, infectious material. Biohazard protocol with elevated temperature wash.
Radiological
Radioactive contamination exposure. External specialist treatment — garment leaves site.
Unknown
Contamination type not identified at intake. Held in quarantine until assessed by a competent person.
Each contamination type maps to a defined treatment pathway. The system presents the correct pathway to the operator based on the contamination category — no guessing which wash programme or chemical treatment to apply.
Treatment pathways
The contamination type determines the treatment. Not the operator.
Treatment pathways define the wash programme, temperature, chemical agents, and number of cycles required for each contamination type. The operator follows the pathway — selecting the machine, confirming the programme, and recording completion at each step.
Some contamination types require external specialist treatment. The system flags these garments for dispatch to the specialist provider, tracks time out of the plant, and triggers a re-assessment when the garment returns.
Photo documentation
Pre-treatment and post-treatment. Visual evidence stored.
Operators capture photos before and after decontamination treatment. The pre-treatment photo documents the contamination as received. The post-treatment photo documents the garment condition after the treatment pathway is complete.
Photos are stored against the garment lifecycle record permanently. They form part of the compliance pack — evidence that contaminated PPE was identified, quarantined, treated, and assessed before being returned to service.
Individual assessment
Every garment assessed individually. No batch clearance.
After treatment, each garment in the DeconBag is assessed individually. The operator scans the garment, reviews the treatment record, examines the garment, and records a pass or fail. Failed garments are condemned. Passed garments re-enter the standard processing flow.
Batch clearance is not permitted. Even if ten garments went through the same treatment cycle, each one is assessed and recorded separately. The system enforces this — the DeconBag cannot be closed until every garment inside has an individual assessment result.
FAQ
Common questions
How does Vorrex handle CBRN-contaminated PPE?
CBRN contamination with an unidentified agent triggers immediate condemnation — this is the one hardcoded rule in Vorrex, required by ISO 23616. The garment is quarantined and cannot re-enter the wash cycle. A condemnation certificate is generated automatically and attached to the wearer's compliance record.
What contamination categories does Vorrex track?
Vorrex tracks five contamination categories: standard soiling (routine wash), chemical contamination, biological contamination, radiological/nuclear (CBRN), and physical contamination (fuel, oil). Each category routes to a different treatment pathway. Category is captured at sort or by wearer report in Vorrex Me.
How does photo documentation work for contaminated garments?
Photos are captured at the point of sort or decontamination assessment and attached to the garment's lifecycle record. Images are stored against the contamination event with a timestamp and operator ID. Photos are included in the compliance pack for the relevant brigade.
Can each garment receive an individual decontamination assessment?
Yes. Individual assessment mode in Vorrex Terminal guides the operator through a structured checklist for each contaminated garment. Assessment results determine the treatment pathway — standard wash, specialist decontamination, or condemnation. All assessment steps are logged as lifecycle events.
Related reading
See it on your data, or start with the checklist.
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