A clearly marked pad, often a sticky mat or yellow-and-magenta bordered square, at the boundary of a contaminated area. Workers remove protective clothing in a set order with the contaminated side still behind them, then step onto the pad with clean feet, never back into the area. Waste bins for clothing and a frisker usually sit beside it. Poor step-off technique is a leading cause of personnel contamination events.
Outer gloves off before you touch the booties, then step to the step-off pad and frisk your hands.
Personnel contaminations cluster in the last minute of a job, while undressing, so a slow and deliberate step-off beats a quick one.
Also heard as
- step off pad
- SOP
Related terms
Dress out
To put on the protective clothing required by an RWP before entering a contaminated area.
Anti-Cs
Anti-contamination clothing: the coveralls, hoods, gloves and overshoes worn to keep contamination off workers.
Frisker
The count-rate meter and probe kept at exits for checking hands, feet and clothing for contamination.
PCE
Personnel contamination event: contamination found on a worker's skin or personal clothing above a set threshold.
Rad rope
Yellow and magenta rope, ribbon or chain used to mark the boundary of a radiological area.