Final answer:
The last item removed during the decontamination process is gloves, after other personal protective equipment has been taken off. Gloves are the primary barrier to contaminants and require careful removal to prevent the transfer of contaminants.
Step-by-step explanation:
The item that is removed last during the decontamination process would likely be any personal protective equipment (PPE) such as protective coats, face protection, and cut-resistant gloves. These are the final barriers between personnel and contaminants, ensuring that any harmful substances do not come into contact with the skin or are inhaled.
Considering the removal process, after handling contaminated specimens or when the decontamination procedure is concluded, personnel must carefully remove their PPE to minimize the risk of self-contamination or spreading contaminants to the environment. Gloves are typically removed last as they are the primary barrier between the personnel and the contaminants. It is essential to follow proper procedures for removing gloves to prevent contaminant transfer. As per standard practice, items like coats and face protection are removed before gloves, which are discarded in a manner that avoids contact with the contaminated surfaces.
To summarize, given the standard practices in decontamination, the process concludes with the careful removal of gloves after taking off other layers of PPE, followed by decontaminating hands with detergent, warm water, and either 1 N NaOH or a 1:10 dilution of bleach, ensuring no trace of harmful substances remain.