By Christine de Kock
PROTESTERS at Western Oval, Footscray were rushed to a decontamination unit at Western Hospital after they were exposed to a suspicious white powder.
The protesters were participating in an emergency department drill and the white powder was talcum powder but hospital staff and those involved in the exercise took the matter seriously.
Hospital spokeswoman Anne Learmonth said Emergency Department staff involved in the decontamination process wore Level C personal protective equipment.
“The objectives of the exercise are to identify any gaps in the current decontamination plan for Western Hospital,” she said.
She said that the drill also ensured that staff were familiar with decontamination procedures and use of equipment.
As part of the procedure protestors were asked to step into showers set up outside the hospital.
Volunteers assisting in the drill stepped into the showers fully clothed and undressed while under the shower. Those taking part in the program came prepared wearing bathers or shorts.
Drill participants also fainted and carried dolls – a simulation of a small child or baby – as part of the exercise.
