Conduct Field Sanitary Appliance Inspection

EO 010.03

References

• Handbook of Army Health

• Solid Waste Burning (US Army)

• CFP 213

• CFP 269

• STANAG 2982 Essential Field Sanitary Requirements

Selection of Camp Site

A camp site should never be chosen without medical representation and advice on health aspects. Proper site selection is essential to suture sanitary control.

Selection of CampsiteWhenever possible, the following factors should be taken into account in planning temporary camp or barrack accommodation:

• Climate:– particularly important in the tropics and must

include gaining max benefit from prevailing winds, natural shade, height above sea level. Air conditioning may be required in certain circumstances.

Selection of Campsite• Population density:

– relationship between population density and diseases is well known. Optimum requirements for camps and barracks are laid down in terms of number of persons and buildings per unit area of ground.

• Communicable disease: – areas of high local disease incidence should be

avoided. Airborne infections and ingestion diseases are generally more prevalent in high density areas. Provision of medical intelligence is of great value when planning accommodation related to local disease factors.

Selection of Campsite• Communications:

– road, rail, sea, river and air travel facilities must be considered. Availability of helicopter landing pads and air strips has become more important.

• Expansion Facilities: – availability of building land locally may be

relevant to future plans for expansion.• Water supplies:

– an accessible supply of wholesome water is usually an overriding factor in deciding whether or not to accept a building site.

Selection of Camp Site

The following factors are essential:• Site selection:

– good drainage on sand, gravel or loam (clay, sand and organic matter or a rich dark soil) must be sought and gently sloping, high ground is preferable to the valley floor. Broken ground, swamps, rivers banks and ground with high subsoil water level should be avoided.

Selection of Camp Site

• Liaison with engineers and others:– better to plan properly than try to rectify

mistakes later, liaison will be concerned mostly with water supply, ablution, latrines and waste disposal.

• Water point/Ablution: – Should be placed to one side of the camp

and be well drained

Selection of Camp Site• Accommodation:

– site offices near the main entrance with living areas to the rear and messing facilities near the latter.

• Camp frontage: – should face into the prevailing wind, if

possible.

Selection of Camp Site• Latrines/urinals:

– site these as far as possible from the water point and cookhouse; on the leeward (in the direction toward which the wind blows) side of the camp, if possible, and within 100 yards of the living accommodations.

• Transport lines: – concentrated in an area separate from the

main camp and with separate entrance.

Selection of Camp SiteGeneral considerations:• Temporary Camps (12 hrs – 7 days):

– during operations and exercises there are many moves. Tactical considerations, not least being camouflage, are frequently overriding factors. Often, a unit has to make the best of the area allocated and whatever shelter it can find. The occupation of buildings, damaged or otherwise, may permit use to be made of exiting sanitary facilities. This is a practical and time conserving approach.

Selection of Camp Site

General considerations:• Semi-Permanent Camps (7 days – 6 months):

– such camps are used for concentration of troops in base or communication zones, or

for training. They should be healthy, providing due regard is paid to selection, layout and maintenance.

Selection of Camp Site

When tactical considerations permit, the

following principles should be applied:

• Location:– close proximity to towns and villages in

under-developed countries is undesirable. Such locations often provide the source of nuisance and infection.

Selection of Camp Site• Terrain:

– broken ground encourages bad sanitation, harbours insects and vermin. Swampy areas should be avoided. Such locations, together with banks of lakes and rivers, often increase the problem of mosquitoes and biting insects. If camp sites are adjacent to rivers or lakes it may encourage drinking from or washing in polluted waters. It is desirable to select fairly high ground, well grassed, which possesses natural drainage.

Selection of Camp Site• Terrain cont’d:• it is well to avoid steep slopes and the

bottoms of valleys. Recently turned soil becomes quagmired (wet, boggy) quickly. The sanitary defects of previous occupants may becomes unpleasantly apparent if recently vacated sites are occupied. Parks, camps and caravan sites may offer many useful facilities when circumstances permit their use.

Selection of Camp Site• Approaches:

– Metalled roads are desirable, but approach should be off a main traffic route.

• Water: – A good potable water supply is desirable.

Tactical considerations may necessitate this being situated some distance from the camp.

Camp Site Selection

Summary of Requirements:

• Gentle, grassy slopes• On fairly high ground, with gravel type soil to aid

drainage• Open to the wind, but not too exposed• Good approaches, linked to a camp circuit road• Ample space, with room for expansion• Convenient water supply

Sanitation• On arrival at a camp site, or very soon after,

facilities must be provided for the correct disposal of all wastes.

• If sanitation is not put on a sound basis from the outset it is difficult to correct the problems that will occur.

• Improvisation is time consuming and it is desirable that many of the appliances required for field use be prefabricated. When practicable they should be portable.

Camp Layout

• Front of camp: – to face in the direction of the prevailing wind.

• Sleeping Quarters: – should be sited in front of all other

accommodations. If in tents, allow 30 sq ft floor area per man. Provide floor boards in tents. Ventilation, when under canvas, requires particular supervision.

Camp Layout• Kitchen:

– may be aligned to flank sleeping quarters.

• Drinking water: – should be located upgrade from the camp,

unless mobile tanks or a piped service furnish the supply.

Camp Layout• Latrines:

– should be down-wind from the kitchen and sleeping areas, but with due regard to the water supply. Latrines should be lighted at night.

• Ablution: – should be located between latrines and

other accommodations.

Camp Layout

• Refuse disposal and Liquid Waste Disposal:

– locate downwind from camp to minimize hazards from flies and water pollution

BivouacsGeneral principles of camp sanitation are

applicable to bivouacs, which are generally

used on active service during war or as an

accommodation on exercise.

• Bivouac: – a temporary encampment in the open,

with only tents or improvised shelter.

BivouacsIts origin:Bivouac (from Fr.: bivouac or bivac). Often shortened in British

army slang to ‘bivvy’, the word has only been used in English

since about 1700 and was not in common use before the

Napoleonic wars. The French use of the word probably dates from

the Thirty Years War. Its origins can be traced into dialectal

(Swiss) German and the word beiwacht, a term used in

Aargan and Zurich to refer to a patrol of citizens (Schaarwache)

which were added (beigegeben) to the ordinary town watch at

night at any time of special need or danger. The marriage of the

two words beigegeben and Schaarwache produced beiwacht.

Temporary Camps - Shallow Trench Latrine

• Adequate for up to three days. Attempts should be made to provide something more permanent if more than three days are to be spent in one place.

• The most basic of all field latrines, it is simply a shallow pit.

• Should be dug in rows and maximum use be made of natural cover.

Semi-Permanent Camps

Various latrines are suitable for use in such

camps. Selection depends on a number of

factors:

• Length of the camp• Number of people to be accommodated• Nature of sub-soil (can it be excavated)• Labour and materials available• Religious and national habits

Types of Latrines

Two main types of latrine for semi-permanent camps:

• Excavated: usually preferable but require careful siting to avoid pollution of underground water supplies. Fly breeding, odours and nuisance can be prevented by sound constructional techniques and good maintenance.

• Receptacle: not as satisfactory as excavated types. Primary objection is that the contents require eventual disposal, usually necessitating carriage and digging of pits. This duplicates effort.

Deep Trench Latrine

• One of the most satisfactory type of latrines used in semi-permanent camps. Consists of a pit which is 3.6m long and 0.75 m wide by at least 2.5m deep. The deeper the better.

• The site must be selected with care, danger of contaminating underground water supplies must be considered.

Shallow Bore Latrine

Consists of a vertical

bore of 225-300 mm

(3/4 feet) in diameter.

The shaft is sunk with

a small auger to a

minimum of 2m. This

type of latrine is also

suitable for extended

temporary camps.

Deep Bore Latrine• This type of latrine has a vertical bore of

400 - 450 mm (1.47 ft) in diameter.• The shaft is sunk with a purpose designed auger

and is sunk to a depth of 5 – 6 m or until sub-soil water is reached.

• Its use:– this type of latrine is ideal for small, isolated camps and

due to it’s depth it requires little maintenance and no fly breeding will occur.

– concurrence of medical and engineering services should be obtained before constructing a deep bore latrine. This ensures that ground water supplies will not be polluted by this type of latrine.

Bucket LatrineFar from ideal, main objections

being spillage, contamination

and fly attraction during

disposal of contents. When

possible, a contractor should be

employed to empty buckets

and transport the waste away

from the camp otherwise

contents should be emptied

into an Otway pit (septic tank).

Otway Pit

Constructed in a manner similar to a deep trench latrine, except for the

cover. Measures 3.8m x 0.75m x 2.5m (minimum).

Plastic Bag Latrine

Chemical Latrine

Urinals – Temporary CampsShallow Trench

Urinal: A pit 2 m x

600 mm x 150mm

deep. Soil of the pit is

loosened to assist

disposal of urine.

Earth is banked on

three sides and used

to refill the pit.

Semi-permanent campsTrough Urinal: Metal construction - each end of the

trough should be sealed off and a drainage pipe

connects the trough to a soakage pit.

Semi-permanent campsFunnel urinal: Funnels discharge into a soakage pit and top of

funnel should not be more than 600mm (2 ft) above the ground.

Some form of strainer should be fitted to each funnel to prevent

blockages.

Semi-permanent camps

Urinoil:

Semi-permanent camps• Urinoil:

– 22 litre oil drum set into a standard soakage pit. Small holes are punched around the circumference of the drum 300 mm from the top. A pipe is inserted through the filler port extending to within 25mm of the bottom. The joint between the pipe and filler port is packed tight with oil soaked cloth. 15 litres of water are poured through the pipe followed by 0.5 l of waste oil.

Night Urinals

Buckets maybe provided as night urinals. When they are utilised, buckets must be emptied each morning, the bucket thoroughly cleaned and lightly oiled.

Liquid waste

The liquid wastes which commonly need

sanitary methods of disposal in the field are

those resulting from:• Liquid wastes from kitchen:

– high proportions of grease, food particles, soap and other detergents

• Personal ablutions: – soapy water

Liquid waste

• Both types of waste, by their chemical composition, soon clog the most absorptive soil when discharged to the ground. It is, therefore, necessary to remove as much of the grease, particulate matter and soap as possible from the waste water before it reaches the soil.

Soakage Pit• Use straw, grass

or brushwood at the top. This layer is removed and replace daily, the old layer may be burned.

• The pit can be provided with a removable cover.

Grease TrapMust be watertight

boxes and are

filled with cold

water. The

incoming warm,

grease laden water

passes through the

primary strainer,

which retains

solids.

Solid RefuseIn the field, solid refuse, generated by

troops and requiring sanitary disposal,

falls into two categories:• Food waste attract pests• Dry waste provide harbourages and breeding places

(cartons, paper, cans etc…)• Effective destruction or other disposal of all refuse is

important to the control communicable disease• Disposal will be by incineration or burial (landfill) as

in static location during peace, but in the field many appliances must be improvised.

Refuse ContainersThere should be two types:• Containers for food waste must be covered

in all temperate or warm climates• Where a metal container has an open end,

an efficient cover can be made from a square of sacking or other rough fabric

• Empty sacks may be used as receptacles for dry refuse but must be supported upright

Solid Waste Burning• Garbage: Spoiled or waste food that is thrown away

(also, any worthless, unnecessary or offensive matter)

• Rubbish: any material thrown away or rejected as worthless, trash, refuse.

• most frequently and preferred selected method. When burial is not possible, the combustible solid waste can be burned.

• Open burning of wastes is not desirable when wind and other conditions cause the smoke plume to remain close to the ground and in the direction of personnel. One of the most important hazards associated with the open burning of human and other solid wastes comes from the fuel that is used to ignite and help burn the wastes.

Solid Waste Burning (exposures)

Personnel conducting solid waste burning operations may be exposed to fire, heat, smoke, and possibly, viable pathogenic organisms.

Solid Waste Burning (PPE)

Care should be taken to locate burn-out sites and to select burning opportunities that minimize exposure of personnel to smoke. Changing environmental conditions may cause a smoke plume to change directions or fall toward the ground after the fire is started.

Solid Waste Burning (PPE)• Personnel involved in igniting and

maintaining the burning material should be appropriately protected from the fire and the heat. Immunizations against bacterial and viral enteric pathogens (typhoid, Hep A) provide protection for personnel directly involved in burning operations

Solid Waste Burning

Viable organisms may become aerosolized during

the burning process. These organisms may include

pathogenic should practice good personal hygiene

and not stand in the smoke plume. trains. Personnel

involved in the burning process When recommended

by preventive medicine staff, personnel in the

immediate area who are conducting the burning

operation should be appropriately fitted with air-

Filtering respirators (N-95 or -99) and placed in the

Respiratory Protection Program.

Solid Waste Burning – Health Effects

• There is a remote possibility that viable pathogens may be aerosolized during the burning of sanitary waste. Enteric and other diseases may be spread in this manner. Caution should be taken to insure good combustion while avoiding inhalation of smoke (eyes and respiratory tract irritants) or aerosolized material. Respiratory protection may be recommended for personnel directly involved in the burning of sanitary and other solid wastes have more significant exposures due to the concentration of the pollutants at the source and the duration of their exposure.