RMP-ENV-005 Chemical on skin or in the eyes: decontamination supplies and a clock-time record (the crew rinse)

1 · Identity and scope

When a chemical gets on a crewmember's skin or in their eyes, the robot alerts the flight surgeon and the CMO, brings the eyewash kit and decontamination supplies to the clean side where the crew rinse, shows the onboard checklist and the first-aid section of that chemical's entry in the vehicle hazardous-materials list, records rinse start and stop times as stated, and stows sealed bags of contaminated clothing. Skin injury goes to RMP-SKIN-002 and eye injury to RMP-EYE-001, as in RMP-ENV-002.

Why this protocol was chosen. For ammonia, the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) says rapid skin and eye decontamination is critical: people who are able may help with their own decontamination; contaminated clothing is removed while flushing and double-bagged; liquid-exposed skin and hair are flushed with water for at least 5 minutes; exposed eyes are irrigated with plain water or saline for at least 15 minutes, and its emergency department section says "Continue irrigation for at least 15 minutes or until the pH of the conjunctival fluid has returned to normal"; rescuers avoid chilling the person; and after a swallowed exposure, vomiting is not induced. The College of Optometrists advises irrigating a chemical eye injury for at least 20 minutes. These are Earth sources; for chemicals other than ammonia the steps come from the onboard checklist and the chemical's entry in the hazardous-materials list, and their use here is design judgment. The robot never says when to stop rinsing: the CMO decides under the checklist. As in RMP-EYE-001, only the CMO ends eye irrigation, using a stable physiologic pH (pH paper, if in the kit), not time alone. NASA-STD-3001 requires a means to remove or isolate released chemical contaminants (V2 6063). A leak, spill or alarm is a vehicle emergency led by the commander (RMP-ENV-002 for ammonia, RMP-ENV-001 for smoke). A dedicated sealed decontamination pack (gloves and eye protection for helpers, double bags, towels, a blanket against chilling and pH paper) is kept separate from the eyewash kit, and the eyewash kit is always fetched first, so eye irrigation never waits (design judgment).

Autonomy: Max rung 2 for supervised fetching of the eyewash kit and decontamination supplies to the clean side, showing the onboard checklist and the chemical's first-aid section, recording times as stated, and stowing sealed bags of contaminated clothing. The robot never rinses, wipes or undresses anyone, and never enters or pauses in a contaminated module.

Related: RMP-ENV-002 · RMP-SKIN-002 · RMP-EYE-001 · RMP-RESP-001 · RMP-ENV-001 · RMP-INF-002 · RMP-PHARM-001

2 · Roles

Medical authority

Flight surgeon (ground). Holds medical authority for every run.

Onboard lead

Crew medical officer (CMO), acting under delegated care; uses the pre-approved onboard checklist when there is no link.

Others

• Second trained CMO: receives every alert and takes over if the CMO is the patient
• Vehicle commander: leads any cabin emergency procedure
• Other crew: help as the CMO or commander directs
• The exposed crewmember: helps with their own rinsing when able

Commercial flights

On commercial flights, 'flight surgeon' and 'CMO' mean the operator's designated medical authority and trained onboard responder. If no trained responder is aboard, this protocol is not used. (NASA-STD-3001 requires two CMOs per vehicle for NASA programs [V1 3006]; FAA rules set no medical standards for spaceflight participants.) [11]

3 · Preconditions and consent

• PRE-1 A crewmember, the CMO or the commander started the protocol by command after a chemical got on skin or in the eyes.human_start == trueV2 10174
• PRE-2 Robot self-test passed; kit stowage locations known.V2 10161V2 7059
• PRE-3 Robot and supplies restrained when not moving.V2 7046
• PRE-4 Link status known. The crew never wait for the robot before acting.link_state in [live, delayed, down]

Consent

Emergency care; recording by the CMO's agreement when the crewmember cannot speak.

Emergency consent

If the crewmember cannot agree, the robot proceeds on the CMO's or commander's command.

Withdrawal

The crewmember or CMO can stop video; the alert and record stand.

4 · Required sensor inputs

5–6 · Steps and decision points

Each step names who acts. Decision points sit after the step they follow and say who decides: Robot Crew Ground. Any stop rule in section 7 can interrupt any step.

1. S1RobotRung 2

   Send an URGENT "chemical on skin or in the eyes" alert to the flight surgeon and the CMO at once, and to the commander if a leak, spill or alarm is stated. Every URGENT alert goes to the CMO and the flight surgeon at the same time (queued for the flight surgeon if the link is down). If the CMO is the patient, is busy treating, or does not answer, the alert goes to the second trained CMO, or the crewmember named before flight [V1 3006]. An URGENT alert that is not acknowledged within <set by validation> seconds is repeated and sent to the next named crewmember.

   Done when: Alert acknowledged, or escalated.

   V1 3006V2 10174

2. S2Crew

   The crew start rinsing at once under the onboard checklist, without waiting for the robot or the link: the crewmember helps if able, contaminated clothing comes off while rinsing and is double-bagged and sealed, and the eyes are irrigated as the checklist states (RMP-EYE-001), and contact lenses come out if they are easily removable without further harm to the eye (ATSDR). Helpers wear the gloves and eye protection from the pack. A leak, spill or alarm is led by the commander's vehicle procedure (RMP-ENV-002 for ammonia).

   Done when: Rinsing started, as stated by the CMO.

   V2 6063

3. S3RobotRung 2

   On a human command, bring first the eyewash kit, then the sealed decontamination pack (gloves and eye protection for helpers, double bags for contaminated clothing, towels, a blanket to prevent chilling and pH paper, as the kit list states), only to the clean side the commander or CMO names; it never enters or pauses in a contaminated module or a hatch route. A chemical on skin or in the eyes is a stated emergency (S1 is already URGENT). This is an emergency fetch on a human command (CMO, crewmember or commander): no barcode check runs before hand-over and nothing waits for one. The robot reads the kit's own label and seal status only if that adds no delay, says "EMERGENCY FETCH – NOT VERIFIED (CMO, crewmember or commander command)", and "seal not intact" if so, and hands the kit over anyway. The fetch is logged as an override: time, who asked, the reason as stated, kit ID and seal status. It never says "verified".

   Done when: Eyewash kit, then the decontamination pack, at the clean side; emergency fetch logged.

   Limit: <set by validation>

   V2 7046V2 7059

   D1DecisionRobot decides

   Which kit fetch was it, and what did the checked kit fetch show?

   • EMERGENCY FETCH (an URGENT red flag had fired, or a crewmember or the CMO stated an emergency) → Hand-over already done as an emergency fetch, logged as an override; reconciled afterwards (not a check before use).
   • KIT ID AND SEAL MATCH → Hand the kit over closed; log "KIT ID AND SEAL MATCH. Not a check of the contents." and the clock time.
   • MISMATCH, seal not intact or CANNOT VERIFY → Shown with the reason. No hand-over under this protocol: the kit stays sealed in quarantine (the RMP-PHARM-001 default), and the robot never hands it over unprompted or to anyone but the CMO. The robot does not offer or suggest an override. Only if the CMO explicitly makes the two-step override request inside RMP-PHARM-001 can the kit go to the CMO, logged there as an override with the reason, and flagged to the flight surgeon. If the need becomes an emergency, a crewmember or the CMO states it and the emergency fetch applies.No hand-over
4. S4RobotRung 2

   Show on screen, by the name the crew state, the onboard checklist and the first-aid section of that chemical's entry in the vehicle hazardous-materials list. Record rinse start and stop times and body areas exactly as stated, as clock-time entries on a timeline. Only the CMO or crew decide when rinsing stops.

   Done when: Times and areas logged as stated.

   V1 6003

5. S5RobotRung 2

   Ask the crewmember, on screen or by voice, about eye pain or blurred vision, skin pain or burning, breathing, and whether anything was swallowed; log the answers word for word.

   Done when: Answers logged or "no response".

   V1 6003

   D2DecisionRobot decides

   Checked after every answer and at any point in the run (even mid-question or mid-step): does any answer, reading or observation meet a red flag?

   • Yes → Stop the current question or step at once and apply the action listed for each matching red flag (URGENT alert, flag, or stop), with the answer or reading itself, never a cause. Every URGENT alert goes to the CMO and the flight surgeon at the same time (queued for the flight surgeon if the link is down). If the CMO is the patient, is busy treating, or does not answer, the alert goes to the second trained CMO, or the crewmember named before flight [V1 3006]. An URGENT alert that is not acknowledged within <set by validation> seconds is repeated and sent to the next named crewmember.
   • No → Continue.
   D3DecisionRobot decides

   Did the crewmember answer the symptom questions?

   • Yes → Continue.
   • Declined explicitly (the crewmember says no to a question) → Log "declined" for that question only; the alert already sent stands.
   • No response, or the answer does not make sense → URGENT: log "no response" (never "declined"); the CMO, or the second trained CMO if the CMO is the patient, checks the crewmember in person at once.
6. S6RobotRung 2

   Take only double-bagged, sealed bags of contaminated clothing and wipes that the crew have closed, from the clean side to the place the commander names, never opening them. The robot then waits at the clean side for the decontamination step the vehicle procedure states, and is cleaned under RMP-INF-002 before its next task.

   Done when: Sealed bags stowed; robot cleaned before reuse.

   V2 6063V2 7064

7. S7RobotRung 2

   After any URGENT alert: After an URGENT alert the robot does not leave on its own: it stays at its rest position in the module, with its screen and voice link available, until a human has taken over or tells it to go. It never follows, blocks or touches anyone. It keeps time-stamping what humans say they did, and repeats the alert if it is not acknowledged.

   Done when: Robot at rest in the module until a human releases it; alert acknowledged or escalated.

   V2 10173V1 3006

8. S8Ground

   The flight surgeon (or the CMO under the onboard checklist when there is no link) decides on further care, eye and skin follow-up, and the toxicology review.

   Done when: Decision logged.

   V1 5003

   D4DecisionGround decides

   What further care and follow-up are needed?

   • Link live → Flight surgeon decides; robot logs.
   • Link down or delay too long → The CMO decides under the pre-approved onboard checklist; the flight surgeon reviews the log at the next contact.
9. S9RobotRung 2

   Only after the CMO or flight surgeon has placed an order, run RMP-PHARM-001 for the ordered item (fetch, barcode match to every order field, recipient check). This protocol adds nothing to that check, never suggests an order, and never hands anything over outside RMP-PHARM-001.

   Done when: RMP-PHARM-001 run logged with its result, or none ordered.

   V2 7059

   D5DecisionRobot decides

   What did RMP-PHARM-001 show for the ordered item?

   • MATCH TO ORDER → RMP-PHARM-001 completes its own recipient check and hand-over; this protocol only logs "MATCH TO ORDER. Not a dose, interaction or allergy review." and the clock time.
   • MISMATCH or CANNOT VERIFY on any field, or a failed scan or recipient check → MISMATCH or CANNOT VERIFY shown with the fields named. No hand-over under this protocol: the item stays sealed in the NOT VERIFIED bag in quarantine (the RMP-PHARM-001 default), and the robot never hands it over unprompted or to anyone but the CMO. The robot does not offer or suggest an override. Only if the CMO explicitly makes the two-step override request inside RMP-PHARM-001 can the item go to the CMO, logged there as an override with the reason and the mismatched fields, and flagged to the flight surgeon.No hand-over
10. S10RobotRung 2

    When the CMO says the event is over, run RMP-PHARM-001 reconciliation on each kit fetched: record the items the CMO or crew state were used, the remaining contents against the kit list, seal status and expiry, labelled "inventory reconciliation after emergency use – not a check before use". Flag the override to the flight surgeon and the pharmacy lead, and show each kit as "opened – not restocked" until a human restocks and reseals it.

    Done when: Kit reconciled or shown as "opened – not restocked".

    V2 7059

11. S11RobotRung 2

    Send the flight surgeon one package: chemical as stated, body areas, rinse times as stated, answers, where the sealed bags were stowed, alerts and decisions.

    Done when: Package delivered or queued.

    V1 6003V1 7003

7 · Stop and escalate rules, red flags

Red flags

The robot reports the sign or value only, never what it means. Numeric thresholds are placeholders for the clinical lead.

8 · Safety limits

9 · Logs and audit

• LOG-1 Every input, robot action, decision (with who made it) and hand-off, time-stamped to the second.V2 10163V2 10164
• LOG-2 Mode changes and safety-limit events are announced to the operator as they happen and logged.V2 10162V2 10172
• LOG-3 Records are stored and sent as private medical data, encrypted, with access limited to the medical team.V1 6003V1 7003
• LOG-4 Results are kept in a permanent, retrievable format so the flight surgeon can see trends.V1 7001
• LOG-5 Chemical as stated, body areas, rinse start and stop times as stated, answers, sealed bags stowed and where.
• LOG-6 Each URGENT alert, who received it, the time it was acknowledged (or the escalation to the next named crewmember), and the time a human released the robot.V2 10163
• LOG-7 Each emergency fetch as an override (time, who asked, reason as stated, kit ID, seal status) and the later inventory reconciliation, labelled "not a check before use".V2 7059

10 · Links to NASA-STD-3001

IDs as published in Volume 1 Revision C [6] and Volume 2 Revision F [7]. NASA-STD-3001 binds NASA programs; it is not a regulation for commercial flights. Its robot rules are general automation requirements, not medical-device rules.

11 · Validation

1. Simulation. Scripted splashes to eye and skin, unknown chemical, swallowed chemical, a leak alarm, robot contaminated, CMO as patient, lost link. Pass: Rinsing never waits; zero robot entries into the contaminated area; every red flag raised.
2. Training model. Decontamination drill with a mock splash. Pass: Supplies at the clean side; sealed bags never opened.
3. Parabolic or station demonstration. Supply fetch and sealed-bag stowage in weightlessness. Pass: No free liquid from the bags.
4. Flight use under flight surgeon supervision. First use in drills. Pass: No safety events.

No stage has been run. Pass and fail criteria must be fixed in advance by the clinical lead and safety board.

12 · Human sign-off

Before any use

• Clinical lead for the specialty (sets every clinical threshold marked <set by clinical lead>)
• Flight surgeon, as medical authority
• Robotics and medical-device safety board
• Program approval for the mission

Each run

Started by a crewmember, the CMO or the commander. The crew rinse; the commander leads any vehicle procedure.

Restart after a stop

Human only. After any emergency or protective stop, a crewmember must restart the robot; the robot never restarts itself.

None of these sign-offs has happened. This is a Draft v0.2.

13 · Change control for learning

• Every change gets a new version number and a written reason; earlier versions are kept.
• Any change to steps, thresholds, limits or software that touches the patient repeats validation from the simulation stage before use.
• Software and learned-skill updates follow a pre-agreed change plan (what may change, how it is tested, how to roll back), modeled on the FDA predetermined change control plan approach.
• If a new version misbehaves, the robot rolls back to the last validated version and the event is reviewed by the flight surgeon and safety board.
• The robot never changes its own protocol, thresholds or limits.

Change-plan model: FDA guidance [10].

Loss of signal and Mars delay

Live link

Low Earth orbit: the flight surgeon and toxicology support advise when the link allows.

Loss of signal

• Only the robot pauses non-essential motion, at a position clear of hatch routes and crew routes, and tells the CMO; it resumes offline only on the CMO's confirmation.
• Crew rinsing, eye irrigation, masks and the commander's vehicle procedure continue under the onboard checklist and never wait for the link or the robot.
• Rinsing never waits for the link; the CMO decides under the onboard checklist.

Mars-class delay

• The hazardous-materials list and the onboard checklist are loaded before flight.

[9]

Sources

1. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC). Medical Management Guidelines for Ammonia (NH3). Fetched Oct 21, 2026. wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/MMG/MMGDetails.aspx?mmgid=7&toxid=2 Supports: Ammonia medical management guideline: "Rapid skin and eye decontamination is critical"; victims who are able may assist with their own decontamination; remove contaminated clothing while flushing exposed areas and double-bag it; flush liquid-exposed skin and hair with water for at least 5 minutes; irrigate exposed or irritated eyes with plain water or saline for at least 15 minutes; avoid chilling (hypothermia) during decontamination; after ingestion do not induce vomiting. Ammonia-specific; use for other chemicals is design judgment.
2. The College of Optometrists. Clinical Management Guidelines: Trauma (chemical) (last updated March 13, 2026) Primary-care optometry guidance (public sections only). www.college-optometrists.org/clinical-guidance/clinical-mana… Supports: Flush the eye immediately with sterile salt solution, or tap water if that is not available, and continue to irrigate for at least 20 minutes before seeking medical attention; damage is generally greatest with alkalis such as ammonia; severe cases need immediate referral to hospital eye services or emergency care. (Only the publicly visible sections were read; the full guideline needs a login.)
3. NASA. ISS Daily Summary Report 01/14/15 (2015). www.nasa.gov/blogs/stationreport/2015/01/14/iss-daily-summar… Supports: Ammonia leak false alarm on the ISS: "The crew performed emergency procedures and subsequently evacuated the US Segment and isolated themselves to the Russian Segment"; later "the Crew ingressed the US Segment wearing protective ammonia masks and tested the atmosphere as a precaution." Operational context only; the flight procedure itself is not public. URL confirmed live (HTTP 200), Oct 21, 2026.
4. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Suspected sepsis in people aged 16 or over: recognition, assessment and early management. NICE guideline NG253 (2025, last updated Sept 23, 2026). www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng253/chapter/Face-to-face-assessme… Supports: People with sepsis may feel very unwell and may not have a high temperature; do not rely on fever alone; a rise in temperature can be a physiological response; assess temperature, heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, level of consciousness and oxygen saturation; look for mottled or ashen skin, blue skin, lips or tongue, a non-blanching rash, and breaks in the skin; ask how often the person passed urine in the past 18 hours and about fever or shaking chills (rigors); pay attention to new changes in behavior and to concerns raised by others.
5. British Thoracic Society. Guideline for oxygen use in healthcare and emergency settings (emergency oxygen guideline page). Fetched Oct 21, 2026. www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/quality-improvement/guidelines/emer… Supports: Recommended target saturation range for acutely ill patients not at risk of hypercapnic respiratory failure is 94-98%; for known COPD or other risk factors for hypercapnic respiratory failure, 88-92% pending blood gas results. Context for the CMO and flight surgeon only; the robot never starts, stops or adjusts oxygen.
6. NASA. NASA-STD-3001, Space Flight Human-System Standard, Volume 1: Crew Health, Revision C (2023). www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/nasa-std-3001-vol-1-… Supports: NASA-STD-3001 Vol 1 Rev C: V1 3006, V1 5003, V1 6003, V1 7003.
7. NASA. NASA-STD-3001, Volume 2: Human Factors, Habitability, and Environmental Health (Rev F, 2026), including Section 10.6 Automated and Robotic Systems. standards.nasa.gov/standard/NASA/NASA-STD-3001_VOL_2 Supports: NASA-STD-3001 Vol 2 Rev F: V2 6063 (remove or isolate released contaminants), V2 7064, V2 7059, and Section 10.6 automated and robotic systems.
8. NASA OCHMO. Medical Operations. Technical Brief OCHMO-TB-044 (2025). www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/ochmo-tb-044-medical… Supports: The crew surgeon keeps medical authority when care is delegated; crew medical officers train on the JSC 48522 medical checklist.
9. NASA. Mars communications disruption and delay (fact sheet, 2023 Moon to Mars Architecture Concept Review). www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/mars-communications-… Supports: One-way Earth-Mars delay up to about 21-23 minutes, plus blackouts of about 2-3 weeks near solar conjunction.
10. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Marketing submission recommendations for a predetermined change control plan for artificial intelligence-enabled device software functions (guidance). www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-docum… Supports: A model for planning, validating and rolling back software updates.
11. U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 14, Part 460: Human space flight requirements. www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-III/subchapter-C/part-… Supports: Federal rules for crew and spaceflight participants on licensed commercial flights; they set no medical standards for spaceflight participants.

Checked on 2026-10-20: links opened (HTTP 200 or publisher redirect), DOIs and PubMed IDs matched, NASA documents read in full text. The framework comes from Part 1.