Decontamination Showers and Decon Units for Asbestos and Mold Work

How we made this guide: picks, prices and specs come from our catalog and the makers' published specs, owner quotes come from customer reviews on our product pages and the guide was drafted with AI help, then checked and edited by Trevor Hall.

A decontamination shower is the middle room of a three-stage decon unit (equipment room, shower, clean room) that workers pass through when they leave a regulated area, so dust on suits and skin is washed off inside containment instead of being carried out.

The portable pick we sell most is the Abatement Technologies EASY UP S4000EU at $826, a 41 lb collapsible unit one person can set up, and the flattest-packing choice is the Aerospace America 9106 at $931, which collapses to 9 in high.

This page covers decontamination units for asbestos, lead and mold work, not hazmat or emergency mass-decon showers. Our four portable showers all cost under $1,000 each, and the water they collect needs a pump and filter to leave the unit, so the pumps are covered too.

What a decon unit is and why the shower sits in the middle

A decon unit is a short corridor of connected rooms at the edge of the work area. Workers enter and leave the regulated area through it, and the shower is where the last of the dust comes off before clean clothes.

OSHA's asbestos construction standard, 29 CFR 1926.1101, describes this layout in paragraph (j). For Class I jobs over 25 linear or 10 square feet of thermal system insulation or surfacing material, it says the decontamination area consists of an equipment room, a shower area and a clean room, in series. It also says the showers shall be adjacent both to the equipment room and the clean room. The same paragraph says the shower facilities must comply with 29 CFR 1910.141(d)(3). That rule calls for one shower for each 10 employees of each sex who are required to shower during the same shift, hot and cold water feeding a common discharge line, soap or another cleansing agent near the showers and clean towels for each person who showers.

Smaller Class I jobs, and Class II and III work where exposure exceeds a PEL or there is no negative exposure assessment, fall under paragraph (j)(2). It asks for an equipment room or area covered with an impermeable drop cloth, has work clothing cleaned with a HEPA vacuum before it is removed and does not require a shower.

This page is a buyer's guide, not legal advice. Read the standard and your state's rules before you plan the unit.

The three rooms in the order a worker uses them

Paragraph (j)(1) walks through the sequence. We summarize it in plain words.

1. Going in: clean room. OSHA says the clean room has a locker or storage container for each employee. Workers enter the decon unit here, store street clothes, put on protective clothing and respirators, then pass through the equipment room into the regulated area.
2. Coming out: in the work area. OSHA says employees remove all gross contamination and debris from their protective clothing before they leave the regulated area.
3. Equipment room. Workers take off protective clothing here and put it in the labeled, impermeable bags or containers the standard says this room is supplied with. OSHA says they keep their respirators on in this room.
4. Shower. OSHA says employees shall shower prior to entering the clean room. This is the stage a decontamination shower unit fills.

Back in the clean room the worker changes into street clothes. The standard gives other routes when a shower cannot sit between the rooms. A HEPA vacuum is part of that picture, and our guide to HEPA vacuums for asbestos, lead and mold covers what the rules ask of it.

Air, water and the other gear around the shower

The shower is one piece of a containment setup. The work area itself is normally held under negative pressure by a negative air machine, and our explainer on negative pressure rooms shows how pressure is set and monitored. With the negative air machine exhausting the work area, make-up air is drawn in through the decon unit, so air moves from the clean room, through the shower and equipment room, toward the work area. Hang overlapping curtain flaps at each doorway and seal the decon line to the containment so it is the only way in or out.

For lead construction work, OSHA's lead standard, 29 CFR 1926.62(i), calls for clean change areas and, where feasible, shower facilities for employees whose airborne exposure is above the PEL, with a shower at the end of the shift; see lead abatement vs lead-safe paint removal. OSHA has no mold-specific decon layout; the full equipment list by job size is in mold remediation equipment. See also asbestos abatement equipment.

The shower also produces water to manage. Check your local rules for what you may do with it, because disposal requirements vary by place and by the material.

Compare the showers and their pumps

Every figure below is the maker's listed spec. Weights are as the makers list them.

How we picked

These are the four portable decontamination showers in our range, compared on the makers' listed specs. None has owner reviews on file yet, and we did not test them. Where a spec is not listed, we say so.

Best for one-person crews: Abatement Technologies EASY UP S4000EU

The S4000EU is our best-selling decontamination shower. Setup takes minutes and one person can do it. The unit unpacks from the case its latched floor and ceiling modules form, with the curtains, showerhead, valve and poles stored inside.

Skip it if you need a listed hand-held wand or tank size, since neither our listing nor Abatement Technologies' S4000EU page gives one; confirm them with the maker before you use it on a (j)(1) job. Pair it with the Abatement S5300 pump below, which the listing names as compatible.

For a marine alloy frame on the Abatement pump: Abatement Technologies S5000ET

The S5000ET is built from marine alloy aluminum, weighs 78 lb and collapses for transport. It has hot and cold water controls and a fixed head, and the listing says it assembles within minutes. It is the heavier Abatement Technologies shower.

Skip it if weight matters most or you want a wand. The S5300 pump is also listed as compatible with this unit.

For the most water capacity: Aerospace America 9105

The 9105 stands 83 in tall at working height and 48 in tall collapsed, in a 31 by 31 in footprint. It is built from aircraft aluminum. Water connects at the back through standard garden hose. The 27 gal gray water tank drains through a 100 micron sock filter (part 9105-01).

Skip it if you load and unload by hand all day.

For tight storage: Aerospace America 9106 Compact

The 9106 weighs 50 lb and collapses to 31.5 by 31.5 in and just 9 in high, so it travels flat in a van or trailer. Set up it stands 83 in tall. Its 16 gal gray water tank uses the same 100 micron sock filter as the 9105, and the listing shows a pump connection for the 9115 or 9116 water filtration pump.

Skip it if the unit will run all shift with little chance to pump out, since its 16 gal tank fills sooner than the 9105's 27 gal.

Pump options for the shower water

Abatement Technologies S5300 for the S4000EU and S5000ET

The S5300 is a portable pump with dual-stage filtration that the listing names as compatible with the S4000EU and S5000ET. It connects with included hoses and runs from an external power supply unit. Skip it if you run an Aerospace America shower; the listing names only the S4000EU and S5000ET as compatible.

Aerospace America 9115 for the 9105 and 9106

The 9115 is a 1/2 HP transfer pump rated at 25 GPM. Water passes a 50 micron cartridge (9115-01) then a 5 micron cartridge (9115-02). Maximum discharge is 25 ft by standard hose. Aerospace America's manual says to prime it before starting and recommends running it with the 100 micron sock filter in the 9105 or 9106.

For the 9106, the lighter Aerospace America 9116 at $721 is rated at 6 GPM, draws 2.1 A and weighs 22 lb.

Moving air through the work area: AeroClean 1900 Magnum

A decon unit works alongside negative air on the work area. The Aerospace America AeroClean 1900 Magnum is listed on Aerospace America's spec sheet at 1,900 CFM on high and 1,200 CFM on low, with 1.8 in running static pressure; it does not say whether that is with the HEPA filter in place. It uses a 24 by 18 in pre-filter, ring panel and HEPA filter, a 1 HP two-speed motor and a Minihelic pressure gauge (per the spec sheet) and draws 9.4 A at 115 V. It weighs 97 lb and rolls on two swivel and two rigid casters. For more machines, browse our negative air machines and read air scrubber vs negative air machine.

Skip it if your containment is a small enclosure; a lighter machine may fit. The HEPA filter guide explains the ratings.

How to set up a portable decon shower

These steps are general practice for the portable units above. Your site plan and the maker's manual come first.

1. Choose level ground next to the regulated area, with room for an equipment room on one side and a clean room on the other, so the shower sits between them as the OSHA layout describes.
2. Assemble the shower. The S4000EU unpacks from the case its latched floor and ceiling modules form, with the curtains, showerhead, valve and poles stored inside; the 9105 uses four spring-loaded corner pins; the 9106 seats its poles in the corner receivers, then takes the roof.
3. Connect water. The 9105 takes garden hoses at the back.
4. Place the pump outside the shower basin and connect the shower drain to its inlet. Aerospace America's 9115 owner's manual says the pump must be primed before starting. Then run the discharge hose to the point your site plan allows.
5. Check the power. The 9115 plugs into 115 V with GFI protection, and its manual says the pump is non-submersible, the motor must stay dry and the unit must be properly grounded. Our calculation: 9.4 A for the 1900 Magnum plus 8.5 A for the 9115 is 17.9 A, more than a 15 A circuit carries, so use separate circuits.
6. Run negative air in the work area and confirm the containment pressure with a room pressure monitor before anyone enters (see room pressure monitors for containment).
7. During the job, change the 50 micron cartridge when pump flow drops or it looks loaded, then the 5 micron cartridge if flow is still low (Aerospace America's 9115 owner's manual). The manual says to dispose of used cartridges per state and local guidelines, so bag them and the sock filter as contaminated waste. At the end of the job, pump out and clean the shower inside the containment before it is taken down.

For work on a larger scale, mobile containment units give you a built enclosure, and our guide to ICRA classes and barriers covers containment in healthcare settings.

Which one to buy by job

Browse the full decontamination showers collection for every unit. Price bands in our range: the showers shown here run from $826 to $987, and the pumps run from $721 to $960.

Frequently asked questions

What is a decon shower?

It is the shower room in a decontamination unit, between the equipment room and the clean room. Workers leaving a regulated area wash there before changing into clean clothes.

What are the requirements for a decontamination room?

For Class I asbestos jobs over 25 linear or 10 square feet of thermal system insulation or surfacing material, OSHA 1926.1101(j)(1) calls for an equipment room, shower area and clean room in series, with the showers adjacent to both rooms. The showers must meet 29 CFR 1910.141(d)(3): one shower per 10 employees of each sex who shower on the same shift, hot and cold water to a common discharge line, soap and clean towels. The clean room has a locker or container for each employee. Other classes and sizes fall under different paragraphs, so read the standard and your state's rules.

What equipment is used for decontamination?

A decon shower and a pump with filters for the water, plus lockers in the clean room, labeled impermeable bags in the equipment room, soap and clean towels. Add a HEPA vacuum for suits and surfaces plus negative air on the work area.

Do the showers need a pump?

In practice, yes: the basin collects the water and a pump moves it through the filters and out. The 9106 listing shows a pump connection for the 9115 or 9116, and the Abatement S5300 is named as compatible with the S4000EU and S5000ET.

How do you decontaminate asbestos?

On the worker side, OSHA's standard has employees remove gross contamination from their protective clothing before leaving the regulated area, take the clothing off in the equipment room with respirators still on, then shower before entering the clean room. Removing the material itself is a separate process; follow your plan and local rules.

How long does setup take?

Our listings and Abatement Technologies' S4000EU page give setup time in minutes, and the S4000EU is a one-person assembly. Allow more time for water, drain and power.

Related guides

• How Is Asbestos Removed? The Asbestos Abatement Process Step by Step
• Lead Abatement vs Lead-Safe Paint Removal (RRP): Methods, Rules and Equipment
• HEPA Vacuums for Asbestos, Lead and Mold: What the Rules Actually Require
• What Is a Negative Pressure Room? How It Works, Pressure Targets and Monitoring