First Response to Chemical Spills
Each day of our lives we can possibly come in contact with hazardous materials. They can be used to help us in many tasks from home cleaning to powering our cars. If care is not exercised in using these things, no matter how useful they are, they can be very dangerous too. If you know what measures to take in the accidental spill of chemicals, then you can save your own life and the life of others. You should never take hazardous materials lightly because even if there is just a tiny release in the air, it can become a major issue.
Because gas is unseen, its release in the air around us can become very dangerous. If you have the right equipment and have the knowledge of what to do in case of an accidental release, then you can save your life and that of others too. Even if the hazardous material released is just small, it still poses a dangerous situation and it must be dealt with immediately. If you know accidental release measures, you need not panic because you can act decisively, immediately.
It is beneficial to participate in a hazard communication program that is offered by your company. In this program you will be learning about chemicals and how dangerous they are, chemical labeling and MSDS or materials safety data sheet. It is good to familiarize yourself with the ‘Spill Guidelines’ of your facility. The ‘Emergency Response Plan’ is very useful and is good to have a copy for you.
The training on ‘First Response Awareness Level’ must be given to all workers who are likely to witness a spill, leak, or other accidental release measures of a hazardous material. It is important for employees to know reporting procedures to initiate emergency response. The “First Responder Operations Level’ is a training for the first group of workers who actually respond to spills. Securing and containing the spilled chemicals is the task of the first people on the scene, and this training is particularly for them.
The first responders are the ones who examine the situation and determine the next step to take. The decision could be to evacuate the place, set barriers around the spill so that spreading of the contamination will be prevented. To prevent other workers from the danger, signs and caution tapes can be set up so that it will be known to all that there was a chemical spill.
The spill need to be contained. There are materials specifically determined for use in chemical spills for the type of hazard that has been released.
You should never use sandbags to stop any spill because they are not made to absorb hazardous substances.
Source: http://www.lifeandexperiences.com/safety-in-manufacturing-what-you-need-to-focus-on/
