16.1 Chemical leak or spill

Chemical accidents happen at industrial plants, in transportation (trains, trucks, pipelines), and even at pools and warehouses. The signs that something is wrong, according to Ready.gov: many people with watery eyes, choking, difficulty breathing, or loss of coordination; many sick or dead birds, fish, or small animals. A strong, unusual smell or a strange cloud is also a reason to move away.

If you are outside

1. Move away immediately. Go upwind (so the wind hits you in the face, not the back, as you move away from the source) and toward high ground.
2. Do not approach to look, or to read the vehicle's labels, or to help inside the cloud. Call 911 from a safe place.
3. Cover your nose and mouth with cloth as you leave. It helps little against gases, but something is something; do not stay because of it.
4. Go into a building if you cannot get away, and follow the shelter-in-place steps.

Shelter in place

When a chemical cloud passes quickly, being inside a sealed room is safer than going out into the street. Authorities will tell you through alerts, radio, or loudspeakers. Steps according to the CDC and the American Red Cross:

1. Bring everyone and the pets inside. If you are in the car, go into the nearest building.
2. Close and lock all doors and windows.
3. Turn off air conditioning, heating, and fans (including bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans). Close the fireplace flue and any vents you can.
4. Choose the room. The largest one you can seal, with few or no windows and, preferably, with water (bathroom). Take the kit, medications, phone, charger, and radio.
5. Seal the room. Tape around the door; plastic taped over windows and vents. If you do not have plastic, stuff towels, sheets, or clothing into the vents and under the door.
6. Listen to the radio and wait. It can last a few hours, sometimes days (CDC). Do not go out until police, firefighters, or other authorities give the all-clear, or order you to evacuate.
7. When it is over, remove the plastic, open doors and windows, turn on ventilation, and go out if told to.

How much air you have

The American Red Cross estimates that 10 square feet (≈1 m²) of floor per person gives enough air to avoid carbon dioxide buildup for up to 5 hours, for people at rest. Multiply by the number of people in your household (for example, for 3 people, the room should have at least 30 square feet, 2.8 m²), plus space for the pets. Chemical shelter-in-place is meant for a few hours: if it drags on, follow authorities' instructions on ventilating or evacuating.

Lower floors and heavy gases

The CDC recommends that the sealed room be on the highest floor possible, because many dangerous chemicals are heavier than air. Chlorine, for example, "sinks to low-lying areas" (CDC). If you live on the ground floor or a low floor:

• If you are ordered to evacuate, do it immediately. Do not stay "because I already sealed the room."
• If you are ordered to shelter and there is no safe way to go up, use your sealed interior room: it is still far better than being out in the street inside the cloud.
• Talk today with a neighbor upstairs. Agreeing to shelter together in their apartment (in an interior room) is a real improvement for chemical leaks. Practice the plan.
• Contrast with the nuclear emergency: for radiation, having other floors above you helps; for heavy gases, being up high helps. Do not confuse the two plans.

If you were exposed to a chemical

1. Get to fresh air.
2. Take off all clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Do not pull clothing over your head: cut it off if you can. If there is no other way, close your eyes and mouth and hold your breath while you remove it (CDC).
3. Shower as soon as possible with warm water and mild soap, without scrubbing hard.
4. Eyes: rinse them for 10 to 15 minutes with warm water. Remove contact lenses. Do not use eye drops (CDC).
5. Put the clothing in a bag, inside another bag, and close them. Do not handle it any more.
6. Call 911 if you have difficulty breathing, chest pain, or severe symptoms. For questions, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.