Emergency Response, Spills, and Poisoning First Aid
Spill response sequence
Know the order: protect people, then contain, then clean up. Stop the source if safe, evacuate and ventilate, and call for help. Use PPE and absorbents (kitty litter, vermiculite, sand) to contain liquid; do not hose spills into drains. Small spills can be handled by trained staff; large spills or hazardous materials require emergency responders. Report spills as required by state and federal rules-Nevada has reporting thresholds for releases to water and soil.
Poisoning first aid
Read the label's first aid section first. General principles: move the victim to fresh air for inhalation; flush skin and eyes with water for 15 minutes; for oral exposure, rinse the mouth and do not induce vomiting unless the label says to. Call the Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) and seek medical care; bring the label or product name. Never give anything by mouth to an unconscious person. Know the difference between pesticide poisoning symptoms (headache, dizziness, nausea, sweating, blurred vision, muscle twitching) and heat stress-they overlap, a common exam trap.
Traps to watch
- Inducing vomiting after ingesting a corrosive or petroleum-based product.
- Hosing a spill into a storm drain.
- Assuming symptoms are heat exhaustion when they are cholinergic poisoning.
- Cleaning a spill without PPE or without containing it first.
Worked example
A worker spills a concentrate on their forearm. Correct response: remove contaminated clothing, wash with soap and water for 15 minutes, and seek medical advice with the label. Do not scrub hard or apply ointments. Rule of thumb: flush, don't scrub; contain, don't dilute.