# Chemical exposure

> Move upwind and away from the substance, then rinse the exposed skin or eye with plenty of water.

With chemicals the first decision is distance. Vapours travel, and a rescuer who breathes them becomes the second casualty. What you do in the next few minutes decides how deep the damage goes.

## Step by step
1. Move yourself and others upwind and uphill, out of the vapour, and stop anyone else entering.
2. Call 112 and give the product name if you can read it from a safe distance.
3. Take off contaminated clothing, cutting it away rather than pulling it over the head.
4. Rinse affected skin under running water for at least twenty minutes.
5. Rinse a splashed eye from the inner corner outwards for at least twenty minutes, holding the eyelid open. Remove contact lenses if that takes only seconds.
6. If a substance was swallowed, rinse the mouth and give small sips of water only if the person is fully awake, then call the poison information centre.
7. Keep the label, the safety data sheet, or a photo of the packaging and hand it to the crew.

## Never do this
- Do not make anyone vomit. Corrosives burn a second time on the way back up.
- Do not try to neutralise an acid with a base, or the other way round.
- Do not enter a confined space or a vapour cloud to rescue somebody without breathing apparatus.

## Call emergency services if
- Breathing difficulty, coughing, a tight chest or dizziness after exposure.
- Any splash into the eyes, or chemical burns to the skin.
- Anything swallowed, and any exposure involving a child.

## Emergency numbers
112 - Single European emergency number

## Common questions
### How long do I rinse?
At least twenty minutes for skin and eyes, and longer for strong acids and alkalis. Keep rinsing on the way to hospital if you can.

### Where is the safety data sheet?
The employer has to keep it accessible for every hazardous substance in the workplace. Section 4 is the first aid section. Read it before the accident, not during it.

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Use at your own risk. Educational and research use only, not medical advice. Verify numbers and rules for the country you are in. They change.
Source: https://emergency-cards.com/en/chemical-exposure/
Reviewed: 2026-07-26