Chemical Spill Guided Tour: Part 3

The key to handling a hazardous chemical safely is to know its properties:

• Is it explosive or toxic?
  
• What kinds of clothing or equipment can protect responders from it?
  
• What should responders do if it's on fire?

During a chemical accident, there are always many questions to answer. The problem is that no one can remember the important details about each of the tens of thousands of different chemicals that are manufactured, stored, and transported in countries like the U.S.

In the photo at right, emergency responders in protective gear sample the air around drums filled with a hazardous material to check for leaks of toxic material.