Hazardous Waste Site
Here is an investigator at a hazardous waste site. There has just been a spill of something that may be dangerous. What is it? Has anyone been harmed? Do people need to be evacuated? These are just some of the questions that scientists at CDC and our sister agency, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, face when they are called in to help. Notice how the worker is dressed to protect himself from the substance.
Warning Do Not Stack Drums
Ok, what's wrong with this picture? Well this is a definite no no! Even though the sign to the right of Hazel says "Warning Do Not Stack Drums," it looks like someone did it anyway (Duh!). Click on what you think happened when one of the stacked drums fell and broke open. Hint: Look on the ground in front of the drum that Hazel is trying to open.
Caution Strip
These banners have "Caution Hazardous Material" written on them. Now what do you think you should do? If you said, "keep a safe distance from that area," you're a winner. (If you didn't? Well, now you know.)
Spill Drain
Oops! What a mess and it's very dangerous too. Those chemicals
have to be cleaned up right away, before they go into the sewer
system, contaminate the water and possibly kill all the fish.
Not very cool.
Want to figure out what this green glowing gunk is?
Click here for a pocket guide
to chemical hazards.
Warning Sign
Sign, sign everywhere a sign. But they're all important. This one tells you NOT to pour chemicals down the drain, like the drain in front of the first drum. We don't want the chemicals to contaminate the water, do we? Of course not. Besides, we might have to drink it someday.
These stickers aren't on the metal drum to make it look pretty, though they do help a little. They're on there to let you know that there's dangerous stuff inside. If you really want the inside scoop on toxic chemicals and the environment, click here.
Protective Suit
A spacesuit? Not really, but it still looks "out of this world" doesn't it? It's called, now get this, a "Class A Technical Suit". Wow, pretty cool huh? The suit protects Hazel from touching hazardous chemicals. It has its own oxygen supply so you don't have to worry about breathing dangerous fumes. Hey, I wonder if you can use it to go deep sea diving?...Not!