The protection of the population and environment from Chemical Emergencies is a key aim of an Emergency Management System. The management of a hazardous facility has the primary responsibility for designing, constructing and operating it safely and for developing the means to do so.
No chemical substance can cause adverse effects without first entering the body or coming into contact with it.
There are four main ways for chemical substances to enter the human body:
- Inhalation (breathing in).
- Absorption (through the skin or eyes).
- Ingestion (eating, swallowing).
- Transfer via the placenta of a pregnant woman to an unborn baby.
Most chemicals used in any location may be dispersed into the air in dust, mist, fumes, gas or vapour form and can then be inhaled. Workers at a facility, and also the local population not actually handling them but still within reach, can be exposed to a mixture of chemicals from various sources.
The key manner of exposure for humans in the case of a chemical accident is therefore via air or water dispersion of hazardous materials.
Air monitoring and liquid sampling is one of the most important activities in the prevention of and response to chemical incidents.