When chemicals splash on you — what to do in the first five minutes

Read this before anything happens, because when it does, nobody will have time to look up information.

Rules common to every case

Move the casualty away from the area with the chemical immediately, and helpers must protect themselves first. Do not go in to help with bare hands and become a second casualty.

Always take the label or container to the hospital. The information on the label is what lets the doctor give the right treatment. Just saying "insecticide" helps very little.

In the eyes

Rinse with clean, continuously running water for at least fifteen minutes, holding the eyelids wide open while rinsing. Remove contact lenses if worn. Do not rub the eyes, and do not put any drops in yourself before seeing a doctor. Then go to hospital quickly.

On the skin

Remove contaminated clothing immediately; do not wait until you get home. Wash the affected area with clean water and mild soap for at least fifteen minutes. Do not scrub hard with a brush, because broken skin absorbs more of the chemical.

Inhaled

Move the person to fresh air immediately. Let them sit or lie in a position where they can breathe easily, and loosen tight clothing. If they have difficulty breathing or become less responsive, call an ambulance.

Swallowed

Absolutely do not make the person vomit unless the label clearly says to. Some substances are corrosive, so vomiting damages the oesophagus a second time, and some substances are far more dangerous if inhaled into the lungs.

Do not give milk, alcohol or oil. The belief that drinking milk cures poisoning is not true, and in many cases it makes the substance absorb faster.

If the person is still fully conscious, have them rinse their mouth with clean water, then take them to hospital quickly with the label.

Signs that need hospital immediately

Severe nausea and vomiting, abnormal sweating, heavy drooling, severe headache, blurred vision, muscle twitching, difficulty breathing, or becoming less responsive.

Numbers to carry and post on the shed wall

Ramathibodi Hospital Poison Centre hotline, tel. 1367, gives advice on poisoning 24 hours a day. Call straight away even if you are not sure how serious the symptoms are. Staff can tell you what to do next and whether you need to go to hospital.

For medical emergencies, call 1669 for an ambulance.

⚠️ Write these two numbers, together with the number of the hospital nearest the field, clearly on the wall of the chemical store, and save them in the phone of everyone who does spraying work. The person who has to call may not be the one who remembers the numbers. Important note This article explains general safety principles. It is not a recommendation to use any particular chemical. Mixing rates, the crops a product may be used on and the waiting periods required differ by product and change with government notifications. Always treat the product label as the authority, and consult an agricultural specialist or our staff before deciding to use it.