Hazardous materials are part of our everyday lives, from industrial chemicals to household detergents; these are substances that pose a potential risk due to their chemical nature. Our Emergency Planning Team have emergency plans is place for dealing with situation involving hazardous chemicals.
Practical advice
If you witness a hazardous material accident, call 999 immediately.
If you are affected in a incident involving harmful chemicals you should:
- Stay away from the incident site. This will minimise the risk of contamination.
- Go indoors and stay indoors. Close all windows, doors and air vents. DON'T go outside until told it is safe to do so. DON'T try to collect children from school unless instructed to - they will be looked after.
- If you have any pets, take them indoors
- Turn off fans, hot air heating systems, ventilation, etc.
- Cover all unsealed fresh food
- Listen to your local radio station and/or television for further advice.
For further advice on preparing for incidents involving harmful chemicals visit the HM Government:Preparing for emergencies website.
The National Chemical Emergency Centre (NCEC) plays a key role in national arrangements for responding to chemical incidents. It provides a 24-hour national advice service to the public emergency services on dealing with chemical incidents and is a central part of the Chemical Industries Associations CHEMSAFE scheme.
Emergency Action Codes (commonly called Hazchem Codes) are designed to assist the emergency services in the first few minutes of dealing with a hazardous goods distribution incident. Further information on Emergency Action Codes is available from The National Chemical Emergency Centre.