What action should you take immediately if HazMat spills on your clothing?

What action should you take immediately if HazMat spills on your clothing?

• A. Continue working to finish tasks
• B. Seek medical attention first, then decontaminate
• C. Immediately remove contaminated clothing
• D. Shake off material and proceed

Answer: (C)

When hazmat spills on clothing, remove the contaminated clothing immediately. The fabric holds the chemical next to your skin and can keep absorbing or spreading it, so taking the clothing off first greatly reduces dermal exposure and helps prevent contaminating others or surfaces. After removing the clothing, rinse exposed skin with plenty of running water for at least 15–20 minutes and follow your decontamination procedures. Bag and dispose of or decontaminate the clothing according to your protocol. If symptoms develop or the chemical is highly hazardous, seek medical evaluation after decontamination. Continuing to work or shaking off the material would spread contamination and prolong exposure, while delaying decontamination for medical attention first would allow more chemical to contact the skin.

When hazmat spills on clothing, remove the contaminated clothing immediately. The fabric holds the chemical next to your skin and can keep absorbing or spreading it, so taking the clothing off first greatly reduces dermal exposure and helps prevent contaminating others or surfaces. After removing the clothing, rinse exposed skin with plenty of running water for at least 15–20 minutes and follow your decontamination procedures. Bag and dispose of or decontaminate the clothing according to your protocol. If symptoms develop or the chemical is highly hazardous, seek medical evaluation after decontamination. Continuing to work or shaking off the material would spread contamination and prolong exposure, while delaying decontamination for medical attention first would allow more chemical to contact the skin.