CHEMICAL SAFETY
15
Emergency First Aid for Pesticide Poisoning
While awaiting medical attention, several steps
can be taken to alleviate pain and/or discomfort
from pesticide poisoning. DO NOT
CONTAMINATE YOURSELF when assisting
someone else. CHECK THE PESTICIDE
LABELS FOR THE FIRST AID PROCEDURES IN
THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
1. Remove yourself or the victim from the source
of contamination immediately and remove
clothing if necessary. Wash with plenty of
water.
2. If someone else has been poisoned, check his
or her breathing. Give artificial respiration if
breathing has stopped but ensure the victim’s
mouth is not contaminated with pesticide. DO
NOT contaminate yourself. Clean the victims
mouth and use alternative method to give
mouth to mouth resuscitation.
3. Call 911, a medical facility or a local doctor
and seek medical attention.
4. Decontaminate yourself or the victim with
water unless the pesticide label recommends
different procedures.
5. Keep yourself or the victim warm and
comfortable.
6. Carry a label from the pesticide container to
inform the doctor of the type of poisoning.
Keep the pesticide label in a sealed plastic
bag to avoid contaminating other people.
If a chemical has come in contact with the skin,
IMMEDIATELY REMOVE THE CONTAMINATED
CLOTHING AND WASH THE SKIN WITH CLEAN
WATER. Avoid contaminating other areas of the
body when removing clothes. Clean the skin with
detergent and/or gently shampoo hair; clean under
the fingernails. Avoid scratching the skin and/or
scalp. Dry off, keep warm by wrapping yourself in
a blanket or with clean clothes and seek medical
attention.
In the case of a chemical burn, IMMEDIATELY
REMOVE THE CONTAMINATED CLOTHING
AND WASH THE SKIN WITH CLEAN WATER.
Avoid contaminating other areas of the body when
removing clothes. Cover the burned area with a
loose, clean, soft cloth. DO NOT apply ointments,
greases, powders or other drugs when treating a
burn. Seek medical attention.
If a chemical has come in contact with the eye,
WASH THE EYE IMMEDIATELY. Hold the eyelid
open under the gravity feed hose. Wash the eye
with clean running water for 15 minutes and seek
medical attention.
If chemical dust, vapor or fumes have been
inhaled, IMMEDIATELY MOVE TO A
VENTILATED AREA WITH FRESH AIR. If
someone else has been exposed to chemicals in
an enclosed area, DO NOT ENTER the enclosed
area without sufficient protective equipment.
Ventilate the enclosed area so that no one else will
be poisoned. If no protective equipment is
available, DO NOT ENTER an enclosed area to
retrieve a victim but call for assistance from a fire
department. Apply artificial respiration if breathing
has stopped but DO NOT contaminate yourself.
DO NOT give the victim alcohol to drink. Seek
medical attention.
If a chemical has been swallowed, NEVER
INDUCE VOMITTING UNLESS IT IS
RECOMMENDED ON THE CHEMICAL LABEL.
Drink plenty of water if an unknown poison has
been swallowed to dilute and slow absorption.
Seek medical attention.
A victim that has been in contact or ingested a
chemical may go into shock or experience
respiratory failure. Someone may be in shock if
their skin is cool, moist and pale, eyes have dilated
pupils, breathing is shallow and irregular, pulse is
weak, rapid and irregular. If a victim goes into
shock, KEEP HIM OR HER WARM. If the victim
is not breathing, IMMEDIATELY BEGIN
ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION BUT DO NOT
CONTAMINATE YOURSELF.
