My PSA of the week

[MD Fire]

My current job is in the chemical/hazardous materials industry which warrants me talking to police, fire, EMS, medical, military, and citizens every day about their various, and usually ill-fated, experiences with chemicals.

One of the more dangerous things that people do is mix household cleaning products in an attempt to clean up a mess.

For example, last night at work I got a call from a fire department with a hazardous materials incident in a private residence. A woman had mixed to cleaners with water in a sink, and as a result, a vapor cloud was released from the sink. She was dead within the hour and several other people that had been in the house were also sick.

A lot of people don't realize that mixing bleach with other cleaners can release chlorine gas, which isn't what happened in this incident. Chlorine gas as many of you know, is highly toxic.

So, read the labels on cleaning products, and don't mix them if you want to stay healthy!

[macdaid]

I had to learn that one the hard way.

I was trying to clean up a spill, and tried to use 2 different cleaners, without reading the labels. Started feeling sick, and realized I was mixing reactants, but fortunately not in any great quantity....

I disposed of the rags outside, and put a fan in the room and all was well.

Close one.

Here's a link that describes in detail reactions of various household chemicals - pretty nasty:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/A795611

[MD Fire]

We get calls about ammonia and chlorine all of the time. People just don't realize how dangerous it is!

Here is another good site that I sometimes reference while at work:

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/