The effects of harmful riot control agents exposure usually last less than half an hour, but anyone who has ever experienced tear gas during a demonstration will tell you that 30 minutes is too long.
Exposure to these chemicals can irritate the skin, nose, and eyes, nausea, and difficulty breathing within minutes. In rare cases, riot control agents can cause long-term health complications, blindness, and even death. It is important to know how to deal with the effects ofthese chemicals exposure.
The most effective step is to call a tear gas cleanup service. The staff of tear gas cleanup service canhelp you in a short time. But if you don’t have an opportunity to apply to them immediately what to do?
1. Try to avoid exposure. Avoid exposure if possible by avoiding riots, protests, and demonstrations. However, if you see that the police are putting on gas masks, or if you see that the gas has been released, then you should leave immediately.
2. Get ready. Wear clothing that covers your entire body, remembering to tighten the cuffs as tightly as possible. If you don’t have a gas mask, you can use a respirator that covers your nose and mouth. Make sure you are using filters that are suitable for use with paint thinners and other toxic gases. You can also, soak a handkerchief or any other piece of cloth in apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and cover your mouth and nose tightly with it. Put on sealed goggles to protect your eyes. The specialists of tear gas cleanup service advise not to wear contact lenses.
3. Get out into the fresh air. Leave the area where the chemicals were released. Try to move upwind, relative to the point where the toxic gases were released. Покиньте здание, если газ выпустили внутри помещения.
4.Wash your eyes. If your eyes are burning, or if your vision is getting worse, don’t rub your eyes. Remove contact lenses and rinse eyes thoroughly with cold water for 10 minutes. Do not wear contact lenses that have been exposed to substances again.
5. Take off clothes that have been exposed. Place your clothes in a plastic bag and leave it there. Specialists of tear gas cleanup service usually come to clean up after exposure. You can also take your clothes to the tear gas cleanup service later.
6. Rinse skin with cold water or neutralizer. Hot water expands the pores, which promotes the absorption of toxic agents into the skin. Take a cold shower for 3-5 minutes. A shower will work just fine, but don’t scrub your skin with a washcloth or use soap yet. Touching the skin will only spread the chemicals throughout the body. If you have a neutralizing solution, such as baking soda, apply it all over your body, paying special attention to itchy areas of skin, burning, and red.
7. Call the doctor. In most cases, you will not need medical attention, but if symptoms do not disappear even after you have washed thoroughly if you feel signs of loss of vision or chest pain, then you should immediately contact a doctor or tear gas cleanup service.
In any case, try to avoid touching contaminated materials. Wear rubber gloves when handling contaminated clothing and take care of yourself.