Chemical Incident Management
The Chemical Hazards and Poisons Division (CHaPD) provides support to the National Health Service in dealing with the management and consequences of chemical incidents.
The Division runs a 24 hour on-call service to assist public health professionals, local authorities, and the emergency services in the management of acute incidents such as fires, spills and explosions. The Division can provide expert advice in areas such as environmental toxicology and emergency management protocols. It can also facilitate communication links between responsible agencies.
CHaPD can also assist the Public Health Community in the follow-up of chemical incidents, providing expertise in epidemiological methods, questionnaire design, and communications strategies.
Information for the public
There is considerable public concern about the potential adverse health effects of chemicals within the environment. Chemicals such as minerals, metal ores and atmospheric gases exist naturally in the environment whilst other chemicals have been purposely manufactured.
Society as a whole is extremely dependent upon chemicals. They are used daily in food production and preservation, water sanitation, housing, housekeeping and household equipment, transportation and health. This dependence is supported by a vigorous industrial chemical synthesising base, with distribution by a transport infrastructure of railway and road haulage, sea and air cargo. The magnitude of chemical utilisation is underlined by the fact that over 25 million chemicals exist within the "Universe of Chemicals", 70,000 of which are in regular use, with 49 million tonnes transported around the UK on an annual basis.
These chemicals may be beneficial, neutral or harmful. Beneficial chemicals are generally those that form part of our diets or those that are purposely taken, such as drugs, to cure illness. However some chemicals, including some that occur naturally, may be harmful to human health or the environment. The degree of harm from exposure to these chemicals depends on the amount of the chemical (dose) to which the affected population or individual is exposed.
The division is aiming to produce comprehensive information and resources, such as chemical fact-sheets and research documents for the general public, which will appear on this website in due course.
Factsheets for the public:
Factsheets for professionals:
What's new
CIE Toolkit is an EU DG SANCO funded project which aims to reduce the burden of disease created by chemical incidents, with the development of a toolkit that provides guidance and training to enable public health care professionals to respond rapidly and effectively to any such incidents.
- Fact sheet on mercury and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs – Energy Saving Light Bulbs)
Added/updated: 11 September 2009 - Questions about the withdrawal of Bindeez and Aqua Dots toys
Two children were admitted to a Sydney hospital after swallowing several of the beads from the toy. It is thought that the illness was due to the presence of a chemical 1,4-butanediol used in error in the manufacture of the toy's ‘glue‘.
Added/updated: 4 February 2010 - Carbon monoxide incident management
Chemical Incident Management - Carbon monoxide
Added/updated: 4 February 2010 - The dangers of carbon monoxide and burning charcoal indoors
Questions and answers about the risks of burning charcoal indoors.
Added/updated: 4 February 2010 - Mercury spills in residential settings: background information
Instruments containing mercury, such as thermometers and barometers, are used regularly in the home. Elemental mercury can be hazardous to health, and these instruments are a potential source of exposure.
Added/updated: 4 February 2010 - Mercury in residential settings: step-by-step guide to cleaning up spills
This factsheet is intended as a guide for members of the public who may need to clean up mercury spills resulting from breaking a thermometer.
Added/updated: 4 February 2010 - Maximum acceptable concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in drinking water
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) advises that the maximum acceptable concentration of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in drinking water is 0.3 microgrammes per litre (µg/l), and that the maximum acceptable concentration of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in drinking water is 10 microgrammes per litre (µg/l)
Added/updated: 4 February 2010 - Incident involving chemicals in toys
In August 2009 some news reports from Australia described children being unwell after swallowing items in a toy called Bindeez (also marketed as Aqua Dots in some countries).
Added/updated: 4 February 2010
