Produced by the National Disaster
Education Coalition: American Red Cross, FEMA, IAEM, IBHS,NFPA, NWS, USDA/vCSREES, and USGS
Why talk about chemical emergencies?
Hazardous materials are chemical substances, which if released or misused, can pose a threat to the environment. These chemicals are used in industry, agriculture, medicine, research, and consumer goods. As many as 500,000 products pose physical or health hazards and can be defined as “hazardous chemicals.” Each year, over 1,000 new synthetic chemicals are introduced. Hazardous materials come in the form of explosives, flammable and combustible substances, poisons, and radioactive materials.
These substances are most often released as a result of transportation accidents or because of chemical accidents in manufacturing plants.