This is now a scary subject that we seem to be hearing a little too often in the news- ‘Acid Attacks’.
If you witness an attack the most important thing is to keep yourself safe. The NHS advise:
REPORT:
- Call 999, but ask for the Fire Service at the same time
- Stay well clear of the attacker- run if you have to
- Protect yourself, ask the casualty to remove their own clothing
- Make sure you are in a well ventilated area
REMOVE CONTAMINATED CLOTHING:
- Use scissors to cut away the fabric
- Be careful if removing clothing over the head- keep it away from the face
- Put the contaminated clothing in a bin for the police to deal with
- Dry/powder chemicals on the skin should be brushed off BEFORE rinsing with water
RINSE:
- Ideally using clean running water
- Flushing/irrigating the face and eye area takes priority
- Make sure when you rinse, the chemical doesn’t go on unaffected areas of the body
- Do not wipe the chemical away
- If you use a garden hose, use low pressure to stop it spraying onto others
- Remove jewellery as it can get underneath
- Lukewarm water avoids hypothermia
- Rinsing/irrigating must be for a minimum of 20 minutes
EYES:
- Rinse away from the unaffected eye/area
- Rinse for at least 20 minutes
- Ideally remove contact lenses