Toxic Chemical Spills: What Causes Them, and What to Do Afterward

Humans make many different kinds of products. These processes often require chemicals. We need to treat those chemicals carefully, as many of them have harmful qualities. 

Facilities that produce toxic chemicals or their byproducts must usually have oversight to make sure they don’t dispose of those chemicals and byproducts unsafely. Usually, these facilities have methods in place so these chemicals never get near unsuspecting humans living nearby. The workers that deal with these chemicals also wear safety gear and take all proper precautions. 

Still, toxic chemicals can spill or leak out sometimes. If that happens, and you live close by, you might risk exposure, even if you didn’t necessarily realize it.

You must retain a lawyer following toxic chemical exposure in many instances. You may sue the company that leaked the chemicals or caused the spill if they didn’t act correctly. 

Let’s discuss toxic chemical spills in greater detail right now. We’ll cover how they happen, and also what companies must do afterward to rectify the situation.

Natural Disasters Can Cause Toxic Chemical Spills

Toxic chemicals can spill or leak in several different ways. If they do, then sometimes, it’s because a natural disaster unfolded.

If that happens, you can’t really blame the company that produced those chemicals. If the disaster happened with very little warning, then the company could hardly have known about the risk.

Something like an earthquake could cause a toxic chemical spill. A hurricane might do it as well. A fire that rages unchecked can spill toxic chemicals. So can a volcanic eruption, a typhoon, or a tsunami.

Human-Caused Disasters

Many times, though, when there’s a toxic chemical leak, human error will cause it. Humans make mistakes sometimes, and if the human in question worked around toxic chemicals, this kind of leak or spill can absolutely take place.

An industrial accident might occur. Maybe there’s a train derailment. If that train carried toxic chemicals, they might spill out and seep into the ground or water.

Unsafe handling can cause an accident of this sort as well. Maybe you have someone moving vats of toxic chemical waste for safe disposal, and they consumed alcohol or other illegal drugs before coming to work. Maybe horseplay while on the job causes the spill.

Improper storage might do it. If a company elects to store these kinds of chemicals in an unsafe place or way, they might cause a spill or leak. Maybe they did so because they didn’t follow proper protocols established by governing bodies that normally keep an eye on such things.

Improper chemical disposal might also cause a leak or spill. Companies should have proper, approved disposal actions set up for their chemical runoff. If they decide to cut corners, they risk exposing their workers and anyone who lives close by.

Deliberate Human Acts Can Also Cause Spills or Leaks

You might even have a situation sometimes where humans will intentionally leak or spill harmful chemicals. If they do, that’s probably because they’re trying to make a statement. Perhaps the terrorists want to shut down the company, and they don’t mind causing widespread damage to make that happen.

Such crimes often fall into categories like chemical warfare or vandalism. The police and justice system will probably view such activities very harshly if they catch the perpetrators.

Effects of Chemical Spills or Leaks

If toxic chemicals leak or spill, then humans living nearby might see many negative effects, as might the workers at the plant or facility where the leak or spill occurred. Food and water resources nearby might experience contamination. If so, then humans can’t safely consume them. If they do, they may become very ill. 

If toxic chemicals spill, they can create toxic gas clouds. Anyone who breathes that in might also become sick.

Corrosive chemicals that get into the atmosphere can impact local populations in other ways as well. They might experience burning or itching eyes. These chemicals can burn them if they contact the skin. If the toxic gases get into the atmosphere, and people breathe them in, they might damage their lungs. 

What to Do After a Chemical Spill

After a chemical spill, the responsible parties must act to stop the spread of the carcinogens and to limit the damage however they can. The company that caused the spill must act, and the federal government may intervene as well.  

Any company that deals with these kinds of chemicals must have remedies in place. They need contingency events if the worst happens.

Regardless of whether humans caused the spill intentionally or whether an accident caused it, cleanup crews will need to get to work on the problem right away. The company responsible will likely set up a situation room where they will loop in any local authorities whose help they need. 

Together, they will come up with a plan for containing the threat and cleaning things up as best they can, as quickly as they can. They may also have to evacuate anyone nearby for their own safety.

What Comes Afterward

In the aftermath, the company responsible must figure out what happened. If they can point to terrorism or vandalism, then they need better security protocols going forward. They may need more armed guards at their facilities. They might install better security cameras and other lines of defense.

If they can point to a natural disaster, then they might see if they can better predict such events in the future. Maybe the company ignored warning signs before the earthquake, tornado, or whatever other event caused the spill or leak.

The responsible company may even consider moving their base of operations to somewhere more remote. With fewer people around, there’s less risk if anything like this ever happens again.

Using chemicals for various industrial processes and product creation won’t stop anytime soon. That’s why all companies that engage in this kind of behavior must have robust measures in place to protect people and property.