Chapter 17: Emergency Response
Why planning matters; Community right-to-know; What counts as a spill; The response order; Control: stop the source; Contain: keep it small; Clean up: get product-specific advice first; Contact and reporting; Spill kits and the contact list
Accidents with pesticides are uncommon, but when one happens, what you do in the first few minutes matters enormously. This chapter is built around a single memorable framework — the order you respond in, and the "three C's" of managing a spill — plus the planning and supplies that let you respond well. It's a procedural chapter, so the work is knowing the sequence and the specific do's and don'ts. Read this for how it fits together, then drill the order and the details with the cheat sheet and flashcards. Everything here matches the Ch.17 question bank.
Why planning matters
Pesticide accidents and emergencies are rare, but they do occur — and by definition they're unplanned, happening even when you and others use proper care. The accidents to plan for are spills, equipment failures, and fires, any of which can release pesticide, harm people or animals, and contaminate the environment. Two consequences stand out: firefighters and other first responders called to the scene are especially at risk, and you or your company can face financial losses from cleanup costs, liability claims, and fines. That's why planning pays off. A correct and timely response is often the key to reducing the extent of injury or damage, and knowing what to do ahead of time speeds your response. A well-thought-out plan helps you protect employees and the public, minimize environmental damage, and reduce liability, and you prepare by knowing all your areas of risk, knowing how to respond to different accidents, taking steps to reduce risk, and making and using response plans and kits.
Community right-to-know
Beyond good practice, some planning is required by law. The federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act exists to help communities prepare responses to accidental releases of chemicals listed as extremely hazardous substances. The EPA keeps a list of these substances and their threshold planning quantities (TPQs), and the rule to remember is this: if you use or store a listed chemical in a quantity at or above its TPQ at any one time, you must comply with certain reporting requirements. State and local laws may add still more. Two of this chapter's key terms come from here — extremely hazardous substances and threshold planning quantities.
What counts as a spill
The chapter defines a spill precisely: a release of a compound into the environment — air, water, or soil — in any manner other than its intended use. The important corollary is that a pesticide application made according to the label is not a spill; only an accident or accidental release is. You can greatly reduce the odds of a spill by following the guidelines given elsewhere in the manual, but accidents happen, so you need to know how to respond.
The response order
Speed matters, but the chapter is emphatic that quick does not mean unsafe. You always respond in a fixed order: (1) put on proper PPE, (2) attend to any victims, (3) control the spill, (4) contain the spill, and (5) clean up the spill. The first step is non-negotiable and comes even before helping victims — put on proper PPE before responding to the spill or helping someone who was exposed. The last three steps — control, contain, clean up — are the three C's of spill response. There is also a fourth C, Contact, which means reporting the spill to the appropriate agencies.
Control: stop the source
Controlling a spill means taking steps to control the source to prevent releasing more pesticide — and, again, only after you've put on PPE. This can be as simple as righting a container that tipped over. A small leaking container can be placed inside a larger container or a plastic tub. If a larger container such as a drum is leaking, try to plug the leak and then transfer the contents to an approved or labeled container (and attach a label if it doesn't already carry one). For a leak from a pressurized system such as a sprayer, turn off the pump. And a rule that applies through the whole response: never leave the site unattended until it is cleaned up and thoroughly ventilated.
Contain: keep it small
The goal of containment is to hold the spill in as small an area as possible. You construct a dam to keep the chemical from spreading, and you contain liquids by spreading absorbent materials such as kitty litter or commercial spill pillows. Several prohibitions are critical here: do not allow any chemical to get into any body of water, including storm sewers; do not hose down the area, because that causes further spread; and avoid coming into contact with any drift or fumes. One outdoor-specific rule is easy to overlook — do not use road flares if you suspect the leaking material is flammable.
Clean up: get product-specific advice first
Cleanup may require decontaminating or neutralizing the spill area, but the chapter is firm that you must get specific recommendations for the specific product spilled before performing any cleanup procedures. There are three go-to sources. First, chemical manufacturers list an emergency number on their product labels that you can call for cleanup information. Second, the product's safety data sheet may have recommended cleanup advice — SDSs give comprehensive information on appropriate responses to emergencies, and it's a good idea (and sometimes the law) to keep one SDS for each product you use. Third, Chemtrec is a company that specializes in cleaning up chemical spills and also provides cleanup information to those who ask.
Contact and reporting
The fourth C, Contact, means contacting local, state, and/or federal agencies to report the spill — and those agencies can also give you guidance on proper cleanup. Whether you're required to report depends on the quantity, the particular chemical, and where the pesticide spilled, and the requirements can be complicated. The safe approach is simple: err on the side of caution — if you have any doubts at all about whether to report a spill, the best option is to simply report it, because failure to report could lead to legal problems along with harm to human health or the environment.
Spill kits and the contact list
Being ready means having the right supplies staged where accidents happen. Keep spill kits on hand in several places — your pesticide storage facility, mixing and loading area, and transport vehicles — and make sure each kit contains directions for use and is labeled with a list of its contents. A kit should include protective gloves, coveralls, and boots; chemical splash goggles; a respirator; a temporary hazardous material storage bag; absorbent pads for water- or solvent-based chemicals; an absorbent tube sock (spill pillow); a bentonite or polymer mix paste for plugging leaking containers; absorbent granules such as kitty litter; a shovel and/or broom; a dust pan; and warning signs. Alongside the kits, maintain an emergency response contact list with the names and phone numbers of every response agency you might call — including local emergency planning committees, police and fire units, paramedics and hospitals, the Poison Control Center, CHEMTREC at 800-424-9300, manufacturers and dealers, and containment and hazardous-waste cleanup contractors — and post copies in the office, shop, mixing and loading sites, storage areas, and work vehicles. When you need cleanup help beyond the manufacturer, your local or state environmental protection agency or Chemtrec (800-424-9300) can assist.
How to study this chapter
- Memorize the response order: PPE → victims → control → contain → clean up, and that PPE comes first, before even helping victims.
- Lock in the three C's (control, contain, clean up) and the fourth C (contact/report).
- For control, know the source-stopping moves: right the container, plug the drum and transfer, turn off the pump, and never leave until cleaned and ventilated.
- For contain, remember small area + dam + absorbents, and the three don'ts: no water bodies/storm sewers, no hosing down, no road flares if flammable.
- For clean up, the key rule is get product-specific advice first — from the label's emergency number, the SDS, or Chemtrec.
- Know the reporting rule: it depends on quantity/chemical/location, and when in doubt, report.
- Be able to recall spill-kit contents and locations, and the CHEMTREC number, 800-424-9300.
- Tie in EPCRA: storing a listed extremely hazardous substance at or above its TPQ triggers reporting.
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