How should you respond to a chemical spill on your hands?

• A. Wipe with a dry towel and continue.
• B. Rinse hands with running water only and dry with towel, then continue without changing gloves.
• C. Apply lotion and continue.
• D. Remove contaminated gloves, rinse hands with running water, wipe with a clean towel, and re-wear new gloves; wash hands.

Answer: (D)

Protecting yourself from chemical exposure requires removing the source of contamination, thoroughly cleaning the skin, and re-securing with clean protective gear. Start by taking off the gloves that touched the chemical so you don’t spread it to your skin or other surfaces. Then rinse your hands under running water to wash away the chemical residue. After rinsing, dry your hands with a clean towel to remove moisture and reduce any remaining contact with chemicals. Put on fresh gloves to continue handling things safely, and wash your hands again to ensure all traces are removed before reusing gloves. This sequence minimizes skin absorption and cross-contamination, aligning with proper spill decontamination procedures. Wiping with a dry towel and continuing would spread the chemical; rinsing only without changing gloves can leave residues behind; applying lotion could trap chemicals against the skin.