After you have been alerted of a hazardous materials incident, you should await further information from emergency response personnel. Upon receiving this information, follow it carefully. Your primary objective is to keep your distance from the incident in order to minimize your chances of contamination.

If you are caught outdoors during a hazardous materials incident, it is best to stay upstream, uphill, and/or upwind. Move toward a crosswind, so the wind is blowing from either the right or the left rather than directly in your face or at your back.

If you are caught outside in an incident, try to stay upstream, uphill, and upwind. You want to stay upstream from toxic waste flowing in water, so it is not carried towards you. Many toxic vapors are heavier than air and will tend to settle in low areas; thus, you are usually safest uphill where the topography will provide some protection.

Wind will play a critical role in distributing the toxic material, so you want to stay upwind—i.e., in the opposite area from where the wind is spreading the toxic fumes. If you are already caught in a plume, however, move in a crosswind direction, so the wind is blowing from either the right or left and not into your face or at your back.

How far away from an incident should you go to be safe? The answer to this will depend on weather conditions, topography, and the characteristics of the chemical itself. A high wind can carry the toxic substance many miles from the spill. Hills can delay dispersal, while the opposite is true of open country. (Your LEPC can gain low-cost access to highly sophisticated computer software that can project how far a plume is likely to extend under specific incident conditions.) In general, however, you should go at least 10 city blocks (one-half mile) from the danger area; for many incidents, you will need to go much further.