Would someone who studies chemical engineering tell you how to save yourself in the event of a chemical explosion?

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Forward: I study chemical engineering and witnessed the Jihua explosion firsthand; what happened in Tianjin feels like a repeat of that incident. ▌Common problems that may occur in large-scale chemical explosions: scratches, injuries from falls, and bleeding in areas located at a distance from the explosion site, caused by shock waves. Temporary communication disruptions caused by a large volume of communications in the short term. Traffic congestion caused by the large-scale movement of people. Unknown **hazards, secondary explosions, and possible toxic fumes. Hospitals are full of people. ▌Recommended action: Those who are in close proximity to the explosion area, unless they are EHS officers, should evacuate immediately rather than rushing in to try to extinguish a fire that they are not equipped to handle. If there is energy left during the evacuation, check if there are anyone nearby in need of help, and remind them or assist them in evacuating as well. When evacuating, bend over as you move forward, take routes in the upwind direction; if there is thick smoke, cover your mouth and nose with a wet towel or a gas mask, and avoid using elevators and escalators. After coming out, contact the company’s EHS officer and other relevant personnel as required to report the situation and call the police. If possible, provide the location of the explosion area, **information, reserves, and information on items stored nearby. To enable the fire department to adopt more effective strategies when reporting a fire. There is a high likelihood of further explosions; do not gather to watch, do not gather there! Generally, there will be people who need emergency treatment for skin injuries. You can refer to the following two questions here. ►What is the correct treatment method for skin injuries and abrasions? - Common sense in life. ►How should secondary injuries caused by explosion shock waves generally be treated urgently and self-treated? - In medical terms, if the condition is more severe, it is necessary to clean the wound and stop the bleeding promptly, then go to the hospital for further treatment. It’s very difficult to get through to 120 at this time. Those who are in the vicinity of the explosion area should evacuate the dangerous zone promptly and seek help. Those who are further away generally suffer less severe injuries and can walk to the hospital for assistance. If possible, it is advisable to choose a hospital that is as far away as possible from the explosion site; this allows important resources to be allocated to those who may be more severely injured. On the other hand, hospitals located nearby are usually overcrowded with victims, making it difficult to provide prompt treatment. Pay attention to the child’s condition, provide a sense of security, and avoid causing stress. Also, be careful not to let children see certain things! Try to avoid post-traumatic stress disorder as much as possible. It’s almost certain that calls won’t go through on mobile phones, and there are usually problems with 3G/4G networks as well. Wired networks are relatively stable; if it is necessary to get in touch with others, it is recommended to use the network for communication. Communication will gradually resume in about a year or so, and then necessary contacts can be made at that time. Not all gases released by explosions are dangerous. This depends more on the **components, total amount, distance, wind direction, and so on. In fact, many areas that are at a certain distance from the explosion site do not require evacuation. Close the doors and windows right away; do not go outside to watch. Turn on the TV and radio to local stations or programs, and keep your phone handy to receive emergency messages. If an irritating smell is detected, if the location is close to the explosion site and in the downwind direction, if an evacuation order is issued by the community, EHS officers, or the school, or if it is observed that people have already evacuated, then evacuate promptly. (In the case of the Jihua explosion, the school began to organize evacuations almost half an hour later; of course, if one is particularly worried, it’s also possible to leave immediately.) When evacuating, it is principle that one should move away from areas downwind where gas contamination might occur, that is, away from the polluted areas as well as any potential future pollution zones. But do not walk straight toward the explosion area, towards the upwind side! ! ! Move towards the wind at the upwind side or in a direction perpendicular to it within the explosion zone, and move away from the explosion zone in a direction perpendicular to the wind at the downwind side. Additionally, wind direction changes need to be taken into account; in cases with sea-land breezes, the wind direction in the morning and evening can be considered. Turn off the gas, electricity, water, and doors and windows when leaving. This is not an earthquake that requires immediate evacuation; it’s still possible to close doors and windows. When evacuating, bring money, ID card, phone as well as a charger, water, and cold-weather clothing. Put on the flats and let’s go. There won’t be any trampling at places far from the explosion site, but traffic is usually paralyzed at that time. Travel together. Avoid encountering other dangers (such as malicious people). Try to avoid being under buildings to prevent glass from falling due to shock waves. In fact, the evacuation was not chaotic; everyone generally moved in an orderly manner in one direction. When we evacuated, we kept joking along the way; we spent the night at an internet cafe and had a great time… It’s important to listen to local channels and pay attention to text messages, as there are usually people or organizations that can provide temporary shelter. Generally, after a few hours, continuous reports will emerge and the situation will be brought under control, at which point it becomes possible to decide whether to return. (Shortly after the Jihua explosion, the radio station almost switched to rescue mode, continuously broadcasting updates on the situation and providing information on where emergency shelter could be found. Kudos to the people of Jilin and its officials! ) Please do not spread rumors! Please do not spread rumors! Do not trust any reports from unofficial sources, even those issued by the news media, as they are usually just guesses and not reliable at all. After that, things like secondary explosions or leaks of toxic substances such as xxx often get mentioned; don’t believe those claims – rely on official sources. At such times, they are **ten thousand times more reliable than many unreliable media outlets. (It turned out that after the explosion at Jihua back then, all sorts of rumors were circulating… but none of them came true.) Communication should gradually resume in a couple of hours, and that’s when one can let friends and family know that everything is fine. Or find an internet cafe to let someone know you’re safe. They care about you a lot. If the explosion area is near rivers, it is advisable to keep a certain reserve of drinking water to avoid shortages due to mistakes in the fire-fighting plan. There’s no need to store too much; it’s likely that some of the salt purchased in Fukushima back then still hasn’t been used up. It’s not necessary to buy mineral water all the time; having enough tap water at home for a few days is sufficient. You might consider taking photos of the damaged condition at home as evidence, and then replace the glass – glass usually breaks. In nearby buildings, there will also be some degree of damage. So that it can be used as evidence in case there is compensation later on. Finally, give a thumbs up to the firefighters who are currently risking their lives on the front line!