What to do Accidents

Chemical accident: what to do

Chemical accident: turn on the radio, seal windows and doors, go up to the upper floors, do not hide in a basement. Based on PAGD and KAM.

Prepared by the InCaseMap team · Steps translated from the Lithuanian text checked 5 October 2026 Updated 16 October 2026

In short: If you hear “Chemical danger”, turn on the radio or television. Told to stay at home — switch off the gas and electricity, tightly close doors, windows and ventilation openings, block the bottom of the doors with damp towels and go up to the upper floors — many hazardous substances collect low down. Do not hide in basements. Outdoors, cover your airways with a damp cloth and leave the area at right angles to the wind direction. All 20 “What to do” instructions, based on recommendations from PAGD, the Ministry of National Defence, the Radiation Protection Centre and the police, are in the InCaseMap app and work offline — together with a shelter map and 38 first-aid situations.

What to do

If you hear “Chemical danger”, turn on the radio or television.

  1. Told to stay at home – switch off the gas and electricity, turn off the water.
  2. Tightly close doors, windows and window vents, cover chimneys and ventilation openings.
  3. Block the bottom of the doors with damp towels; seal windows and doors with sticky tape.
  4. Go up to the upper floors – many hazardous substances collect low down.
  5. Do not go outside unnecessarily, prepare for a possible evacuation, warn your loved ones and neighbours.

You are outdoors or told to leave

Cover your airways with a respirator or a damp towel, a handkerchief, a scarf. Leave the contaminated area as quickly as possible at right angles to the wind direction, avoiding low-lying places, or in the direction specialists tell you.

Back in a clean room

Take off your outer clothes and shoes, put them in a plastic bag, take a shower. Wash contaminated skin with plenty of running water and soap, and your eyes – for 10–15 minutes.

What not to do

  • Do not hide in basements, pits, ditches or tunnels.
  • In a contaminated place, do not eat, drink or smoke.
  • Do not touch walls, fences or objects, do not raise dust.

First aid

Frequently asked questions

Why should I not hide in a basement during a chemical accident?

Many hazardous substances collect low down, so you need to go up to the upper floors. Do not hide in basements, pits, ditches or tunnels.

Which way should I leave a contaminated area?

At right angles to the wind direction, avoiding low-lying places, or in the direction specialists tell you.

What should I do after coming back from a contaminated place?

Take off your outer clothes and shoes, put them in a plastic bag and take a shower. Rinse your eyes with running water for 10–15 minutes.

Sources

Based on: Fire and Rescue Department of Lithuania (PAGD), Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania. Translated from the Lithuanian text that InCaseMap checked against the sources on 5 October 2026.

Instructions in the alert message and from officials come before this page. If a life is in danger, call 112.

You may freely use this text and its data, commercially too — just add a link: <a href="https://incasemap.com/en/what-to-do-chemical-accident">InCaseMap</a> (more)

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