Hazardous chemicals
Chemicals
The hazardous chemicals that are involved in the incident are Toluene Diisocyanate and Methylene diphenyl Diisocyanate. Toluene Diisocyanate is a deadly chemical that has category one classification when it is inhaled. The chemical is also dangerous when it comes into contact with the skin where it causes serious irritations, and in this condition, it is under category two classification. The chemical is yellow in colour and liquid with a pungent smell with an upper explosive limit of 9.5%. It also has a boiling point of about 251 degrees Celsius and a freezing point of a range of 11.3-13.3 degrees Celsius (Meyer, 2014). Additionally, the chemical does not mix with materials such as water, alcohol, acids, amines, rubbers and plastics.
Methylene diphenyl Diisocyanate, on the other hand, is categorized as a dangerous chemical when inhaled and can lead to eye, skin and respiratory irritations. Prolonged inhalations may lead to the development of asthma that can easily block the lungs, causing breathing difficulty. It also a liquid with a yellow colour and a boiling point of 160 degrees Celsius. Its freezing point is less than 15 degrees Celsius and is highly reactive with materials containing active hydrogen component leading to release of heat. The reaction is accelerated with an increase in temperature and availability of solvents (Meyer, 2014). The chemical is heavier than water and insoluble but reacts slowly at the interface.
Opinion
As the head commander, the first response would be to evacuate people to a safe place and make sure that all people are present. Missing people would be reported to the emergency team immediately for search. Secondly, I would ensure that injured people are rushed to the hospital as soon as possible for treatment (Alexander, 2015). One of the methods of preventing this accident would be to educate the employees and partners on the safety measures when handling chemicals such as Toluene Diisocyanate and Methylene diphenyl Diisocyanate