Many of the industries, commercial facilities and institutions in Hamilton produce, use or transport chemicals and materials that can be hazardous if released to the environment in the event of an accident.

How will l be warned?

• All industries are connected to the Hamilton Police Communications Centre (911)
• If an incident has the potential to affect the community, you may be notified through:
• news flashes on local radio stations;
• a trailer message on the Cable 14 TV channel;
• news and information on the local Hamilton television station - CH TV;
• loudspeaker announcements or other direct warning by authorities – police or fire fighters.

• follow any special instructions given over the radio, or by someone in authority; 
• go indoors or stay in your car to reduce direct exposure to the vapours;
• shut doors and windows;
• turn on your radio or TV to a local news station (you must be prepared to wait a few minutes for news), and
• turn off your furnace or air conditioner.

What will other people be doing?

• Area industrial plants have trained personnel and equipment to respond immediately to an incident.  Detailed emergency response plans are in place and practiced regularly;
• The Hamilton Joint Emergency Coordinating Committee (JECC) and the Hamilton Community Awareness and Emergency Response Group (CAER) bring the resources of municipal and industrial responders together during any incident.
• JECC and CAER plans are tested regularly in simulation exercises.

• Corrosive
• Flammable
• Toxic
• Oxidizer

• Corrosives include chemicals such as ammonia, chlorine and hydrogen chloride.  They can release vapours with a sharp irritating odour. 
• Ammonia is used as a refrigerant in some ice rinks and other large-scale refrigeration systems and is produced as a by-product of coke manufacture. 
• Chlorine is used for water treatment to kill bacteria and other microorganisms to make it safe for drinking.
• Hydrogen chloride, also known as hydrochloric acid, is used for cleaning steel in a process called pickling.
• These chemicals are usually stored in pressure vessels or tanks, as a liquid, and transported in tanker trucks and rail tank cars.

• Flammables include materials such as natural gas, gasoline, aviation fuel, coke oven gas, and blast furnace gas.
• These materials are petroleum hydrocarbon fuels or byproduct fuels such as from the production of coke.  They are used in metallurgical, commercial and residential furnaces and as fuel for vehicles and aircraft.
• These materials are transported in pipelines, tanker trucks and rail tank cars. 

• Toxic materials used, stored or transported in quantities include coke oven gas, and blast furnace gas both of which contain carbon monoxide; light oil which contains benzene, PCBs, and certain solvents such as MIBK, and MEK.
• Toxic gases and vapours may also be flammable.

You may wish to:

• place wet towels at the base of doors or breathe through damp towels if you smell irritating vapours such as ammonia;
• bring in pets if they are nearby and easily found;
• Close your windows and shut off fresh or outside air.  If you are in a vehicle, and the release is visible, avoid driving into the gas cloud. 

• DO NOT use the telephone to call 911, or any other authority, for information.
• DO NOT attempt to evacuate or travel anywhere;
• DO NOT shut off pilot lights;
• DO NOT attempt to bring children home from school or other family members from work;

If the incident involves a chemical release, fire, explosion, or other emergency condition, stay away from the site.  Follow the standard marked emergency route or directions from police officers to travel to your destination.