What should you do if OC accidentally gets on someone?

• A. Reassure them and begin the decontamination process.
• B. Ignore and continue deployment.
• C. Apply lotion to soothe skin.
• D. Seek immediate medical attention regardless of symptoms.

Answer: (A)

When OC spray accidentally contacts someone, the top priority is to calm them and start decontamination quickly. OC is an irritant that affects the eyes, nose, throat, and skin, causing burning, tearing, coughing, and a sensation of choking. Reassuring the person helps them stay calm and cooperative so you can remove the irritant effectively, which minimizes how long they’re exposed and how severe the symptoms are.

Begin by moving them to fresh air and removing contaminated clothing to strip away as much agent as possible. Do not rub the eyes or skin. For eyes, flush with clean water or saline for at least 15 minutes, continuing to rinse while the person blinks to help wash out the irritant. For skin, wash thoroughly with soap and water, then rinse well. Bag or rinse out the contaminated clothing and wash exposed skin and hands.

After decontamination, monitor for persistent symptoms. Seek medical attention if breathing becomes difficult, eye irritation remains severe, or symptoms do not improve after initial decontamination.