A 2-year-old boy was burned after an acidic substance was poured on rides at a children’s playground in Poland, according to reports.
Authorities are now appealing to the public in order to catch the perpetrator. They are trying to confirm what the substance is, which they believe was deliberately poured onto five of the rides at the playground. The fire brigade has not been able to identify the acid but has confirmed that it was powerful and highly corrosive.
Another Playground Incident
Similarly, in 2008, two teenage boys from Maryland were sentenced to home detention and supervised probation after they poured an acidic drain cleaner on a playground slide, burning a 3-year-old boy, according to the Associated Press.The teens were then charged with reckless endangerment and second-degree burglary. As part of their sentence, the pair must also do 500 hours of community service and pay Baltimore County $700—the amount the county spent to clean up the acid.
They were also required to write a letter to the young boy to see how he was doing, reported the news wire.
What To Do When Exposed to Dangerous Chemicals?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if a person comes into contact with a dangerous chemical, it might be necessary to remove and dispose of clothing while waiting for medical help to arrive. This will help prevent the chemical from being further absorbed by the body or spreading on other parts of the body, as well as spreading to other people like medical personnel.- Quickly take off clothing that has a chemical on it. Any clothing that has to be pulled over your head should be cut off instead of being pulled over your head.
- If you are helping other people remove their clothing, try to avoid touching any contaminated areas of clothing, and remove the clothing as quickly as possible.
- As quickly as possible, wash any chemicals from your skin with large amounts of soap and water. Washing with soap and water will help protect you from any chemicals on your body.
- If your eyes are burning or your vision is blurred, rinse your eyes with plain water for 10 to 15 minutes. If you wear contacts, remove them and put them with the contaminated clothing. Do not put the contacts back in your eyes (even if they are not disposable contacts). If you wear eyeglasses, wash them with soap and water. You can put your eyeglasses back on after you wash them.
- After you have washed yourself, place your clothing inside a plastic bag. Avoid touching contaminated areas of the clothing. If you can’t avoid touching contaminated areas, or you aren’t sure where the contaminated areas are, wear rubber gloves or put the clothing in the bag using tongs, tool handles, sticks, or similar objects. Anything that touches the contaminated clothing should also be placed in the bag. If you wear contacts, put them in the plastic bag, too.
- Seal the bag, and then seal that bag inside another plastic bag. Disposing of your clothing in this way will help protect you and other people from any chemicals that might be on your clothes.
- When the local or state health department or emergency personnel arrive, tell them what you did with your clothes. The health department or emergency personnel will arrange for further disposal. Do not handle the plastic bags yourself.
