Exposed to bromine vapour at 14 weeks pregnant, really worried now.

[Moominmiss]

So as the title suggests really.

I work in a science department in a secondary school.

One of our teachers had an accident earlier this morning during a practical experiment and dropped a bottle of 2% bromine solution. The class was immediately evacuated and I then went in with a mask on, goggles and gloves on, to put the spill kit over the spill and ventilate the room.

All in all I was probably in the room for 10 minutes.

I then sat outside for a good half an hour getting some deep breaths of fresh air.

My mask stank of it, and I can still now smell it on my hair and clothes.

I know I followed all the regulated advice for schools etc. I went into autopilot at the time, making the room/area safe etc. But I’m terrified now in the aftermath that breathing in the vapour may have caused some serious harm to my baby. I’m 14+2.

I feel ok, other than being able to smell it still.

I honestly don’t know what I should do, if anything.

Maybe ring the midwife for advice?
Hope all is ok x

I’ve text the number that my midwife gave me to see if she has any advice.

I’ve been told (via advice in school) to keep an eye out for sickness (not ideal in pregnancy lol), and headaches.

If you don't hear from your midwife I would call 111 for advice. I had an accident (nothing like yours) but after calling my local maternity advice line they adviced me to call 111 who referred me to a&e to be on the safe side (currently 13 weeks)

I'd ring rather than wait for midwife to check texts as they will be in and out of appointments or ring 111

Thank you @Tokyo87 I will definitely call if I don’t hear anything.
I’m probably overreacting and I doubt there’s anything that could be done anyway at this point.

Phone your triage unit if you don’t hear off the midwife?

I agree, call 111 and they in turn, can contact the national poisons line. It might be advised to go home and wash hair/shower as a minimum. I'm unsure if your GP/midwife could organise a blood test to check levels, but if you were wearing the correct PPE, its unlikely. best of luck and keep us updated x

Don't have access to it presently, but what does cleapps say?? Check the Hazcard?

Definitely call 111. I'm disgusted that they let you clean it up.

I don't think you're overreacting at all. I'd probably call 111 as soon as, just for peace of mind if nothing else. Hope all is ok xx

Cleapps says consult a medic if breathing even slightly affected. That's if molarity is less than 0.2M but greater than 0.06M. Can't imagine schools using anything more concentrated than this (unless maybe A Level??).

I'd be using an abundance of caution though. Not worth taking the risk. I think you're more likely to be affected badly than baby though! More likely to damage your lungs than enter bloodstream, I'd think!!

Your pregnancy risk assessment needs a bit of work, I think!!!! I was a physics teacher and pregnant and avoided our (extremely weak) radioactive sources entirely... I'd swap a lesson and teach someone else's class and they'd take my radioactivity lesson. And the only real risk from the sources we used was if I'd swallowed the cupped source!!!

You had ppe and the baby is past the first trimester so very, very unlikely to be an issue if any sort. I think however school need to revise their procedures because you shouldn't have been in that position. You should also be able to go home, wash, change and speak to your midwife.

Thank you all. @Elouera they’ve sent me home for the rest of the day, so I’ll be able to shower and change.

My midwife has replied saying her understanding is that as long I was wearing a mask and other appropriate PPE and the exposure to it wasn’t too long (whatever too long is), that baby will be fine. She did say if I’m feeling really anxious that she would refer me to EPU for a scan. She didn’t mention any blood tests or anything though.

CLEAPSS have said the same, to remove any contaminated clothing and PPE and to look out for headache or sickness.

Unfortunately I’m a lone working technician so it falls on me to do it.

I haven’t had an official risk assessment done since becoming pregnant, but everything I can find online suggests I continue to carry out my role as normal with the exception of heavy lifting.
I still handle the radioactives etc. A huge part of my job is handling quite volatile chemicals. Thankfully we haven’t had a spill disaster like this for a long time.
The teach was so apologetic, but wasn’t his fault. He had to chaperone the students to another building so couldn’t stay to help, and there just isn’t anyone else. The other teachers were teaching, and the general cleaners aren’t trained for chemical spills.

Thank you so much for your help and advice x

No they must do a risk assessment and make adjustments and that should involve training at least one other teacher. Lone working is a whole different risk that was clearly already present too.

@Moominmiss - that isn't right at all. You need to get your union involved in your risk assessment. The school (normally HOD) should consult cleapps about it. Another tech could help you. Have the teachers fetch their own sources (I've also been in that position and just went and got them before lesson and returned after, nbd).

Modifications to some of your tasks are an absolute requirement.

I'm actually irate on your behalf!!!

@physicskate thank you. I think after reading your post I will push for my risk assessment and ask what they can put in place going forward for things I don’t feel comfortable doing, such as the radioactives and some of the nastier chemicals.

I have refused to make chlorine gas as I hated doing it before and used to give me headaches even prior to pregnancy.

It was an a level class today. They do use pure bromine in ampules. What they used today was a 2% concentration. 100mls of it.

I’m glad to be going home for the day!

I just really want to say thank you so much to everyone who has made me realise I wasn’t overreacting today.

I’ve raised the line working issue before. We used to have 3 techs, but over time they’ve left and not been replaced. After the last tech left I was told they’d recruit for another but then covid hit and it never happened.

I’m hoping that me going on maternity leave will push them to bring someone else in sooner rather than later.

www.sserc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/New-and-expectant-mothers.pdf

community.preproom.org/index.php?threads/any-pregnant-lab-techs-out-there.3606/

Just a quick google threw up these... link to cleapps in the second link, which is a discussion amongst techies.

They may need to think about re-deploying another department's tech (dt, art, it, are common ones) to help you with some tasks as you are a lone tech.

Thank you @physicskate going to have a read of those links now.

Thank you so much for your help.

I’ve noticed felt comfortable with the line working for a while now, even pre pregnancy. It’s a shame as I adore my job and that’s the only thing that’s making it difficult right now.

That should have said I’ve never felt comfortable with lone working

It still irks me that schools don't seem to understand how indispensable techies are!!! True unsung heroes!!

I remember kids always asking me, 'what do they do?' Whenever a tech had left my lab. My response: 'save my life on a daily basis.'

Definitely push for a risk assessment to be carried out! I'm 11 weeks and work from home and have already had my risk assessment done so you definitely should have! Hope you're feeling ok x

Thank you @physicskate, even though i can often feel overlooked by the wider school and the head, I do feel valued by the science teachers which is what always helped to make my job so enjoyable.

I’m often left with boxes of chocolates in my prep room.

I think as a department the head sort of overlooks us and forgets about us. We kind of run pretty self sufficiently in comparison to the other departments. And whilst that can be great in some respects, it does mean in situations like this I run the risk of being forgotten about!

@Sunflowerx thank you, I’m home now having showered etc and thankfully due to it being a nice sunny day I’ve been sat in my garden getting plenty of fresh air. I’ve felt a couple of movements too (this is baby #4) which has reassured me for now.