Carechem 24 FAQ

How do you respond to a call?

NCEC's Emergency Responders respond to a call by following procedures that ensure a consistent response on behalf of our customers. The key steps in responding to a call are summarised as follows:

The person requiring assistance calls the number and speaks to one of NCEC's Emergency Responders
The NCEC Responder obtains the caller's name and contact number then requests details of the incident, products involved and the manufacturer/haulier of the product. The Responder retrieves the product's (or products') data and provides specific and practical advice to assist the caller
The Responder retrieves the product's (or products') data and provides specific and practical advice to assist the caller
The NCEC Responder uses non-technical language so that the caller can understand clearly and take the correct action
NCEC's target is to answer the telephone immediately and to provide initial advice within 10 minutes (it is usually much less). If more detailed information is required, such as in major incidents involving a number of products, we aim to provide additional advice within 30 minutes

These criteria have been agreed with the U.K.'s Chemical Industry Association (CIA).

If the caller requires further assistance, for example if it is a major incident, the NCEC Responder will continue their involvement in assessing the hazards and providing advice until the incident scene is made safe.

Once the initial advice to the caller has been provided, we can follow the company's specific instructions as part of their emergency response procedures. For example, we can mobilise company personnel or sub-contractors for a clean-up operation.

We also provide a written report of the incident.

What is your experience of chemical emergencies?

There are endless scenarios of where and when accidents can occur – NCEC has probably dealt with most of them! For example;

a major transport incident with a motorway closed
a leaking drum in transit
an unexpected reaction with other chemicals at a customer's site
a person injured by a splash of the substance
a fire in a warehouse in which the substance is stored.

We are frequently asked to advise the Fire Brigade when they are involved with major chemical incidents – which can be daunting unless you are a trained Emergency Responder. This is when the company's reputation is at stake – our experience gives us the expertise and confidence to handle these calls.

We are also frequently called by members of the public to provide first aid advice for their family or pets after accidents with consumer products that carry our 24-hour telephone number. These callers are often distraught and the skills required are not just in providing advice, but in reassuring the caller. Our Emergency Responders are trained to handle these types of calls.

For what products can you provide advice?

We can provide advice on a wide range of products:

bulk chemicals (liquids and gases)
packaged chemical products
consumer products
waste materials

If the product represents a risk to the manufacturer, user or the public – we can usually provide cover for it. Our only exceptions are radioactive materials and some products with biological hazards.

If you want to discuss whether we can provide cover for your products under Carechem 24, please contact us or phone us on +44 (0) 870 190 6621.

How does your Carechem 24 Multilingual service work?

Our Carechem 24 Multilingual service works in same way our standard Carechem 24 service; the difference is that we provide you with telephone numbers depending on which geographical region you require cover for.

When an incident occurs, the call will be answered by a multi-lingual call operator. NCEC's Emergency Responders will then provide advice on the incident to the caller using simultaneous interpretation in the language of the caller.

Can the 24-hour telephone number be displayed on our premises for on-site emergencies with our products?

As a Carechem 24 customer, you can display our 24-hour emergency telephone number on your premises. This ensures that in any on-site incident with your products, for example whilst loading vehicles, can be rapidly brought under control by NCEC's Emergency Response team.

Can NCEC’s telephone number and email address be used on the SDS?

If you are a Carechem 24 customer, then you should use the telephone number provided as your emergency telephone number for section 1.4. You will also need to provide a telephone number for general enquiries as well as your postal address and e-mail address for section 1.3. The e-mail address provided on the SDS should be an e-mail address for the company.

Please read our technical note for further information.