Hang this poster by the eyewash station and the first-aid kit in any room or storeroom where methanol is kept.
What is on the poster
Symptoms can wait 1 to 72 hours. Feeling fine proves nothing: every exposure gets a medical evaluation.
- Call 911 and Poison Help, 1-800-222-1222. Say "suspected methanol exposure in a school laboratory". Notify administration as the Chemical Hygiene Plan says.
- Stop, remove ignition sources, get fresh air. Move the person to fresh air, and secure the area so nobody else is exposed.
- Eyes: flush for at least 15 minutes. Large amounts of tepid water. Remove contact lenses. Put nothing else in the eye.
- Skin: contaminated clothing off, then rinse. Rinse the skin with plenty of water, away from the exposure area.
- Breathed in: watch the breathing. Breathing difficult: a trained responder may give oxygen. Not breathing: CPR with a barrier device.
- Swallowed: do not induce vomiting. No food or drink unless Poison Control says so. Keep the person calm and warm until the ambulance arrives.
Get medical care at once after a possible exposure if there is
- Any change in vision, or eye pain.
- A headache or dizziness that does not pass.
- Vomiting or abdominal pain.
- Confusion, unusual behavior or drowsiness.
- Any breathing of methanol vapor in an enclosed space.
Keep the Safety Data Sheet and the container label for the medical responders. Antidotes are hospital treatment: nobody at school gives one.
Built to the Science Safety Teaching Standard
This poster carries the SSTS mark. Like every Science Safety course, it is built to the Science Safety Teaching Standard (SSTS): every rule on it is taken from the body that governs it, at its current edition, and the source is printed on the poster, so you can check it yourself.
Stay current
When you get this poster, it is saved to your Science Safety account. If we revise the poster, or the Methanol Safety module it comes from changes, we will email you, and the latest version will be waiting under Downloads in your account. Every revision carries its revision number and date at the bottom of the poster, so you can tell at a glance whether the copy on your wall is current.
Printing and hanging
- One-page PDF, US letter (8.5 by 11 inches).
- White background, so it prints clearly on any office or classroom printer without using much ink.
- Hang it by the eyewash station and the first-aid kit.
- The QR code in the blue title band opens this page, so anyone can get their own copy.
- The QR code at the bottom opens the Methanol Safety module.
Learn more
The Methanol Safety module teaches the full topic this poster comes from.
Sources:
- Methanol: Systemic Agent, Emergency Response Safety and Health Database – NIOSH (reviewed October 2, 2026)
- Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, Methyl alcohol – NIOSH (reviewed October 2, 2026)
- Poison Help, 1-800-222-1222 – America's Poison Centers (reviewed October 2, 2026)
Poster SSP-0045, Rev. 1, October 2026.
