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The Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are closely monitoring health and environmental impacts to Florida. See below for current
Health Advisories or visit the
DOH Impacted Beaches
website.
For most people, occasional brief contact with a small amount of oil, while not recommended, will do no harm. If contact occurs, wash the area with grease-cutting liquid dishwashing detergent and water.
Consider the following tips for avoiding negative health impacts from an oiled shoreline:
- Avoid entering areas where oil can be seen or smelled.
- Avoid direct skin contact with oil, oil-contaminated water and sediments.
- Do not swim or ski in areas affected by the oil spill, and if traveling through the area by boat, take precautions when hoisting the boat anchor. If oil makes contact with skin, wash it off with grease-cutting liquid dishwashing detergent and water.
- Do not harvest or eat dead fish, fish with oily residue or fish that have a petroleum odor.
- Avoid boating through oil slicks or sheens.
- Young children, pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, and individuals with underlying respiratory conditions should avoid the area.
- Prevent pets from entering oil-contaminated areas.
To learn more about the potential health impacts and first aid measures regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, view the
Health Frequently Asked Questions.
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DOH, in coordination with DEP and Gulf coast impacted counties, have established criteria that will be used by County Health Departments to issue and rescind Health Advisories and other public health messaging regarding any future impacts along Florida’s coast due to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
View these Guidelines.
Health Advisories have been issued for the counties listed below and can also be found on DOH Impacted Beaches website.
- Escambia County
- August 17, 2010 - All notices have been RESCINDED for
Escambia Beaches with the exception of Perdido Key, west of the
state park to the state line and all of the Gulf Island National
Seashore property in both Perdido Key and Pensacola Beach.
Learn More
-
Okaloosa County
- August 13, 2010 - All notices have been RESCINDED for
Okaloosa Beaches.
Learn More
- Walton County
- August 13, 2010 - All notices have been RESCINDED for Walton
Beaches.
Learn More
What Residents & Visitors Should Know: Beaches may continue to
be impacted by the oil product over time. - Severe weather may
change the oiling of all or a portion of any beach.
- It may be
necessary to issue health advisories or other public health
messaging in order to protect the health and safety of Florida
residents and visitors in the future.
To Avoid Potential Health Impacts: - Because wave action and
currents may periodically bring tar balls ashore or expose small
areas of buried oil within the sand, beach goers may encounter
weathered oil products and tar balls, and should avoid touching
the product.
- If people accidentally come into contact with
buried oil product or tar balls they should wash the residue
from their skin as soon as practical. Brief skin contact is not
a medical emergency, but can result in skin irritation if not
removed.
- Avoid contact with dead or dying fish or other
aquatic life.
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Health and Safety Resources
Children & Adolescents
Human Health Concerns
Information for Health Professionals
Responder Safety
Resources for Managing Heat Stress
Resources for Managing Stress
Seafood
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DOH and DEP have compiled information from multiple state and federal agencies for health and safety concerns related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Following the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico on April 22, 2010, EPA has provided full support to the U.S. Coast Guard and is monitoring and responding to potential public health and environmental concerns. EPA continues to closely coordinate with other federal, state and local agencies as well. Environmental data, including air quality and water samples, will be posted and frequently updated on this site as it is collected and validated by EPA’s response teams along the impacted coastlines. This data is meant to determine potential risks to public health and the environment.
United States Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)
Part of the federal government response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is the monitoring of environmental conditions that might affect public health and the safety of seafood.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
CDC is monitoring potential health threats or conditions across the five Gulf States that may arise as a result of human exposure to the oil spill. CDC is in constant communication with state and local health departments and will quickly support and respond to any emerging health threats.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences - National Institutes of Health (NIEHS)
Protecting the health and safety of the workers cleaning up the oil spill is a top priority for the NIEHS. The NIEHS is well positioned to help lead the oil spill response training efforts. For the past 24 years, the NIEHS has been administering the national
Worker Education and Training Program (WETP) to provide safety training to emergency responders and the hazardous materials workforce. Through the WETP, the NIEHS was able to provide nearly immediate assistance to the oil spill response and to protecting the health of oil spill workers after the explosion occurred on the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, in the Gulf of Mexico in April, 2010.
United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)
OSHA is responsible for ensuring safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance. During oil spill recovery efforts OSHA is ensuring workers rights are protected and they are safe from hazards and have the proper training.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (NIOSH)
NIOSH is protecting oil cleanup workers with the following ongoing efforts such as, partnering with the OSHA and NIEHS to provide other federal and state partners, BP, and workers with guidance and educational materials for protecting response workers; conducting health hazard evaluations and surveillance of reported illnesses among workers involved in the Gulf response; developing a voluntary roster of workers to obtain a record of those who have participated and a mechanism to contact them about possible work-related symptoms of illness or injury, as needed and; analyzing injury and illness data provided to NIOSH by BP safety officials to increase awareness of the risks associated with Gulf oil response work.
National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health (NLM)
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) has a long history of providing health information during times of disaster. Recognizing the potential for the use of libraries as major untapped resources during disasters, and responding to the current increased need for disaster health information, the Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC) has been created to aid the nation’s disaster management efforts. DIMRC is tasked with the effective collection, organization, and dissemination of health information for natural, accidental, or deliberate disasters.
United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
FDA is working with the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, EPA, other
Federal agencies and several state authorities in the regions
affected by the recent oil spill. FDA continues to closely
monitor this developing situation and its potential impact on
the safety of seafood harvested from the area.
Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA)
The mission of SAMHSA is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities. SAMHSA’s work is driven on the premise that people of all ages, with or at risk for mental and substance use disorders should have the opportunity for a fulfilling life that includes a job, a home and meaningful personal relationships with friends and family. SAMHSA has created a disaster response website for practical advice and resources on how to deal with the effects disasters can have on your physical and mental health. Website provides information and links to organizations, agencies and other resources that address immediate disaster response.
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
AAP encourages pediatricians, families, and communities to work
together to ensure that children are protected from exposure to
environmental and other hazards. The
Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSU) are a
source of medical information and advice on environmental
conditions that influence children's health.
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Will I be able to go to the beach if oil sheen washes up
along the shore?
Beaches will only be closed if they become
unsafe to walk on. If this occurs, closures may be issued by the
appropriate local authority. Beach use above the high water mark
is usually not impacted by oil or oil products. Florida waters
and beaches are monitored daily for oil spill impacts.
For most people, an occasional brief contact with a small
amount of oil, while not recommended, will do no harm. However,
some people are sensitive to chemicals, including hydrocarbons
found in crude oil and petroleum products. They may experience
skin and eye irritation even from brief contact with oil. In
general, contact with oil should be avoided. If contact occurs,
wash the area with grease cutting dishwashing detergent and
water. DOH discourages the use of gasoline, kerosene or other
solvents to clean oil from skin.
Consider the following tips for avoiding negative health
impacts from an oiled shoreline:
- Do not touch or collect tar balls. Beach cleaning should
only be done by trained professionals.
- Avoid entering areas
where oil can be seen or smelled.
- Avoid direct skin contact
with oil, oil-contaminated water and sediments.
- Do not swim or
ski in areas affected by the oil spill, and if traveling through
the area by boat, take precautions when hoisting the boat
anchor. If oil makes contact with skin, wash it off with a
grease-cutting liquid dishwashing detergent and water.
- Do not
fish in oil spill-affected waters.
- Do not harvest or eat dead
fish, fish with oily residue or fish that have a petroleum odor.
- Avoid boating through oil slicks or sheens.
- Young children,
pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, and
individuals with underlying respiratory conditions should avoid
the area.
- Prevent pets from entering oil-contaminated areas.
What is the difference between a Health Advisory and an Oil
Impact Notice?
Health Advisories are generally short term
messages used to convey that certain conditions are likely to
occur over a specific geographic area. Once the risk is passed
the advisory is rescinded by the issuing authority.
Notices are generally longer term messages used to convey the
possibility that certain conditions may occur or reoccur over a
greater geographic area. Notices are left in place to inform the
public what the conditions are and advise what they should do
when the conditions are present. Notices are rescinded once the
probability the condition will occur has passed.
County health departments, in coordination with emergency
management and local officials, may issue Health Advisories once
the visible presence of oil or oil products is observed in the
water within 100 yards of the beach by a designated government
professional. Oil in the water or on the beach poses little risk
to the health of the general public (not participating in clean
up) if they remain out of the water. Advisories are rescinded
once there are consecutive high tides with no oil or oil
products observed in the water from the high water mark out to
100 yards from shore.
Likewise, County health departments, in coordination with
emergency management and local officials, may issue Oil Impact
Notices once the visible presence of oil or oil products is
observed in the water within 100 yards of the beach by a
designated government professional. The observation need only
occur once in order to post the beach as an impacted beach. Oil
Impact Notice signs will be posted at beach access points based
on the local knowledge of where people are swimming and mooring
or launching boats. The Oil Impact Notice could potentially stay
in place for an extended period of time and may be removed based
on local determination that the beach is no longer impacted by
the oil spill. Existing notice signage may be replaced by other
informational notices based on the condition of the beach.
Are Florida waters safe for scuba diving, snorkeling and
swimming?
It is recommended that before you begin your dive or
swim, you should visually inspect the area for signs indicating
the presence of oil (oil sheen, slicks, tar balls, oil mousse,
mats, etc). If you see any visible signs of oil, it is
recommended that you do not scuba dive, snorkel or swim in the
area. Water quality sampling information can be found at
www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/water.htm.
If you are exposed to oil while swimming or diving, it is
recommended that you wash all exposed skin areas with
grease-cutting liquid dishwashing detergent and water as soon as
possible. More prolonged exposure could cause more serious skin
irritation or a rash. Because scuba divers use compressed air,
it is unlikely they are in any danger from inhaling water
contaminated with oil, even if they accidentally surface in an
exposed area.
Is the air safe to breathe?
At the present time, there are no
detectable effects on Florida’s air quality due to the spill.
State and federal agencies are working together to answer
questions about how the oil spill and burning oil may affect air
quality. Currently, air samples are being gathered by state and
federal agencies 24 hours per day. These samples are tested for
vapors that may evaporate from the water/oil mixture in the Gulf
as well as for particulate matter or fine particles that may
result from the smoke generated by in-situ burning. The levels
of particulate matter and volatile organic compound chemicals
are being tracked closely. Daily air quality reports and air
monitoring data can be found at
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/air.htm For
additional information, visit
http://gulfcoast.airnowtech.org/.
Is my water safe to drink?
Most drinking water comes from
surface water and wells inland. The oil spill is not likely to
affect drinking water. If you have any concerns about your
water, contact your water utility. Federal and state agencies
are collecting water samples along affected coastlines to
determine potential risks to public health and the environment.
The company that supplies your water is responsible for
routinely monitoring the water it supplies. You will be notified
if your water doesn't meet federal and state standards. The
notice will describe any precautions you need to take, such as
boiling your water. Follow the advice of your water supplier or
local health department if you ever receive such a notice. The
oil spill is not expected to impact domestic wells.
Is Gulf Seafood safe to eat?
Federal and state agencies
continue to closely monitor the safety of seafood harvested from
the Gulf area. The public should not be concerned about the
safety of seafood in stores at this time. There is no reason to
believe that any contaminated product has made its way to the
market. Fish and shellfish harvested from areas unaffected by
the closures are considered safe to eat. More information on
Florida’s seafood can be found at
http://www.fl-seafood.com/.
How can I cope with the worry and unknown outcomes of the oil
spill?
The American Psychological Association (APA) developed a
public education campaign – Road to Resilience - to help people
manage challenging life events. Resilience is the ability to
“bounce back” from adversity and adapt to changing
circumstances. It involves skills that people can learn and
apply in their daily lives.
These recommendations may help you to better handle the
current Gulf disaster:
- Make connections. Good relationships with close family
members, friends, or others are important. Accepting help and
support from those who care about you and will listen to you
strengthens resilience. Some people find that being active in
civic groups, faith-based organizations, or other local groups
provides social support and can help with reclaiming hope.
Assisting others in their time of need also can benefit the
helper.
- Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems. You can't
change the fact that highly stressful events happen, but you can
change how you interpret and respond to these events. Try
looking beyond the present to how future circumstances may be a
little better. Note any subtle ways in which you might already
feel somewhat better as you deal with difficult situations.
- Accept that change is a part of living. Certain goals may
no longer be attainable as a result of adverse situations.
Accepting circumstances that cannot be changed can help you
focus on circumstances that you can alter.
- Move toward your goals. Develop some realistic goals. Do
something regularly -- even if it seems like a small
accomplishment -- that enables you to move toward your goals.
Instead of focusing on tasks that seem unachievable, ask
yourself, "What's one thing I know I can accomplish today that
helps me move in the direction I want to go?"
- Take decisive actions. Act on adverse situations as much as
you can. Take decisive actions, rather than detaching completely
from problems and stresses and wishing they would just go away.
- Look for opportunities for self-discovery. People often
learn something about themselves and may find that they have
grown in some respect as a result of their struggle with loss.
Many people who have experienced tragedies and hardship have
reported better relationships, greater sense of strength even
while feeling vulnerable, increased sense of self-worth, a more
developed spirituality, and heightened appreciation for life.
- Nurture a positive view of yourself. Developing confidence
in your ability to solve problems and trusting your instincts
helps build resilience.
- Keep things in perspective. Even when facing very painful
events, try to consider the stressful situation in a broader
context and keep a long-term perspective.
- Maintain a hopeful outlook. An optimistic outlook enables
you to expect that good things will happen in your life. Try
visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you
fear.
- Take care of yourself. Pay attention to your own needs and
feelings. Engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing.
Exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself helps to keep your
mind and body primed to deal with situations that require
resilience.
For more information contact your local county health
department at
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/chdsitelist.htm.
Download a PDF version of the Health FAQs
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2010 State of Florida