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What to do if…
a chemical has splashed in your eye and it still burns after rinsing

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Keep rinsing your eye with clean water that is not hot, and get urgent help now. Go to A&E or call 999 if the chemical may be strong, your vision has changed, the pain is severe, light hurts, you feel sick, or you cannot keep the eye open.

Do not do these things

  • Do not wait overnight to see if it settles when it still burns after thorough rinsing.
  • Do not rub the eye.
  • Do not try to neutralise the chemical with another chemical, including vinegar or baking soda.
  • Do not put in eye drops, ointments, or redness-relief drops unless NHS 111, 999, A&E, or an eye clinician tells you to.
  • Do not re-insert contact lenses.
  • Do not drive yourself if your vision is affected, you feel unwell, or you cannot keep the eye open.

What to do now

  1. Restart rinsing now and continue for at least 20 minutes.
    Use clean running water that is not hot, or sterile saline if you have it. Hold the eyelids open with clean fingers if you can. Move your eye up, down, left, and right while rinsing so water reaches under the lids.

  2. Try to stop contaminated water running into the other eye.
    Tilt your head so the affected eye is lower, if you can do that safely. Let the water run away from the other eye and your face.

  3. Remove contact lenses only if they come out easily.
    If a lens will not come out quickly, keep rinsing and do not delay urgent help.

  4. Get urgent assessment now. Choose the fastest safe route.

    • Call 999 if the chemical may be strong, such as bleach, oven cleaner, drain cleaner, ammonia, battery acid, or an industrial chemical.
    • Call 999 if your vision has changed, the pain is severe, light hurts, you feel sick, the eye is very red or swollen, or you cannot keep it open.
    • If none of those apply but it still burns after thorough rinsing, go to A&E now or call NHS 111 and say: “chemical in the eye, still burning after rinsing.”

  5. Take the chemical information with you.
    Bring the container, a photo of the label, or the Safety Data Sheet if it happened at work. Tell staff roughly when it happened, whether it was liquid, powder, vapour, or spray, and how long you rinsed for.

  6. Keep protecting the eye while you travel or wait.
    Keep rinsing whenever safely possible until you are seen. Avoid touching the eye. If light is painful, sunglasses may help while you are getting urgent care.

What can wait

  • You do not need to decide right now whether it was an acid or an alkali.
  • You do not need to complete workplace or incident paperwork before getting medical help.
  • You do not need to search for the perfect eye wash if clean running water is available.
  • You do not need to make longer-term decisions about treatment or follow-up now.

Important reassurance

Feeling panicky is understandable when your eye still burns. The most useful things right now are simple: keep rinsing, get urgent assessment, and bring the product information if you can.

Scope note

These are first steps only to reduce harm and get you into the right urgent care. Clinicians may continue irrigation, examine the eye surface, check vision, and decide what treatment or follow-up is needed.

Important note

This is general first-step information, not medical diagnosis, medical advice, or professional advice. If symptoms are severe, worsening, or you notice any vision change, treat it as urgent and seek emergency care now.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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