What should you do if you encounter a hazardous material spill?

When encountering a hazardous material spill, prioritizing safety is crucial. The correct action is to ensure safety by immediately evacuating the area and notifying the appropriate authorities. This helps protect individuals from potential harm and allows trained professionals to address the situation effectively.

Evacuating the area ensures that no one is exposed to the hazardous materials, which could pose serious health risks. Notifying authorities, such as the fire department or hazardous materials team, initiates a response from individuals who have the resources and training to manage the spill safely.

Choosing to ignore the situation would leave individuals in danger and could exacerbate the problem, while trying to clean it up personally without the proper training and equipment could result in exposure to toxic substances, leading to injury or environmental damage. Limiting access to only emergency personnel is a component of the correct response, but without first ensuring safety and alerting authorities, the situation remains uncontrolled, which is why the comprehensive approach outlined in the correct answer is essential.