Those in charge at Petrolia's Indspec Chemical Co. plant at the time of a chemical spill Saturday afternoon demonstrated quick and proper reaction and good judgment that turned a potentially harmful or injurious situation for hundreds, if not thousands, of people into mostly just an inconvenience.

That responsible reaction and judgment, built on a foundation of training, established emergency procedure and knowledge of the chemical involved in the spill, took nothing for granted as officials began alerting authorities about the problem and calling for assistance.

It didn't take long for those at the plant to realize that the spill couldn't immediately be contained, and they apparently reacted in the right way, not only for their own safety but in responsible concern for people living in the areas around the chemical facility.

Hopefully federal and state environmental officials' evaluations of plant supervisors' and employees' response will confirm that there was nothing amiss in the way with which the emergency was dealt.

All considered on Saturday, it would seem few people might have expected a better result. One worker who was out of breath received oxygen; three residents were taken to Butler Memorial Hospital, and their conditions were not considered serious.

It was not immediately known whether those residents' health situations were related directly to the chemical spill.

By the fact that there weren't numerous cases of respiratory distress or other chemical-related symptoms inside or outside the plant during the height of the emergency or afterward is indicative of the effectiveness of the immediate decision making — one of the first decisions being that workers couldn't remain inside the plant.

That was followed by efficiency on the part of state police and other emergency responders in sealing off the area and alerting residents of the need to leave their homes and the area to ensure their safety.

Studies of how the spill occurred and all that happened in the aftermath no doubt will allow a conclusive judgment as to whether the day's weather conditions were detrimental or helpful regarding the mile-long cloud that was formed as part of the chemical's evaporation.

The highly caustic chemical involved was oleum, which, with properties similar to sulfuric acid, can burn skin and lungs.

The tank from which the chemical spilled has a capacity for thousands of gallons.

In such an emergency, the immediate cooperation of those in danger is of utmost importance. David Blair, Petrolia fire chief, said for the most part the cooperation of residents helped emergency responders' work proceed smoothly, although he did indicate that there were a number of people who expressed frustration over the need to evacuate.

It was Indspec employees and others trained in handling chemical emergencies who re-entered the plant after the initial evacuation and got the situation under control.

The spill investigation presumably will determine whether the incident was triggered by an equipment malfunction, employee error or equipment breakdown. While the effort to make an absolute determination of the cause continues, emergency responders will likely review their response and decide whether anything could have been done better from their standpoint.

Saturday's emergency, while mostly an inconvenience, was nonetheless an important instructive tool for the future. It also confirms the importance of emergency drills.

A drill at the plant Thursday no doubt ended up being a more valuable training exercise than anyone at the time imagined.