Nitric acid burn safety

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Nasty looking burns. However, at least, most of them were simple splatters. Much worse would be a hand covered with hot acid. That can be a life changing event, even if rinsed instantly.

Hot acid is NOT something to take lightly at all. Your health is SO much more important the small amount of values that most of us are working with.

Jim.
 
One time, about quitting time, 25% nitric splashed on and covered my pantleg, from about the knee down. Instead of removing my pants and rinsing them out thoroughly, I just rinsed them off pretty well with a hose. I then spent about 45 minutes, in hot weather, driving home. After about 30 minutes, the water evaporated, the nitric got stronger, and things started getting uncomfortable. When I got home, I had bad burns all over my leg. I applied Silvadene (Silver Sulfadiazine) salve and the burns were gone in about 3 days. That stuff is great. Expensive, but good to have around. Since then, I've always had a tube of it.

Being around acid fumes and chemicals can badly chap your hands. I've found that Corn Husker's Lotion works better for this than anything else I've tried. Here, in semi-rural Missouri, it's found in most grocery stores.
 
GSP,

How would that balm compare to bag balm? Bag balm is what I have used for dry/chapped hands from other things (so far I have not gotten chapped from acid or fumes). I would have to see if I can find Corn Husker's Lotion, but being from NE, I imagine I can simply pick some up at tractor supply, although I have never seen it, or looked for it.

Speaking of leg burns, an older gent friend of mine, who worked in the pharmaceutical industry (chemist), told a story of a gal that was burned by conc sulphuric when she picked up a plastic jug by the handle, and the "weld" at the bottom of the jug gave out, spilling about 3/4 gallon of concentrated. Ouch, big time. This was in a chemistry class at UNO here in Omaha. Bad news all around. Not sure why this was not in a carboy, but by what I was told, it was not, and was a plastic "chemical" jug, that simply failed.

Jim.
 
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