Chemical handling lessons learned

Al Letellier_9

Thanks for the important reminder. Safety courses I've taken in the past say that it's the "old timers" that get hurt most often as we begin to take things for granted and before you know it....boom !!!
Glad you weren't seriouly hurt, and thanks for keeping up on our toes !!!

mtfallsmikey

I know that...

More than a few of us use and handle various chemicals from time to time, from descalers to biocides, corrosion inhibitors, glycol, etc., but sometimes we get a little lax in handling such chemicals, which some may be benign, or extremely dangerous to the eyes and skin, such as my recent inadvertant exposure to a chemical called AA-4015, which is a biocide we use in our cooling towers. Had the short rubber gloves on, eye protection, but got a few drops on my forearm which did not burn or itch on contact, but after 3 days caused 2nd degree burns which briefly hospitalized me, but is now starting to heal 2 weeks after the exposure. I won't run thru the entire list of ingredients, but it is a powerful oxidant. Please be careful with any chemical you may use, follow the handling instructions on the label and MSDS... TO THE LETTER! I'm just glad I didn't get it in my eyes, as it would have blinded me...not a sermon, just a thought!!...mfm

lee_7

i got burned two years ago by the "pink" outdoor coil cleaner for a/c condensors. One of the nastiest chemicals on the market. Luckily, i live close to a trauma/ burn center. Had to go thru decon showers before i could even get in ER. Two days later and lots of painful IV's I got out of hospital. The stfuff attacks calcium in your body, which by the way is needed for muscle movement, breathing and a heartbeat. I will never, ever touch that stuff again.

Shane_2

Just hope you are OK

Darrell

What is also often overlooked is the relatively benign chemicals that we use that very readily cross the skin barrier. Stuff like fuel oil, WD-40, Kroil, pipe dopes, glycols, lead, even copper, etc. Our bodies are equipped to purge these if we are healthy, but if we stress our "cleaning equipment" with alchohol, tobacco, sugar...I really hate to include that one, then we cannot purge as well and out bodies store the toxin. I had a medical situation where my count of estrogen was very high...turns out that Fuel Oil is treated as an estrogen when it crosses the skin barrier. I won't bore you with all my experience...but I wear Nitrile gloves all the time now...way cheaper then the ten grand it took to get healthy.

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