Acid/Base Safety

Protective Clothing Acids and bases should only be handled while wearing the following protective clothing. Safety goggles Face shield Full length acid smock Rubber gloves Hard leather shoes

Additional Safety Some acids produce caustic and/or poisonous fumes They should only be handled inside a fume hood.

First Aid If an acid or base gets on you skin or in your eyes, you should rinse the area with water. If it was a strong acid or base keep rinsing the area for 5-15 minutes. If an acid or base gets on your clothing you should quickly and carefully remove the clothing—it is protecting you now, but chemicals can soak through and will be hard to wash away. Many laboratories will have a safety shower to allow large spills to be washed away without spreading the chemicals.

Safe Handling Procedures Clean containers after use with deionized water. Work under a fume hood unless you have been told otherwise by your teacher. Use a funnel when pouring chemicals into a small container. Open bottles slowly to avoid spilling and allow vapors to escape. Know what type of reactions to expect. Remember to triple-A (AAA): Always Add Acid to water.

Why so many rules? Acids and bases can cause very bad burns. These can take a long time to heal and almost always leave scars. Contact with the eyes can cause blindness.