Sulfuric acid.

Safety
Introduction
Sulfuric acid is a clear, colourless to dark brown, odourless, dense, oily liquid. It will not burn
but it can decompose at high temperatures forming toxic gases, such as sulfur oxides. Contact of
sulfuric acid with combustible materials may cause fire. It is considered to be highly reactive.
Contact with many organic and inorganic chemicals may cause fire or explosion and contact with
metals liberates flammable hydrogen gas. It also reacts violently with water.

Sulfuric acid is VERY TOXIC. It may be fatal if inhaled or swallowed and it is CORROSIVE to
the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. It may cause blindness and permanent scarring. It also causes
lung injury and these effects may be delayed. Strong inorganic acid mists containing sulfuric acid
are CARCINOGENIC.

Eye/Face Protection
To protect your eyes from sulphuric acid, chemical safety goggles must be worn at all times in
designated areas. A face shield may also be necessary when handling sulfuric acid in an open
system.
Protective Clothing
Acid Concentration > 8 hour > 4 hour 1 to 4 hour Use with < 1 hour
Recommended Recommended Caution Not Recommended
Sulphuric Acid, Saranex™ Teflon™ Polyvinyl Polyvinyl alcohol
Fuming Responder® Tychem® 10000 CPF® 3
Barricade®
TrellChem® HPS
>70 wt% Sulphuric Butyl rubber Viton™ Neoprene Natural rubber
Acid polyethylene polyvinyl chloride nitrile rubber
Teflon™ Viton™ polyvinyl alcohol
Saranex™
4H™
Barricade®
CPF® 3
Responder®
TrellChem® HPS
Tychem® 10000
30 to 70 wt% Acid Butyl rubber - Nitrile rubber Polyvinyl alcohol
Sulphuric natural rubber
neoprene
polyethylene
polyvinyl chloride
Teflon™
Saranex™
Barricade®
Responder®
4H™
CPF® 3
Viton™
TrellChem® HPS
Tychem® 10000
<30 wt% Sulphuric Butyl rubber - - Polyvinyl alcohol
Acid natural rubber
neoprene
polyethylene
polyvinyl chloride
Teflon™
Viton™
Barricade®
Responder®
Saranex™
4H™
CPF® 3
TrellChem® HPS
Tychem® 10000

Notes:
1. Recommendations are NOT valid for very thin Natural rubber, Neoprene, Nitrile and PVC gloves (0.3 mm or less).
2. Recommendations are valid for permeation rates reaching 0.1 µg/cm2/min or 1 mg/m2/min and over. Resistance of specific materials can vary
from product to product. Breakthrough times are obtained under conditions of continuous contact, generally at room temperature. Evaluate
resistance under conditions of use and maintain clothing carefully.
Saranex™ is a trademark of the Dow Chemical Company
Tychem® is a registered trademark of DuPont
CPF® 3 is a registered trademark of DuPont
Barricade® is a registered trademark of DuPont
TrellChem® is a registered trademark of Trelleborg, Sweden
Responder® is a registered trademark of Kappler
Reference: Forsberg, K., et al. Quick selection guide to chemical protective clothing. 3rd edition. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1997.

Safety Signs

General warning sign for sulphuric acid.

General warning sign for corrosive material.

The National Fire Protection Association - NFPA 704 uses

a symbol system designed as a diamond-shaped label
containing four differently colored squares. A number (0 -
4) or an abbreviation is added to each square indicating the
order of hazard severity. The higher the number, the
greater the hazard.

Flammability (Red) - 0 - Will not burn

Health Hazard (Blue) - 3 - Extreme danger
Reactivity (Yellow) - 2 - Violent reaction with water
Special Hazard (White) – None

There are only two NFPA 704 approved symbols for

Special Hazards: OX (oxidizer) and W (unusual reactivity
with water). Other symbols maybe used which are not
compliant with NFPA 704 such as 'ACID' or 'COR'
(corrosive - base or acid)

Safety Showers
Introduction
Safety showers and eyewashes are an important piece of safety equipment in an acid plant. Proper design, location
and installation will ensure that they are available in an emergency.

Safety Showers
Emergency shower heads shall be designed so that a water column is produced that is not less than 208.3 cm (82
inches) nor more than 243.8 cm (96 inches) in height from the surface on which the user stands. The spray pattern
shall have a minimum diameter of 50.8 cm (20 inches) at 152.4 cm (60 inches) above the surface on which the user
stands, and the centre of the spray pattern shall be located at least 40.6 cm (16 inches) from any obstruction.
Emergency shower heads should be capable of delivering a minimum of 113.6 L/min (30 USGPM) of water, which
shall be substantially dispersed throughout the pattern.
In combination units, the eyewash is not considered an obstruction for the purpose of determining the distance of the
centre of the spray pattern.
Shower head designers usually use 113.6 L/min (30 USGPM) at 207 kPa (30 psi).

Performance of Control Valve

The valve shall be designed so that the water flow remains on without requiring the use of the operator’s hands.
The valve shall be designed to remain activated until intentionally shut off. The valve shall be simple to operate
and shall go from ‘off’ to ‘on’ in one second or less. The valve shall be resistant to corrosion from potable
water.

Manual actuators should be located not more than 175.3 cm (69 inches) above the surface on which the user
stands.
Installation
Emergency showers shall be in accessible locations that require no more than 10 seconds to reach and should be
within a travel distance no greater than 30.5 m (100 ft) from the hazard.

The unit should be located as close to the hazard as possible without physically causing a hazard itself, such as
protruding fittings. The maximum time required to reach the shower should be determined by the potential
effect of the chemical. For example, exposure to a highly corrosive chemical might require showers to be
installed within 3 to 6 m (10 to 20 ft) from the hazard.

Each emergency shower location shall be identified with a highly visible sign. The area around or behind the
emergency shower, or both shall be painted a bright colour and shall be well lighted.
Testing
Showers shall be activated weekly to flush the line and to verify proper operation.

The shower shall be tested in accordance with the following procedures:

 With the unit correctly connected to the water source and the valve(s) closed, visually check the piping
connections for leaks.

 Open the valve to the full open position. The valve shall remain open without further use of the operator’s
hands.

 Measure the shower. The face of the shower head shall not be less than 208.3 cm (82 inches) nor more than
243.8 cm (96 inches) from the surface on which the user stands.

 With the valve in the ‘full on’ position, measure the diameter of the spray pattern. It shall be a minimum of
50.8 cm (20 inches) at 152.5 cm (60 inches) above the standing surface. The centre of the spray shall be at
least 40.6 cm (16 inches) from any obstructions.
Eyewash Units
A means shall be provided to ensure that a controlled flow of potable water or its equivalent is provided to both eyes
simultaneously at a velocity low enough not to be injurious to the user.
There shall be no sharp projections anywhere in the operating area of the unit.
Nozzles shall be protected from airborne contaminants. Whatever means is used to afford such protection , its
removal shall not require a separate motion by the operator when activating the unit.
Eyewash equipment shall be capable of delivering to the eyes not less than 1.5 L.min (0.4 USGPM) for 15 minutes.
Eye/face wash equipment shall be capable of delivering to the eyes and face not less than 11.4 L.min (3.0 USGPM)
for 15 minutes.
The unit shall be designed to provide enough room to allow the eyelids to be held open with the hands while the
eyes are in the stream of water.
Performance of Control Valve
The valve shall be designed so that the water flow remains on without requiring the use of the operator’s hands.
The valve shall be designed to remain activated until intentionally shut off. The valve shall be simple to operate
and shall go from ‘off’ to ‘on’ in one second or less. The valve shall be resistant to corrosion from potable
water. The valve actuator shall be large enough to be easily located and operated by the user.
Installation
The unit shall be positioned with the water nozzles 83.8 cm (33 inches) to 114.3 cm (45 inches) from the floor.

Eyewash units shall be in accessible locations that require no more than 10 seconds to reach and should be
within a travel distance no greater than 30.5 m (100 ft) from the hazard.

The unit should be located as close to the hazard as possible without physically causing a hazard itself, such as
protruding fittings. The maximum time required to reach the shower should be determined by the potential
effect of the chemical. For example, exposure to a highly corrosive chemical might require showers to be
installed within 3 to 6 m (10 to 20 ft) from the hazard.

Each eyewash location shall be identified with a highly visible sign. The area around or behind the emergency
shower, or both shall be painted a bright colour and shall be well lighted.
Testing
Eyewashes shall be activated weekly to flush the line and to verify proper operation.

The eyewash shall be tested in accordance with the following procedures:

 With the unit correctly connected to the water source and the valve(s) closed, visually check the piping
connections for leaks.

 Open the valve to the full open position. The valve shall remain open without further use of the operator’s
hands.

 Using a flowmeter or other means, determine that the flow rate is at least 1.5 L/min (0.4 USGPM), that the
flushing streams rise to approximately equal heights, and that the water will wash both eyes simultaneously
at a velocity low enough not to be injurious to the user.

 To determine that both streams are properly located for flushing simultaneously, a strip of transparent
material 10.16 cm (4 inches) wide marked with two sets of parallel lines equidistant from the centre, on set
3.18 cm (1 1/4 inches) apart and the other 8.26 cm (3 1/4 inches) apart. Place this strip on top of the stream
of the eyewash; the flushing should cover the areas between the lines 3.18 cm apart and the lines 8.26 cm
apart when the gauge is lowered not more than 3.81 cm (1 1/2 inches) below the water’s peak.

Dunk Tanks
Dunk tanks are essentially large bath tube in which a person can be completely immersed. The tanks are really only
suitable for indoor use where the building is heated. Installation outdoors can result in the water temperature being
too low and in cold climates the water may freeze. A continuous flow of water into the tank is generally required to
ensure the tank is full and to keep the water fresh.
 Tempering Tanks for Emergency Showers and Eyewashes
A tempering tank may be described as “a pressure vessel used exclusively for hydraulic purposes at atmospheric
temperature”. Tempering of water for safety showers and eye/face washes should be done by conduction of heat
from adjacent air space to the tank and its contents, i.e. within water temperature limits of 16ºC and 40ºC (60ºF and
110ºF). Tempering methods employing direct steam or electrical energy, e.g. steam mixing systems ort immersion
heaters, etc. are NOT recommended for use with emergency showers. The most suitable and economical choice of
tank for tempered water service is a standard hot water storage tank (100 psi working pressure, hot dip galvanized
internally and externally).

Tempered Water Requirements

The function of the tempering tank is to provide a supply of water, between tolerable
temperature limits, for use at the shower head or eye/face wash. It is not intended as a
reservoir to provide water when the supply to the tank is shut off. The recommended water
supply to emergency showers is as follows:
Temperature: 16ºC (60ºF) Minimum
40ºC (110ºF) Maximum
Flow: 30 USGPM
Line Pressure: 60 psi Maximum
The tempering tank should have a capacity of not less than 170 Imp. gallons. Where there is more than one
emergency shower in a building, one tempering tank may be used to supply all showers (provided connecting
piping does not run through areas heated to less than 16ºC) since the possibility of more than one unit being
required simultaneously would be slight.
Tempering Methods
Since the tempering tank is to supply an emergency shower and eyewash the tempering tank must not introduce
an additional hazard. Direct heating methods require temperature controls and if these fail, the result could be
excessively hot or cold water delivered to the shower head and therefore should not be used. The following
methods avoid the direct application of heat and should be used:

 Uninsulated tank located in a heated area where the contents will remain at an ambient temperature of 16ºC
to 40ºC.

 Uninsulated tank located in an unheated area but enclosed and the enclosed space heated by steam, hot
water or electric radiant heater with the temperature limits stated above.
Tank Installation
 Since the tempered water is intended to be at ambient temperature, the tank should not be insulated.

 Tank orientation should be such that inspection openings (where applicable) are easily accessible.

 The tank should be installed vertically wherever possible.

 The main valve in the supply line to the tank should be sealled open and tagged to indicate that a temporary
connection must be made to the tank before the main valve is closed.

 When the tank is isolated for inspection or repair, a temporary connection should be made between supply
and discharge connections or an alternate safety shower or eye/face wash station should be made available.

 Provision should be made to remove entrapped air from the system, particularly during initial and
subsequent tank filling operations. An automatic air vent should be installed near the highest point in the
system.

 The emergency showers and eye/face wash location require careful consideration, so that they are neither
too far from or too close to the hazard and that no obstructions are in the path leading to the emergency shower
or eye/face wash.
 Outside potable water supply lines serving tempering tanks should be run underground below frost level to
avoid problems of overheating or freezing due to failure of the tracing system required for above ground lines.