One of the more serious things we have to deal with while making hot or cold process soap is the handling of lye. Yes, friend, if you want to make soap from scratch you must use lye unless you make melt and pour soap , in which case the lye step has already been handled for you. Soap making can be messy! I do treat those spills with respect— lye is a strong caustic and can cause serious burns and eye injury.
Want more info about making your own soap from scratch? Years ago, soap makers would soap with a bottle of white vinegar nearby. Conventional wisdom was vinegar, as an acid, would neutralize lye, an alkali.
And we seasoned soap makers loved to dole out this bit of wisdom to new soapers, feeling all helpful and knowledgeable. Now, I shudder every time I see this suggested on soaping blogs and social media. Image that, just on a larger and infinitely more dangerous scale. There are safer ways to neutralize lye spills when making soap, my friend, so read on.
If you spill lye granules on your floor or counter tops, sweep them up with a dry broom or cloth. Then, dump them into your drain and rinse down with plain, cold water. Once all the granules are cleaned, use a cloth or mop dampened with plain cold water to go over the entire area several times to make sure you get every last dust-speck of lye cleaned up. Put the lye soaked rags or paper towels into your sink and rinse them well with plain, cold water to dilute the lye solution.
Next, toss them into a bag, tie off, and throw away in an outdoor trashcan preferably with a lid. Wipe down the spill site several times with plain cold water. Remember, raw soap batter is caustic too! So, drips, bloops, and splatters should be cleaned up immediately.
Wipe up as much as possible with a paper towel, and throw it away. Again, toss into a bag, tie off, and place in an outdoor trashcan with a lid.
Rinse the entire area well with plain, cold water. Then, because soap batter also leaves behind an oily residue, follow up with a thorough cleaning with a mild soap dish soap is perfect. For lye granules, lye water, or raw soap batter on your skin, rinse, rinse, rinse with copious amounts of plain, cold water.
Major spills like this are extremely rare, though. More common are those tiny splashes and drips. If you notice a drip or splatter of raw soap batter or lye solution on your skin, stop soaping and clean the area. Sodium hydroxide dissociates within the body and would not reach the reproductive organs in an unchanged state.
No data were located concerning reproductive endpoints in humans exposed to sodium hydroxide. Sodium hydroxide is not teratogenic in rats. Sodium hydroxide is not included in Reproductive and Developmental Toxicants , a report published by the U. General Accounting Office GAO that lists 30 chemicals of concern because of widely acknowledged reproductive and developmental consequences.
Rescuers should be trained and appropriately attired before entering the Hot Zone. If the proper equipment is not available, or if rescuers have not been trained in its use, assistance should be obtained from a local or regional HAZMAT team or other properly equipped response organization.
Respiratory Protection : Positive-pressure, self-contained breathing apparatus SCBA is recommended in response situations that involve exposure to potentially unsafe levels of sodium hydroxide. Skin Protection : Chemical-protective clothing is recommended because sodium hydroxide can cause irritation or skin burns. Quickly access for a patent airway, ensure adequate respiration and pulse. If trauma is suspected, maintain cervical immobilization manually and apply a cervical collar and a backboard when feasible.
If victims can walk, lead them out of the Hot Zone to the Decontamination Zone. Victims who are unable to walk may be removed on backboards or gurneys; if these are not available, carefully carry or drag victims to safety. Consider appropriate management of chemically contaminated children, such as measures to reduce separation anxiety if a child is separated from a parent or other adult.
If exposure levels are determined to be safe, decontamination may be conducted by personnel wearing a lower level of protection than that worn in the Hot Zone described above.
Stabilize the cervical spine with a collar and a backboard if trauma is suspected. Administer supplemental oxygen as required.
Assist ventilation with a bag-valve-mask device if necessary. Rapid decontamination is critical. Victims who are able may assist with their own decontamination.
Rescuers should wear protective clothing and gloves while treating patients whose skin is contaminated with sodium hydroxide. Immediately brush any solid material from clothes, skin, or hair while protecting the victim's eyes. Quickly remove contaminated clothing and flush exposed areas with water for at least 15 minutes.
Double-bag contaminated clothing and personal belongings. Use caution to avoid hypothermia when decontaminating children or the elderly. Use blankets or warmers when appropriate. Flush exposed or irritated eyes with plain water or saline for at least 30 minutes. Remove contact lenses if easily removable without additional trauma to the eye, otherwise sodium hydroxide trapped beneath the lens will continue to damage the eye. If pain or injury is evident, continue irrigation while transferring the victim to the Support Zone.
In cases of ingestion, do not induce emesis. Do not administer activated charcoal or attempt to neutralize stomach contents. Victims who are conscious and able to swallow can be given 4 to 8 ounces of milk or water; if the patient is symptomatic, delay decontamination until other emergency measures have been instituted. Consider appropriate management of chemically contaminated children at the exposure site. Provide reassurance to the child during decontamination, especially if separation from a parent occurs.
As soon as basic decontamination is complete, move the victim to the Support Zone. Be certain that victims have been decontaminated properly see Decontamination Zone above. Victims who have undergone decontamination pose no serious risks of secondary contamination to rescuers. In such cases, Support Zone personnel require no specialized protective gear. Quickly access for a patent airway. Ensure adequate respiration and pulse. Administer supplemental oxygen as required and establish intravenous access if necessary.
Place on a cardiac monitor. Victims who are conscious and able to swallow can be given 4 to 8 ounces of milk or water if this has not been given previously; if the patient is symptomatic, delay decontamination until other emergency measures have been instituted. In cases of respiratory compromise secure airway and respiration via endotracheal intubation. If not possible, perform cricothyroidotomy if equipped and trained to do so. Avoid blind nasotracheal intubation or the use of an esophageal obturator.
Use direct visualization to intubate. Treat patients who have bronchospasm with aerosolized bronchodilators. The use of bronchial sensitizing agents in situations of multiple chemical exposures may pose additional risks. Consider the health of the myocardium before choosing which type of bronchodilator should be administered. Cardiac sensitizing agents may be appropriate; however, the use of cardiac sensitizing agents after exposure to certain chemicals may pose enhanced risk of cardiac arrhythmias especially in the elderly.
Sodium hydroxide poisoning is not known to pose additional risk during the use of bronchial or cardiac sensitizing agents. Consider racemic epinephrine aerosol for children who develop stridor. Dose 0. Patients who are comatose, hypotensive, or are having seizures or cardiac arrhythmias should be treated according to advanced life support ALS protocols.
Only decontaminated patients should be transported to a medical facility. Report to the base station and the receiving medical facility the condition of the patient, treatment given, and estimated time of arrival at the medical facility. If a chemical has been ingested, prepare the ambulance in case the victim vomits toxic material. Have ready several towels and open plastic bags to quickly clean up and isolate vomitus.
Consult with the base station physician or the regional poison control center for advice regarding triage of multiple victims.
Patients with evidence of ingestion or substantial inhalation exposure or who have evidence of eye or skin burns should be transported to a medical facility for evaluation. Others may be discharged from the scene after their names, addresses, and telephone numbers are recorded. Those discharged should be advised to seek medical care promptly if symptoms develop see Patient Information Sheet below. Unless previously decontaminated, all patients suspected of contact with solid sodium hydroxide or its solutions and all victims with skin or eye irritation require decontamination as described below.
Because sodium hydroxide is extremely corrosive, hospital personnel should don rubber gloves, rubber aprons, and eye protection before treating contaminated patients.
All other patients may be transferred to the Critical Care area. Be aware that use of protective equipment by the provider may cause fear in children, resulting in decreased compliance with further management efforts. Also, emergency room personnel should examine children's mouths because of the frequency of hand-to-mouth activity among children. Evaluate and support airway, breathing, and circulation. Children may be more vulnerable to corrosive agents than adults because of the smaller diameter of their airways.
Because of possible corrosive injury, intubation should be done carefully. If not possible, surgically create an airway. Patients who are comatose, hypotensive, or have seizures or ventricular arrhythmias should be treated in the conventional manner. Patients who are able may assist with their own decontamination.
Damage to the mouth, throat and stomach is immediate. Breathing it can cause severe irritation of the upper respiratory tract with coughing, burns and difficulty breathing. The harmful effects of sodium hydroxide depend on several factors including the concentration of sodium hydroxide, length of time exposed, and whether you touched it, drank it or inhaled it.
Contact with very high concentrations of sodium hydroxide can cause severe burns to the eyes, skin, digestive system or lungs, resulting in permanent damage or death. Prolonged or repeated skin contact may cause dermatitis. Repeated inhalation of sodium hydroxide vapor can lead to permanent lung damage.
Contact the Poison Center at for more information about exposure to sodium hydroxide. Back in , sodium hydroxide was reported as one of the ten most commonly spilled or released chemicals in Tennessee. Spills and Emergencies — If employees are required to clean up spills, they must be properly trained and equipped.
For sodium hydroxide in solution, absorb liquids in dry sand, earth, or a similar material and place into sealed containers for disposal. Collect solid material in the most convenient and safe manner and place into sealed containers for disposal.
It may be necessary to contain and dispose of sodium hydroxide as a hazardous waste. Sodium hydroxide reacts with strong acids hydrochloric, sulfuric or nitric , water, and moisture to rapidly release heat. Sodium hydroxide reacts with metals aluminum, lead, tin or zinc to form flammable and explosive hydrogen gas.
Sodium hydroxide can form shock sensitive salts on contact with nitrogen containing compounds. Sodium hydroxide is not compatible with oxidizing agents, chlorinated solvents, ammonia, and organic materials. Store in original, tightly closed, containers in a cool, well ventilated area away from water and moisture. Sodium hydroxide can attack iron, copper, plastics, rubber, and coatings. Tennessee Poison Center www.
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