Safety precautions around Sulphuric Acid delivery area?

Sulfuric acid, like any other corrosive substance, is dangerous if improperly handled.

However, if proper handling procedures and safety precautions are followed, large volumes can be handled safely. The safe handling of sulfuric acid from tank trucks and tank cars by the application of air pressure or by gravity requires careful attention to proper procedures and should be conducted by trained personnel. 

What are best safety precautions around Sulphuric Acid delivery area? 

Which safety measurements are crucial? 

Taxonomy

• Chemistry
• Environment
• Water Safety
• Safety & Hazard
• Environment
• Safety Regulations
• Environmental Impact

6 Answers

1. Has anyone had experience with using Diphoterine as a treatment to acid burns rather than irrigation with water ?

   1 Comment

   1. Yes, we do have. First its expensive and and secondly shelf life is not long. Water is never my first choice while dealing with 96% Sulphuric Acid..

      1 Comment reply

      1. Muhammad - many thanks for comment, have you any experience with actually using it on an acid spill on to skin ? also accept your comment regarding price and shelf life, I assume someone at your site is tasked with replacing out of date units, sounds like it takes an effort to keep things up to date

2. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for handling concentrated Sulfuric acid -  goggles, face shield with helmet, rubber apron or rain coat/pants. Gloves should be heavy chemical gloves, not thin nitrile or rubber gloves.  Rubber boots.  If any of this stuff splashes on you, it will go through your clothes and start burning your skin in seconds.  It burns even more when you put water on it to wash it off.  Take no chances, be completely covered.  Having a safety shower and eyewash close is also important. 

3. Thanks Tom, I have already seen this brochure. We are making some amendments to our Asset standard around Sulphuric dosing and delivery area. This would be useful reference. 

4. Here is a good reference: http://myh2so4.norfalco.com/documents/NorFalco_H2SO4TechBrochure.pdf

   Although specific to a certain manufacturer/supplier, the safety sections apply to anyone.

5. It require something like powder (Lime), in order to control spillage of Acid  and to control pH around the area.

6. Operators who work with it should wear safety glasses. There should be a safety shower near the sulfuric acid tank or near the sulfuric acid feed pumps. If the storage area floor is concrete, a special coating should be applied to the floor. I put in a coating for a design I did, but I forget the name of it. Talk to paint and other coating manufacturers as there are some good protective coatings. If you are going through a design now, I suggest the storage tank be at least 4000 gal. Delivery trucks in the USA transport 4000 gal, so if your tank is larger than 4000 gal. you can take a full delivery load. If you are going through a design and plan on receiving 90 to 95% sulfuric acid concentration, the storage tank can be steel. It will not corrode. The steel tank with weaker sulfuric acid solutions will corrode. Also, if you are  in a cold climate area, the sulfuric acid if stored outside will not freeze. However, I do not where you are located so check freezing temps for your area and the freezing point for sulfuric acid. If you do not want steel, I suggest cross link polyethylene tanks.