Safe Handling Of Dry Ice
Caution: Keep Dry Ice away from children if they cannot be closely supervised at all times. |
| HANDLING |
| Dry Ice temperature is extremely cold at -109.3°F or -78.5°C. Always handle Dry Ice with care and wear protective clothing or leather gloves whenever touching it. An oven mitt or towel will work. If touched briefly it is harmless, but prolonged contact with the skin will freeze cells and cause injury similar to a burn. |
| STORAGE |
| Store Dry Ice in an insulated container. The thicker the insulation, the slower it will sublimate. Do not store Dry Ice in a completely airtight container. The sublimation of Dry Ice to Carbon Dioxide gas will cause any airtight container to expand or possibly explode. Keep proper air ventilation wherever Dry Ice is stored. Do not store Dry Ice in unventilated rooms, cellars, autos or boat holds. The sublimated Carbon Dioxide gas will sink to low areas and replace oxygenated air. This could cause suffocation if breathed exclusively. Do not store Dry Ice in a refrigerator freezer. The extremely cold temperature will cause your thermostat to turn the freezer off. It will keep everything frozen in the freezer but it will be used up at a faster rate. It is the perfect thing if your refrigerator breaks down in an emergency. There are also Commercial Storage Containers available. |
| VENTILATION |
| Normal air is 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen and only 0.035% Carbon Dioxide. If the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air rises above 0.5%, carbon dioxide can become dangerous. Smaller concentrations can cause quicker breathing but is otherwise not harmful. If Dry Ice has been in a closed auto, van, room, or walk-in, for more than 10 minutes, open doors and allow adequate ventilation before entering. Leave area containing Dry Ice if you start to pant and breath quickly or your fingernails or lips start to turn blue. This is the sign that you have breathed in too much CO2 and not enough oxygen. Dry Ice CO2 is heavier than air and will accumulate in low spaces. Do not enter closed storage areas that contain or have had Dry Ice in them. Air it out completely. |
| PICK-UP TIME AND TRANSPORTING |
| Plan to pick up the Dry Ice as close to the time it is needed as possible. It sublimates at 10%, or 5 to 10 pounds every 24 hours, whichever is greater. Carry it in a well-insulated container such as an ice chest. If it is transported inside a car or van for more than 15 minutes make sure there is fresh air. Example: "After 15 minutes with Dry Ice only in its paper bag and in the passenger seat next to me, I started to breathe faster and faster as though I were running a race. I couldn't figure out why I was so out of breath until I saw the car air system was set to the re-circulated position, not fresh outside air." |
| BURN TREATMENT |
| Treat Dry Ice burns the same as regular heat burns. See a doctor if the skin blisters or comes off. Otherwise, if only red, it will heal in time as any other burn. Apply antibiotic ointment to prevent infection and bandage only if the burned skin area needs to be protected. |
| COUNTERTOPS |
| Do not leave Dry Ice on a tiled or solid surface countertop as the extreme cold could crack it. |
| DISPOSAL |
|
Unwrap and leave it at room temperature in a well-ventilated area. It will sublimate from a solid to a gas.
DO NOT - leave Dry Ice unattended around children. |
| MSDS |
|
PRAXAIR MSDS Worldwide Library Page
PRAXAIR MSDS Search Page Carbon Dioxide (Compressed) Carbon Dioxide, Solid (Dry Ice) |
