Alison Cioffi & John Gilroy

Presentation Overview
Introduction & Importance
Chemicals in Water Treatment
General Information about the chemicals

Handling Safety
Storage Necessities
Accidental Release Measures
Eye contact, Skin Contact, Ingestion, and Inhalation procedures

Specific Chemical Information

Sodium Hypochlorite
Hydrofluoric Sulfite Acid (Fluoride)
Ammonia
Carbon Dioxide
Ferric Sulfate & Polymer
Polyphosphate
Lime

Conclusion

Introduction & Importance

Welcome to Chemical Safety Training!
The quality of water is important, but also the safety of those

working here
The goal of this presentation is to educate everyone about

chemical safety with information for chemicals used and how to

handle them.

* This is not how to handle

Chemicals in Water Treatment

Certain chemicals are used in the water treatment process from

the beginning, where the water comes into the plant, to the end,
where it leaves to go to the city.
All of the chemicals used are safe when diluted in millions of

gallons of water but when handling the raw form at the plant
things could get very dangerous.
Understanding specific safety measures could be useful later on for

your own well being or for one of your co-workers

Managing Chemicals
Chemical Management
Each Chemical should come with a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)

for further information

Information on this sheet should have some details of Agency
compliance, some examples:

OSHA Protection of employees from workplace injury and illness.

EPA Protection of people, animals and the environment from chemical
injury.
DOT Safety of shipments during transportation: road, rail, air, sea or
pipeline.

If you are unsure about certain components of the chemical, ask

your supervisor

Handling Safety
Make sure the area is well ventilated
Use gloves, chemical safety goggles, boots, and any other

protective clothing available.

For some chemicals that produce fumes, a respirator may be

needed in cases of heavy exposure

Avoid contact with skin, eyes, and clothing
Wash hands with soap and water immediately after handling

Storage Necessities
Keep in a tightly closed container
Store in a dry, cool, clean, and well ventilated area
Place the product away from direct sunlight
Avoid Storing the chemical in proximity to other substances that it would

react with. (Dont store an Acid near a Base)

Accidental Release
Measures

Dont Panic! It wont help.

Contain the spill as best as possible
Contact your supervisor. They will assess the magnitude of the spill

and contact the appropriate authorities.

Do not touch any spilled material, stop leak if possible, contain spill
if possible, and ventilate closed spaces before proceeding to enter
the area.
Keep all unnecessary people out of the area by posting DO NOT
ENTER signs on all entrances.
Pour absorbent on top of contained spill area and sweep up
Discard any product, residue, disposable container, or liner in an
environmentally acceptable manner, in full compliance with
federal, state, and local regulations.

Spill Kit

There should be a spill kit nearby which should include the

following:
Goggles
Gloves
Coveralls of some sort
Dustpan
Scoop
Broom or brush
Inert absorbent
Neutralizing and treatment materials
DO NOT ENTER signs
Eye wash bottle
Containment socks
Disposal container.

Contact,
Ingestion, &
Dont Panic Here Either. Its the worse thing you can do for yourself
or for another victim.
Inhalation
The reactions of each chemical can be different, but First Aid is

generally the same. We will discuss specific reactions later.

Eye contact immediately flush eyes with water for 15 minutes unless

stated longer in the MSDS

Skin Contact Remove Contaminated clothing, wipe excess chemical
from skin, and flush area with plenty of lukewarm water.
Inhalation - Remove yourself or victim to fresh air; facilitate artificial
respiration if needed
Ingestion The protocol for ingesting a chemical is different for every
chemical used at the Water Treatment Plant, we will discuss them in the
specific chemical information section.

Seek immediate expert medical attention as soon as possible

Specifics in Chemical
Safety

Some substances are considered more dangerous than others

based on the chemical specific hazard symbol and toxicity to

human health
All chemicals have a substance NFPA diamond hazard label that is
broken into Health, Flammability, and Instability

Sodium Hypochlorite
Chemical Formula: NaOCl, commonly known as bleach or liquid bleach

when dissolved Manufactured to have a High pH, more basic

Water Treatment Plant Usage: Used like Chlorine for disinfection
Accidental mixing with acid can release chlorine gas and heat!

Toxicity
Eye Contact May cause blurred vision, tearing, & swelling and concentrated solutions cause
burning.
Skin Contact May cause moderate skin irritation; concentrated solutions can cause redness,
pain, blistering, eczema, and possible chemical burns.
Inhalation - Vapors can cause slight to severe irritation of the respiratory tract

Ingestion Protocol Swallowing may cause pain and inflammation of the

mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach. DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING,

rinse mouth with water, and if conscious, drink large quantities of water
or milk if available

Hydrofluorosilicic Acid (Fluoride)

Chemical Formula: (H3O)2SiF6, commonly used as a source of Fluoride

for water fluoridation

Water Plant Usage: Strengthen Teeth
Concentrated Hydrofluosilicic acid is corrosive, highly toxic and can attack
the skin, but when used in the water plant it is so diluted that it is virtually
harmless.

Toxicity

Eye Contact May cause severe eye irritation, burns, and permanent eye damage.

Skin Contact May

cause severe irritation, skin burns, and permanent skin damage.

Inhalation - May cause severe irritation and damage to nose, throat, and respiratory
tract.

Ingestion can be harmful or fatal if swallowed causing severe irritation and

burns to the mouth, throat, and digestive tract . Give large quantity of water
to patient if conscious and DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING.

Ammonia
Chemical Formula: NH3
Converts free chlorine to total (Chloramines), Chloramines are more stable,

lasts longer, are less odorous and have less of a taste

Ammonia also prevents growth of bacteria
In cases of a small spill, vinegar will effectively neutralize small spills of
aqua ammonia
Toxicity
Eye Contact May cause irritation in the form of burning and swelling of the eyes .
Immediately flush eyes with water for 30 minutes with eyelids held open
Skin Contact First-degree burns on short term exposure and second degree burns on long
term exposure. Remove contaminated clothes ,apply water for 30 minutes. DO NOT APPLY
SALVES OR OINTMENTS TO AFFECTED AREA
Inhalation - will cause nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, and possibly convulsions.

Ingestion - Will cause severe burning and corrosion of the mouth, throat,

esophagus, and stomach; causing vomiting of blood and/or loose stools

containing blood.DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING. If conscious, give the person
large quantities of water, and if possible, diluted vinegar, lemon juice, or
other citric juices to neutralize the ammonia and delay perforation of the
esophagus or stomach
Ingestion of 3-4 mL and brief exposure to 5000ppm may be fatal

Carbon Dioxide
Water Treatment Plant Usage: pH adjustment
Chemical Formula: CO2 The physical form is liquefied gas, at normal

temperatures the product will be a gas but at cooler temperatures and

pressurized, the product will be a liquid.
Toxicity
Eye Contact No harm expected from vapors but refrigerated liquid may cause severe
frostbite.
Skin Contact If frostbite or freezing begins to occur, immediately flush with LUKEWARM water.
DO NOT USE HOT WATER. If warm water is not available, wrap affected parts in cloth
Inhalation - Moderate concentrations may cause headache, drowsiness, dizziness, stinging of
the nose and throat, excitation, rapid breathing and heart rate, excess salivation, vomiting, and
unconsciousness.

Ingestion - Severe frostbite of the lips and mouth can occur if the liquid is

swallowed, seek immediate medical attention

Ferric Sulfate & Polymer

Water Treatment Plant Usage: Coagulant & Coagulant Aid
Chemical Formula: Fe2(SO4)3 for Ferric Sulfate
Toxicity
Eye Contact May cause serious eye irritation
Skin Contact May cause skin irritation
Inhalation - May cause irritation of the nose and lungs

Ferric
Sulfate

Polymer

Ingestion Not normally a route of exposure but if you swallow the polymer

a jelly mass may form which may cause blockage. DO NOT INDUCE
VOMITING. Drink 1 or 2 glasses of water.

Polyphosphate
Polyphosphates are salts or esters of polymeric oxyanions formed from

tetrahedral PO4 (phosphate) structural units linked together by sharing

oxygen atoms
Water Treatment Plant Usage: Water stabilization chemical, keeps water
from being corrosive or overly scale forming, buffering chemical
Since polyphosphate is considered a non-hazardous waste, it can be easily swept

up and either salvaged or disposed of

Toxicity
Eye Contact May cause irritation, redness, and pain.
Skin Contact May cause irritation and inflammation and pain on prolonged contact.
Inhalation - May cause irritation to the respiratory system; symptoms may include coughing and
shortness of breath.

Ingestion - A slight chance of vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea, or heart

disturbances could occur. Drink large quantities of milk or water.

The toxicity of phosphates is due to their ability to sequester calcium

Lime

Also known as Calcium Oxide, or quicklime

Chemical Formula: CaO
Water Treatment Plant Usage: Softening
Toxicity
Eye Contact May cause eye irritation.
Skin Contact May cause red sun-burned like skin or dry skin.
Inhalation - May cause damage to the respiratory tract. Inhalation of dust will produce irritation
to gastro-intestinal or respiratory tract, characterized by burning, sneezing and coughing.

Ingestion Drink large quantities of water. Do not induce vomiting unless

directed by medical personnel

Conclusion
Handling chemicals is an everyday part of an Operators job
My job for today was to make sure everyone understands the value of their

safety by educating them about chemical safety

Questions?
Thank you for listening