Just some of the stupid things I see

Heck sodium hypochlorite is a hazardous material and you drink it every day. You also use it in your laundry.

Yep. It is the main ingredient in bleach. It is also used to purify your tap water. It gets the chlorine smell from the chlorine GAS used to make sodium hypochlorite.

 

This happened a few years back to one of our drivers. I believe it was at the Cordelia, CA scales.

 

Speaking of "food grade" - this is a bit off the topic of tankers, but then what is new? Anyway, I used to deliver a lot to a food "supplement and vitamin" manufacturing company. I can't remember what it was, but there was something they got on a regular basis that was used in their products. Whatever it was was hazardous. Apparently VERY hazardous. One time while I was being off loaded there, an alarm sounded. The guy at receiving grabbed me and said "WE LEAVE NOW!" I sure didn't argue with him!

Anyway, when we got outside, I asked him if that was a fire alarm. He said no, that it meant there was a chemical spill or leak that was deadly. He told me what it was, but I can't remember right now. Anyway, he said that breathing that stuff would just shut your respiratory system down.

And people actually swallow capsules and pills with that stuff in them???????????????????

 

Yep Yep! That's why food warehouses all have wind banners on the outside of the building in case of an ammonia leak you want to be up wind from it because it is very toxic and very quickly so.

 

Well, Brickman it isn't quite that bad. We use it here on the farm all the time, safety is always a #1 concern. Yes, direct exposure to liquid anhydrous ammonia (NH/3) can be deadly. What we say here is don't be afraid of it but you MUST respect it, kinda like the DOT, lol. The stuff that comes out as a gas form is nasty, you want to stay away, but not deadly. Ask any of the meth cookers in the midwest, it dosen't seem to kill them off. Used at food plants for cooling purposes mostly, I believe. Has nothing to do with the actual food itself. BTW an =minus hydrous =water. Ammonia without water. If exposed to this, first course of action is to drench all affected areas of skin or eyes with water, as the product will sap all avaliable moisture from any source. Also this is the most efficent source of nitrogen for farm ground, as it converts from ammonium to nitrate once injected into the soil. Sorry for the long post, just wanted to "clear the air" so to speak. And yes, a ammonia leak at a delivery point is cause for serious concern, but not the "kiss of death" if you happen to inhale a SMALL amount. Be safe, Mike.