One time, I was alarmed when I received news regarding a friend who had met an accident while using NaOH.  Honestly, prior to that incident, I had no idea what NaOH was. I even assumed that my good friend had a car accident.  Yes, shameful as it might sound, I was thinking NaOH was a kind of vehicle.  It was actually in the hospital that I found out what it was and how the accident took place.

He was working in a car shop, as what he usually does in the morning.  But that day he did not have cars to attend to so he chose to clean the large storage tank converted into a make-shift office that was filled with grease.  He picked up the sodium hydroxide solution that was very useful in breaking down oils, fats, protein based deposits, and grease.

Sodium hydroxide is actually a known industrial cleaning agent as it is really successful in removing unwanted yet common industrial marks.  Even at home, you are using something that is likewise made from sodium hydroxide such as your washer detergents.  This is the reason why the compound is also known as caustic soda.

But, whilst he was washing the tank, he figured in an accident.  He did not remember that he had put the mixture containing caustic soda atop the lone table near the dreary tank.  And then, while he was focused in trying to clean the discolorations, he did not notice that he was now underneath the desk, the very table where he placed the solution.  He got up and the desk moved, allowing the solution to pour directly to his head.  A few went to his eyes while others spread to his neck, head and back.  Good he was brought to a medical facility at once that was just a few blocks away.  When he got there, the doctor explained to him that it was good that the thing that got to him was only a caustic soda solution therefore the results weren’t that dreadful.  His eyes were alright yet his head, the one that was entirely drenched with the solution, had a few mild burns extending until his neck.

Caustic soda is quite corrosive. It is due to this particular property which renders it quite hazardous. Known incidents of caustic soda-related accidents mostly consist of eye infection, and to some extent, possibly losing of vision. This occurs if ever the chemical is exposed to the eyes. In addition to this, NaOH associated mishaps likewise result in skin irritation and burns. Also, there are instances where the substance is breathed in, it could result in breathing problems.

That is why for anyone who is a sodium hydroxide manufacturer or perhaps your business operation requires the employment of sodium hydroxide, it is actually very important that you consider a great deal of safety measures in processing the chemical substance.