These spills don’t just happen in laboratories – Many household cleaning products and industrial fluids are also acid and alkali based, which is partly what makes them so effective. This makes it important to take additional precautions to ensure a safe spill clean up. First it’s important to understand pH – pH is the measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of a chemical, as represented on the scale below.
A pH of 7 is neutral, whilst a pH of less than 7 is acidic and a pH of more than 7 is alkali (or basic). Neutralising chemicals makes cleaning, handling and disposal safer. When an acid or alkali chemical spill occurs, we recommend the following steps as a best-practice approach.
Note: Always consult the chemical Safety Data Sheet. If the spill is too large and cannot be safely contained, evacuate the area and call emergency services by phoning triple zero ‘000’.
Acid and alkali neutralisers are available to purchase from Stratex and are recommended to be used in conjunction with our Chemical Spill Kits.
For further information on chemical spill control, please contact us on 1300 991 180 or email info@stratex.com.au.