Quick Lime

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

OSHA Emergency Overview Exposure of sufficient duration to wet quick lime can cause serious, potentially irreversible tissue (skin or eye) destruction in the form of chemical (caustic) burns. The same type of tissue destruction can occur if wet or moist areas of the body are exposed for sufficient duration to dry quick lime.

Principle Routes of Exposure

Eye contact, skin contact, inhalation, and ingestion. Effects Resulting from Eye Contact: Exposure to airborne dust may cause immediate or delayed irritation or inflammation. Eye contact by large amounts of dry powder or splashes of wet quick lime may cause effects ranging from moderate eye irritation to chemical burns or blindness. Such exposures require immediate first aid (see Section 4) and medical attention to prevent significant damage to the eye. Effects Resulting from Skin Contact: Discomfort or pain cannot be relied upon to alert a person to hazardous skin exposure. Consequently, the only effective means of avoiding skin injury or illness involves minimizing skin contact, particularly with wet quick lime. Exposed persons may not feel discomfort until hours after the exposure has ended and significant injury has occurred. Dry quick lime contacting wet skin or exposure to moist or wet quick lime may cause more severe skin effects including thickening, cracking or fissuring of the skin. Prolonged exposure can cause severe skin damage in the form of (alkali) chemical burns. Effects Resulting from Inhalation: Exposure to quick lime may cause irritation or caustic burns to the moist mucous membranes of the nose, throat, and upper respiratory system. It may also leave unpleasant deposits in the nose. Effects Resulting from Ingestion: Although small quantities of dust are not known to be harmful, ill effects are possible if larger quantities are consumed. Carcinogenic potential: Quick lime is not listed as a carcinogen by NTP, OSHA, or IARC. It may however, contain trace amounts of substances listed as carcinogens by these organizations. Crystalline silica, a contaminate in quick lime, is now classified by IARC as known human carcinogen (Group I). NTP has characterized respirable silica as "reasonably anticipated to be [a] carcinogen". Medical conditions which may be aggravated be, inhalation or dermal exposure: Pre-existing upper respiratory and lung diseases.