A Beginner’s Guide to Ammonia: Uses and Safety Tips
Every 15 seconds, someone calls emergency services to report and incident of poisoning, and one of the reasons that someone may get poisoned is through accidental exposure to ammonia. While there are various uses for it, there are also specific ways that you need to handle it to stay safe.
We are going to discuss how to handle ammonia cleaner safely, but we’re also going to give examples of ways that ammonia can be used. You’re going to want to finish this article to find all of the information that you’ve been looking for.
Let’s jump right into the proper ways to handle ammonia.
Work in Ventilated Areas
There’s something about an enclosed room, warm air, and the ammonia smell that is a concoction for disaster. When you’re working with ammonia, you’ll want to ensure that you wear a mask, and your working area has proper airflow.
Another way to minimize exposure to ammonia when you’re using it is not to spend too much time in the working area. Take breaks and give yourself time to get some fresh air before you continue with your work.
If you begin to feel lightheaded or dizzy, stop using the ammonia immediately.
Handle With Care
You never want to use ammonia near open flames or other forms of heat that could set it on fire. You’ll also want to ensure that you handle the solution with care to keep from splashing it.
When ammonia is splashed into the eyes or skin, you’ll begin to feel a burning sensation, and there could be a rash that appears on the skin. Therefore, it’s recommended that when preparing the mixture of ammonia that you’re going to use, do so slowly and carefully so as not to make any mistakes in the process.
When you’re using the solution, always know where your safety gear is if you have to react to an emergency leak or accidental spill quickly. If you’re in an area where a leak has occurred, get a mask and evacuate the area immediately.
Purge Equipment
There are some cases where you’re going to have to work with equipment that has had ammonia run through it, including pipes or other containers. If it’s necessary to work with this equipment, you need to clean it out before beginning your work.
Ensure that you’ve run a cleaning solution, mostly water, to flush out any leftover ammonia through the piping. This will ensure that when you’re working with your tools, you won’t heat the leftover ammonia causing it to ignite.
Wear Protective Gear
Whenever you’re working with a chemical like ammonia, you’ll want to wear the right protective gear to keep you and others in the working area safe. You should wear goggles and a mask to reduce the likelihood of the solution getting into your eyes, mouth, or nose.
You should also wear proper protective garments that serve as a barrier between your skin and the ammonia. Now that we’ve covered ways to handle ammonia safely, we can now talk about some of the most common ways people use ammonia.
Fertilizers
You may not have realized this, but one of the most common ways that ammonia is used is in garden fertilizers. When crops are grown in the soil, especially more abundant harvests, it robs the soil of all of its nutrients.
The way that farmers make sure there are enough nutrients in the soil to continue raising healthy crops is to use ammonia in the fertilizer. Using ammonia helps increase the natural levels of boron and zinc that are already present in the soil farmers use to grow the food that will make its way to our dinner tables.
Ammonia Cleaner
Another common and more familiar way that ammonia is used is as a cleaning agent. It provides the right amount of chemicals to help you get that stubborn leftover food off the counter-tops.
You can also use it to get rid of tough grease stains that have spilled inside your stove. It’s a very good household cleaner that leaves every surface that it touches, spotless.
But, before you use ammonia, it’s recommended that you dilute it first so that it’s not as strong as it usually is.
Manufacturer Equipment
Ammonia is used in air-conditioning equipment because it will absorb the heat from the environment around it, which helps keep your home cooler, especially during the hotter months.
You may also find that ammonia is used in the creation process of tons of things, including pharmaceuticals and pesticides. While you do have to use it carefully, it’s beneficial in various ways to those that are looking for ways to sanitize equipment and the environment.
When working with it in the workplace you’ll want to ensure safety guidelines are followed to reduce accidents.
Water Purification
This may sound odd that we were telling you not to ingest ammonia. And if you do, then you need to immediately contact poison control, but ammonia is used in the water purification process.
Meaning it helps to provide drinking water that is safe for both you and your family to consume.
Ammonia Uses and Safety Tips Explained
When it comes to ways to use ammonia and how to handle it safely, always take the time to use protective gear and dilute the solution before you use it. Ammonia can be useful, but if mishandled, it can also be dangerous.
Here at KHA, we focus on everything that has to do with keeping you and your employees safe. If you’d like to know about some of the safety services we offer, contact us today.