Safety Guide for Using Water-Based Penetrants: Key Points to Protect People and the Environment
Water-based penetrants are widely used in many fields due to their environmental protection and high efficiency.
However, if safety issues are ignored during use, they may cause harm to human health and the ecological environment.
Whether it is production, transportation, storage or use, there are safety risks that need to be paid attention to. The
following will introduce in detail the safety issues that must be paid attention to when using water-based penetrants.
Safety regulations for storage
The storage environment of water-based penetrants has an important impact on their safety and stability. First, a cool and
well-ventilated warehouse should be selected, away from fire and heat sources. High temperature environment may cause the
penetrant to evaporate faster, increase the concentration of harmful gases in the air, and may also affect its chemical properties,
reduce the use effect and even cause dangerous reactions. For example, some water-based penetrants may decompose at high
temperatures to produce toxic and harmful gases.
Secondly, the storage area should be kept away from direct sunlight. Ultraviolet rays may cause some components in water-based
penetrants to undergo photochemical reactions, change their properties, and even produce harmful substances. At the same time,
penetrants should be stored separately from oxidants, acids, alkalis, etc., and should not be mixed. Because violent chemical reactions
may occur between different chemicals, causing serious accidents such as fire and explosion. In addition, the storage container must
be well sealed to prevent the leakage and volatilization of the penetrant. Check the sealing and integrity of the storage container
regularly, and deal with problems in time.
Personnel protection during use
When using water-based penetrants, the personal safety protection of operators is crucial. Although water-based penetrants are less
toxic than organic solvent-based penetrants, they may still irritate the skin, eyes and respiratory tract. Therefore, appropriate personal
protective equipment must be worn.
Protective gloves should be worn during operation to prevent direct contact between the penetrant and the skin. Prolonged contact
may cause skin degreasing, drying, cracking, and even allergic reactions. When choosing gloves, make sure that their material can
effectively block the penetrant, such as nitrile rubber gloves, which have good chemical protection properties. At the same time, wear
goggles or protective masks to prevent the penetrant from splashing into the eyes. Once the penetrant enters the eyes, it will damage
the eye tissue, causing pain, redness, swelling, decreased vision and other problems. In addition, it is necessary to wear a gas mask or
respirator, especially when working in a poorly ventilated environment, to avoid inhaling volatile gases, prevent respiratory tract
irritation, and cause symptoms such as coughing and difficulty breathing.
Preventing leakage and environmental pollution
During use and storage, leakage accidents are difficult to completely avoid, so it is critical to do a good job of leakage prevention
and emergency treatment. When transporting and carrying water-based penetrants, be careful to avoid collision and damage to
the container. Use special transportation tools and ensure that they have anti-leakage functions. At the construction site or the
place of use, anti-leakage trays or cofferdams should be set up. Once a leak occurs, the liquid can be collected in time to prevent
it from spreading to a larger area.
If a leak occurs, emergency measures should be taken immediately. In the case of a small amount of leakage, adsorption materials
such as activated carbon, vermiculite, etc. can be used for adsorption, and then the adsorbed materials can be collected in a special
container and treated as hazardous waste. In the case of a large amount of leakage, personnel should be evacuated in time, the
leakage contaminated area should be isolated, and irrelevant personnel should be restricted from entering. At the same time, use
suitable plugging materials to block the source of the leak, and use pumps and other equipment to transfer the leaked liquid to a
safe container. Wastewater and waste generated during the treatment process must be handled in strict accordance with
environmental protection requirements to prevent pollution to soil, water bodies, etc.
Emergency treatment and first aid measures
Understanding and mastering the correct emergency treatment and first aid measures can minimize damage in the event of an accident.
If the volatile gas of the water-based penetrant is accidentally inhaled, the patient should be quickly transferred to a place with fresh air
to keep the airway open. If the patient has symptoms such as difficulty breathing, artificial respiration should be performed in time and
the patient should be sent to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible.
When the skin comes into contact with the water-based penetrant, the contaminated clothing should be taken off immediately, and the
skin should be rinsed with a large amount of running water for at least 15 minutes to completely remove the penetrant on the skin.
If there is still discomfort after rinsing or the skin has symptoms such as redness, swelling, and itching, you need to seek medical
attention in time. Eye contact with the penetrant is a more serious situation. Immediately rinse the eyes with a large amount of water
or saline. Keep rotating the eyeballs during rinsing to ensure that all parts of the eyes can be fully rinsed. The rinsing time should
not be less than 15 minutes, and then go to the hospital for professional treatment as soon as possible.
In addition, enterprises and relevant units should regularly organize safety training and emergency drills for employees, so that
operators can be familiar with the safety characteristics, usage specifications and emergency handling procedures of water-based
penetrants, improve safety awareness and emergency handling capabilities, and ensure that they can respond calmly in the face of
emergencies to protect life and property safety.
The safety issues of using water-based penetrants run through all links. Only by strictly abiding by safety regulations and making
all-round protection and emergency preparations can we effectively protect the health of personnel and the safety of the ecological
environment while exerting its effectiveness.
