Handling Mercury Safely
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The Importance for Handling Mercury Safely
It is essential to handle mercury and mercury containing devices carefully.
Small droplets of spilled mercury may lodge in cracks and sinks, mix with dust, accumulate
on work benches, and adhere to clothing, shoes, and jewelry. This allows for transportation
of the mercury to other parts of the work place or home, thus potentially spreading the contamination.
Below are suggested tips for handling mercury safely.
Safety Tips To Consider
- Use mercury in uncarpeted and well ventilated areas. Provide troughs on smooth
surfaced tables and benches to collect mercury spills. Reserve a room for mercury use only.
- Ask workers to remove all jewelry and watches, especially gold. Mercury readily combines with gold.
Workers who handle mercury are to wear mercury vapor respirators and protective clothing: gloves,
disposable gowns, and shoe coverings.
- Prohibit smoking and eating in or near mercury exposed areas.
- Train employees to understand the dangers and precautions with handling mercury.
Also train employees on the properties and hazards of mercury. Proper training on how to
dispose of mercury will contribute to the prevention of environmental exposure.
- Clean and calibrate all mercury-containing equipment to the specifications of the manufacturer.
- Properly document and label all containers contain mercury in addition to
having the proper MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) available.
- Have an emergency spill and containment plan in case a spill does occur.
- Ask your safety supply vendor for a mercury vacuum sweeper in addition to an emergency containment
and clean up kit.
- Avoid having chemicals such as chlorine dioxide, nitric acid, nitrates, ethylene oxide, chlorine and
methylazide in the same area as mercury since they will react violently with mercury.
- Be sure to keep mercury away from biological waste or anything else that will be incinerated since
incineration puts mercury vapor into the air.
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