Getting burned by any other acid is bad. However, just coming into contact with a small amount of hydrofluoric acid (HF) can be deadly. Death can result from a burn covering only 2.5% of your body surface area, and pain is not felt immediately after, increasing the chances of the burn going unnoticed. However, there are ways to protect yourself and treat more severe burns.


Steps
Skin Contact

1. Flush the burn area under a safety shower or suitable hose. Continue flushing the area for fifteen or more minutes.
2. Remove all contaminated clothing immediately. This will prevent more acid from touching the skin.
3. Have another person seek medical attention for you.
4. Massage a generous amount of calcium gluconate gel into and around the burn. Keep applying gel for at least twenty minutes.
5. Do one of the following after flushing the burn:
   • Immerse the burn area in a solution of 0.2% iced aqueous Hyamine 1622 or 0.13% iced aqueous zephiran chloride, if available.
   • If you cannot immerse the burn, soak a towel in one of the solutions above and press it onto the burn. Change the towel every two minutes if possible.
   • Have a physicial inject a sterile aqueous solution of 10% calcium gluconate beneath, around, and in the burn area. Use no more than 0.5 cc per square centimeter at first. Seek additional treatment if the pain is not relieved.

Eye Contact

1. Flush the eye(s) with large amounts of water for thirty or more minutes. If only one eye has been contaminated, be sure to not wash acid into the other eye. Keep your eyelids apart and away from the eyeballs while washing.
2. Seek medical attention immediately, ideally from an eye specialist.
3. Apply one or two drops of 0.5% pontocaine hydrochloride. Do not use any other drops or ointments.
4. Apply an ice pack to your eyes until you reach an emergency room.

Inhalation

1. Seek medical attention immediately. If the victim is unconscious, apply CPR and keep him or her warm.
2. Send the victim to the hospital.

Ingestion

1. Drink a large quantity of water to help dilute the acid. Do not induce vomiting.
2. Seek medical attention immediately.

Tips

• You may not immediately feel pain from the burn. Seek medical attention even if you're unsure if you were burned.
• When working with hydrofluoric acid in a fume hood, pull the hood down to a minimum level to lower the chances of exposure.

Warnings

• Hydrofluoric acid is corrosive and penetrates tissue quickly, causing pain, nerve, and bone damage.