Yes, I handle a couple of things that are pyrophoric (fire-bearing). This means they burn and catch fire in the air! We have a special extinguisher that will cover a substance in powder to put out this type of fire. When I first used pyrophoric chemicals I was a bit worried about fires but if you are careful then it really isn’t a problem, and it begins to feel normal.
Some things I use are toxic, so I use these inside my fume hood which keeps any toxic vapours away. These things still scare me even though I use them often!
Yes I do and I have done. Some chemicals are flammable, some chemicals are explosive, some chemicals are hazardous to health. To be fair, indeed i was a bit hesitant initially (way back in 1995) when I handled sulphuric acid and hydrochloric acid. However when you understand the chemistry, understand the hazard and when you take appropriate protection it becomes easier. With time you become comfortable handling them because you understand the protection as well. It is like driving a car in a highway, initially it can be scary (at least for me) when you know driving very well you understand the hazard and you know how to avoid it. This makes you comfortable.
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Sankar commented on :
Yes I do and I have done. Some chemicals are flammable, some chemicals are explosive, some chemicals are hazardous to health. To be fair, indeed i was a bit hesitant initially (way back in 1995) when I handled sulphuric acid and hydrochloric acid. However when you understand the chemistry, understand the hazard and when you take appropriate protection it becomes easier. With time you become comfortable handling them because you understand the protection as well. It is like driving a car in a highway, initially it can be scary (at least for me) when you know driving very well you understand the hazard and you know how to avoid it. This makes you comfortable.