Rubber and Plastics Polymer materials when heated, can form compounds that create a health hazard and can harm the environment. Scrapped rubber and plastic must never be burned. Extra precautions must be taken when servicing machines that have been in a fire or exposed to extreme heat. If gas cutting or welding is to be done near such materials, the following safety instructions must be followed: Protect the material from heat. Use protective gloves, protective goggles and an approved respirator. Waste Hazardous to the Environment Painted parts or parts made of plastic or rubber which are to be scrapped must never be burned, but must be taken care of by an approved refuse handling plant.
Batteries, plastic objects and anything else which is suspected of being dangerous to the environment must be taken care of in an environmentally safe way. Check List After Fire When handling a machine which has been damaged by fire or been exposed to intense heat, the following protective measures must under all circumstances be followed: Use thick, gloves made of rubber and wear goggles which are certain to protect your eyes. Never touch burned components with your bare hands, as there is a risk that you may come into contact with melted polymer materials. First wash thoroughly with plenty of limewater (a solution or suspension of calcium hydroxide, i.e. slaked lime in water).
As a precaution, seals (O-rings and other oil seals) should always be handled as if they were made of rubber that contains fluorides. Treat skin, which is suspected of having touched burned rubber that contains fluorides, with Hydrofluoric Acid Burn Jelly or something similar. Seek medical advice. Symptoms may not appear until several hours afterwards. Discard gloves, rags etc. which are suspected of having touched burned rubber that contains fluorides. Safety 1-55 DX225LC-3