There are a lot of concerns around the safe storage, use and consumption of dry-ice
drinks. We are confident that Jet Chill equipment provides the means of dispensing dry ice
pellets into our glasses which is safe. Despite our confidence, there are a number of
common questions which are answered below:
1. Question: Consumption of Dry Ice Isn’t dry ice dangerous when swallowed?
Answer: Yes! But the equipment has been designed to prevent you from doing just that.
The dry ice is added into the bottom of the specially designed container which prevents it
from escaping into the drink. The dangers include the contact with skin, however the
small quantities and differences in temperature between the pellets and the inside of the
mouth would prevent this.
Dry ice when consumed will release gas, however to put this into perspective, 1gram of
dry ice will liberate 500ml of carbon dioxide approximately half of that contained within a
normal can of fizzy drink. The worst case scenario would see small pieces (no bigger than
0.1g) of dry ice get into the drink
What this means is that the small amounts used cannot cause the tragic events seen in
recent times as a result of consumption of liquid nitrogen, which by comparison has the
capacity to liberate double this amount in nitrogen gas.
2. Question: Aren’t there health and safety risks associated with the accidental release
of carbon dioxide in the workplace?
Answer: The worst case scenario. Even without mishandling or incorrect operation of the
CO2 cylinder, there is an inherent possibility of the complete release of the cylinder's
contents via operation of the bursting disk in the back or side of the cylinder v/v. As this
release would be very rapid, there is no need to factor in the rate of air-change for the
room where this might occur.
A 6.35kg [nominal contents] cylinder would, under these circumstances, generate 3.3 m3
of CO2 gas fully expanded. The WEL value [COSHH] for CO2 exposure over an 8 hr period
is 5000ppm (or 0.5% by vol.). Consequently, if we assume that the room has a volume of >
or = 660 m3 then the concentration of CO2 (if evenly distributed throughout the air
column) cannot exceed this concentration (i.e. 3.3/660 = 0.005 or, 0.5%). This would
represent a room of 12 metres x 10 metres x 3 metres high.
As CO2 vapour is ~1.5 times heavier than air, the vapour (even when warmed to ambient
temperature) will tend to collect at low level - below the breathing zone of persons who
are standing or seated (in a room of 12 metres x 10 metres the layer of gas at ground level
would be ~3cm deep).
APPROVAL - Gas Safety (Gas Safety Company (GSC))
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