Safety when servicing
154
Measures to prevent fire
Fluor rubber
A
WARNING!
Certain seals which are designed to withstand high
operating temperatures (e.g. engines, main control valve
hydraulic motors and pumps) may be made from fluor
rubber. When heated to high temperatures, fluor rubber
decomposes to hydrogen fluoride and hydrofluoric acid,
which is strongly corrosive. Hydrofluoric acid cannot be
rinsed or washed off the skin, but causes very severe burns
which take a very long time to heal. As a rule, injured tissue
must be removed surgically.
Quite a long time may pass (several hours) after contact with the
acid, before any symptoms appear and therefore there is no imme-
diate warning. The acid may remain on the machine parts for a
very long time (several years) after a fire.
If swelling, redness or a stinging feeling appears and one sus-
pects that the cause may be contact with heated fluor rubber,
contact a medical doctor immediately. If a machine, or part of
a machine, has been exposed to fire or severe heat, it should
be handled by specially trained personnel. In all handling of
machines after a fire, thick, protective gloves made of rubber,
and goggles which are certain to protect your eyes should be
worn.
The area around a part which has been very hot and which may be
made of fluor rubber should be decontaminated by thorough and
ample washing with lime water (a solution or suspension of calci-
um hydroxide, that is slaked lime in water). After the work has been
completed the gloves should be washed in lime water and then
discarded.
Never burn painted parts or parts made of plastics or rubber after
they have been discarded. They should be disposed of by a li-
censed disposal plant.
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