First Aid - Contact with the Skin

It is essential that any ammonia spilled on the worker be removed immediately and that the worker be moved to an uncontaminated area quickly.

Clothes that have been saturated by liquid ammonia may freeze to the skin. In any case, the victim, still clothed, should get immediately under a shower, if available, or jump into a stock tank, pond, or into any other source of water. Time is important! Remove clothes only after they are thawed and they can be freely removed from frozen areas. If the clothing is removed incorrectly, whole sections of skin can be torn off.

No salves, creams, ointments, or jellies should be applied to the skin during a 24-hour period following the injury since this will prevent natural elimination of the ammonia from the skin. After the 24 hour period, the medical treatment is the same for thermal burns. A physician should view any second or third-degree freeze burns of the skin.

To learn more about Ammonia Refrigeration visit our Ammonia Refrigeration Safety Online Training web page.