Hi all,
Last night I was filling up my new bike battery and I got some of the acid on my finger. I cleaned it off and thought nothing of it. Now however there what appears to be a burn on my finger and the first couple dermal layers are missing/damaged. With it being christmas and all I dont really want to have to seek medical attention so does anyone know if theres anything I should be doing with it? Its a tad painful when touched like any other burn but nothing serious.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

I thought that loads of water was enough to neutralise battery acid!

Also, have heard that vinegar does it too.

I reckon a quick visit to A&E mate.. Calcium gluconate gel should to the trick but only if applied after you have washed the acid off with water for a good 10mins....
I use hydrofloric acid which is nasty stuff. In some cases it has been known to turn your skin black (like frost bite) and in the worse case you are then left with out a limb or two..
Get it checked out mate ASAP....

Definitely not vinegar (it is an acid)
The normal treatment is washing off with plenty of water. The thing about sulphuric acid is it sucks water out of what it comes into contact with, that is sometimes worse than the acid burn.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqi50sjJVc0

I suspect all the damage is now done, next time wash well.

As to HF, that really is nasty. I was under the impression the normal treatment was amputation.....

Had acid on my skin several times in the last 45 years, flush well with water ASAP

Sounds like me this morning, I did exactly the same thing as well as a small splash in my eye - rinsed it immediately and all seems OK at the moment, will see how it is in the morning

At least I have a new battery and the car is ready for the Boxing Day run-out

i would wash well and stick some antiseptic on it to prevent any infection due to damaged skin.

Keep an eye on it but should be fine.

I used to work with HF as well. For those of you not familiar with it, just watch any one of the 'Alien' films and you will get a fairly good idea of what its like. You cannot even store it in glass bottles, because it dissolves that as well!

One of the glass blowers that I used to work with got some on his thumb. His thumb was only saved because his colleague ripped his thumb nail off with a pair of pliers so that the remaining bit could be irrigated quickly enough to limit the damage.

Milk is a good neutraliser of most household acids. I wouldn't use a chemical to neutralise a chemical, as there is often a raction.

I recall being told to rinse battery acid with Bicarb of soda which neutralises the acid.

Mind you my memory is jumbling things these days

Len.

Bicarbonate of soda every time. It's completely harmless to skin, and can be ingested for indigestion. (Reacts with battery acid to leave CO2, water and sodium sulphate. All harmless on the skin.) Running water as soon as possible and for as long as it takes to find the bicarb. Then sprinkle on the powder if the acid is still wet or damp. Dissolve in water and soak if the acid has dried and you think it is still active. Any stomach antacid will do as well. Milk of magnesia, gaviscon etc. All obviously safe!

And to add, if in an eye, irrigate with water for as long as you can bear it, I would give it at least 10 mins. Same applies for sodium hydroxide. Eyes shoudl also be checked out properly, you don't want to risk them.

Once had a kid at skool take googles off during an expt, got sulphuric acid in eye (not as conc as battery acid, think it was 2M stuff) she wasn't happy when I held her head under a tap for so long, made a real fuss. Parent was a paramedic, and actually wrote a letter to thank me. It does happen sometimes.................