Personal protective equipment including the appropriate gloves, safety glasses, and lab coat or apron must be worn. Nitric acid spills are serious and care should be taken to follow all chemical spill clean up procedures carefully. The entire spill kit containing the clean up materials can then be labeled and placed in a satellite accumulation area for pickup and disposal. If large amounts of acid are spilled, or if the spill is beyond your ability and training to clean up, evacuate the laboratory and contact the Tufts Police from a safe location. Inhalation burns are serious and require immediate medical attention.
Ingestion causes abdominal pain, vomiting, hemorrhaging, and organ perforation.
If the acid is ingested, drink copious amounts of water and seek medical attention. Do not induce vomiting. If acid is spilled onto the body, wash the acid off with generous amounts of water for 15 min. Spills which occur over a large body surface require the use of the nearest safety shower and removal of contaminated clothing. The location of eye wash stations should be easily identified in case of eye contact.