Caution: Keep Dry Ice away from children if they cannot be closely supervised at all times.
We sell dry ice in 5 lb slabs, Roughly 12 x 10 x 1 inches square. Please read our dry ice safety page if you’ve never used dry ice before. Dry Ice is used in many applications besides keeping things really cold.
Dry Ice Safety
• Dry ice is 110 degrees below zero. That’s cold!
• Never handle dry ice with your bare hands; it will burn you as quickly as a flame. Always wear gloves!!!!
• Be careful when breaking dry ice, small pieces may fall to the ground where they can be hazardous to children, adults, pets and bare feet.
• Do not breathe the fumes of dry ice, its pure carbon dioxide. Use plenty of ventilation when using dry ice.
• Do not place dry ice in an airtight sealed container.
• Do not use dry ice with food or drink to be served; it can shatter glass, freeze food so it may stick to the lips of a
person. Do not use dry ice with beverages.
• Do not let children handle dry ice.
• Dry ice is not a toy, if mishandled or swallowed,
it can cause serious injury.
• Dry ice MUST stay on top of ice cream.
Caution: Keep Dry Ice away from children if they cannot be closely supervised at all times.
HANDLING
Dry Ice temperature is extremely cold at -109.3°F or -78.5°C. Always handle Dry Ice with care and wear protective cloth or leather gloves whenever touching it. An oven mitt or towel will work. If touched briefly it is harmless, but prolonged contact with the skin will freeze cells and cause injury similar to a burn.
STORAGE
Store Dry Ice in an insulated container. The thicker the insulation, the slower it will sublimate. Do not store Dry Ice in a completely airtight container. The sublimation of Dry Ice to Carbon Dioxide gas will cause any airtight container to expand or possibly explode. Keep proper air ventilation wherever Dry Ice is stored. Do not store Dry Ice in unventilated rooms, cellars, autos or boat holds. The sublimated Carbon Dioxide gas will sink to low areas and replace oxygenated air. This could cause suffocation if breathed exclusively. Do not store Dry Ice in a refrigerator freezer. The extremely cold temperature will cause your thermostat to turn off the freezer. It will keep everything frozen in the freezer but it will be used up at a faster rate. It is the perfect thing if your refrigerator breaks down in an emergency. There are also Commercial Storage Containers available.
VENTILATION
Normal air is 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen and only 0.035% Carbon Dioxide. If the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air rises above 0.5%, carbon dioxide can become dangerous. Smaller concentrations can cause quicker breathing but is otherwise not harmful. If Dry Ice has been in a closed auto, van, room, or walk-in, for more than 10 minutes, open doors and allow adequate ventilation before entering. Leave area containing Dry Ice if you start to pant and breath quickly or your fingernails or lips start to turn blue. This is the sign that you have breathed in too much CO2 and not enough oxygen. Dry Ice CO2 is heavier than air and will accumulate in low spaces. Do not enter closed storage areas that have or have had Dry Ice before airing out completely.
PICK-UP TIME AND TRANSPORTING
Plan to pick up the Dry Ice as close to the time it is needed as possible. It sublimates at 10%, or 5 to 10 pounds every 24 hours, whichever is greater. Carry it in a well-insulated container such as an ice chest. If it is transported inside a car or van for more than 15 minutes make sure there is fresh air. After 15 minutes with Dry Ice only in its paper bag in the passenger seat next to me, I started to breathe faster and faster as though I were running a race. I couldn’t figure out why I was so out of breath until I saw the car air system was set in the re-circulated position, not fresh outside air.
BURN TREATMENT
Treat Dry Ice burns the same as a regular heat burns. See a doctor if the skin blisters or comes off. Otherwise if only red it will heal in time as any other burn. Apply antibiotic ointment to prevent infection and bandage only if the burned skin area needs to be protected.
