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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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What to do with various plating solutions on clothing

As a new lab technician at a plating company that handles zinc (alkaline and chloride), silver, gold, nickel (plated and electroless), and many chromates (hex and trivalent), one thing that was not really covered in training and not really mentioned on this site is what to do when various solutions splash on clothing. I'm not concerned with the immediate concerns of something like a strong acid splashing on my clothes (I'd run to the chemical shower obviously), I'm primarily interested to know what everyone does when small drops begin to accumulate on pants and shirts. Do you throw them out and go get new, or do you wash them normally? Will hex chromates stain my washer or get on anyone else's clothes (if I wash my work clothes separately)? What sort of environmental concerns are there with trace amounts of chemicals on my clothes going through my washing machine? Right now my pants have some black hex chromate (I think Kenvert) and some phos-dip-r-lt (light phosphate).

Nathan Plunkert
Job Shop Lab Tech - York, PA USA
June 30, 2009

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July 3, 2009

Nathan, The first thing you should do is avoid the chemicals coming into contact with your clothes. Your employer should provide you with all required Personal Protective Equipment and this includes protective clothing.
Secondly, if your clothing does become contaminated with chemicals, they should be thoroughly washed before you wear them again. Many chemicals you handle in metal finishing shops are hazardous and even toxic; some can cause sensitisation or genetic changes, so you MUST be very careful of them and DO NOT let them get in contact with your skin, or worse still, you must not inhale them.

Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK