A man's eyes were burned while clearing the toilet. Be careful when using pipe cleaners!

Mr. Yu from Zhejiang Province was cleaning the toilet at home.

Accidentally splashed with cleaning agent

Nearly blind the eyes

This incident attracted public attention

#Man's eyes burned after flushing toilet and almost went blind# became a trending topic

Not long ago, Mr. Yu, a 45-year-old man from Zhejiang, had a clogged toilet at home, so he bought a pipe unblocker online. Due to carelessness, the unblocker reacted chemically with the liquid in the toilet, and the powder mixed with the liquid splashed up. Mr. Yu was unable to dodge in time, and his eyes and arms were injured.

Upon examination, it was found that Mr. Yu’s cornea was at the most severe level VI in the eye burn classification system (equivalent to the cornea being completely burned)!

The unclogging agent used by Mr. Yu is in the form of solid powder. The first ingredient in the product is sodium hydroxide, a corrosive strong alkali. The packaging also has instructions such as "Be careful", "Exothermic", "Don't look through the toilet", and "Try to suck out the accumulated water in the toilet before use".

Drain cleaner is a cleaning product that many people have at home. If you are not careful when using it, you may repeat Mr. Yu’s mistake. So how can we prevent it?

It is understood that the pipe cleaner used by Mr. Yu is in solid powder form, and the first ingredient in the product is sodium hydroxide, a strong corrosive alkali.

The temperature of the pipe cleaning agent after it comes into contact with water can reach nearly 150°C.

Solid pipe unclogging agents contain a large amount of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) and aluminum particles, which can produce strong alkali, water vapor and a large number of bubbles after reacting with water. Therefore, they can dissolve things that are blocked in the sewer pipes and play a role in unclogging the pipes.

However, strong alkali and high-temperature water vapor can also corrode human skin, nose, eyes and other organs. Mr. Yu poured undiluted solid sodium hydroxide directly into the toilet, where there was a lot of water. The heat suddenly released when the strong alkali met the water caused the water to boil and splash instantly, eventually causing accidental injuries.

(1) Buy genuine products and avoid counterfeit and inferior products. Give priority to pipe cleaners with clear ingredients and content, complete production date and shelf life labels, eye-catching precautions and safety warnings, and complete instructions for use.

(2) Wear goggles, gloves, masks, and protective clothing to avoid exposure of skin and mucous membranes as much as possible.

(3) Different brands of pipe cleaners have different ingredients and cannot be mixed.

(4) Read the instructions carefully and strictly follow the recommended dosage and steps. Pour slowly, in small amounts and multiple times. Do not pour too much or too quickly. Unclogging agents often react violently, so it is not recommended to use hot water.

(5) Don’t look too closely!

(6) If you are accidentally burned, rinse immediately with plenty of clean water (if quicklime, sodium, potassium or other solids enter your eyes, use a dry cotton swab to remove them first, then wash them). It is recommended that the rinsing time be longer than 30 minutes. Too short a rinsing time is not enough to restore the strong alkaline or strong acid environment to neutrality, and insufficient rinsing time will delay the condition.

(7) Professional matters should be handled by professionals. When encountering difficult problems, be sure to ask professional pipe cleaning personnel to come to your home!

(1) If sodium hydroxide solids accidentally come into contact with your skin, you should use a dry cloth or dry paper towel to gently wipe off the solids remaining on your skin, wipe it clean with a dry cloth, and then rinse with clean water.

(2) If sodium hydroxide liquid splashes onto the skin, wipe it off immediately with a dry cloth or clean paper towel. Do not wipe too hard to avoid expanding the contact area. After wiping, rinse with plenty of clean water.

(3) After flushing, seek medical treatment promptly depending on the severity of the injury.

It is inevitable to encounter pipe blockage in life

When performing pipe clearing operations

Protective measures should be taken throughout the process

Use pipe cleaners with caution

Prevent accidental injuries!!

This is the end of this issue

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Source: Guangzhou Daily, National Emergency Broadcasting, Guangdong People’s Livelihood DV Site.

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