Ah health and safety, my favourite subject:)) How safe is lime?
Half the time the advice is so out of proportion and terrifying it puts people off using lime altogether which is ridiculous. The other half of the time it's a cynical attempt to avoid litigation, which leaves people in the dark and unable to make an adequate risk assessment. This guide is here to empower you and help you protect yourself, not scare you to death.
First do remember, all building materials and tools come with dangers. Hammers, saws, Portland cement and wood can all injure if used carelessly. If you aren't prepared to accept some risk you'd better not build. Stay in bed and lock the doors. But back to lime: I've used all kinds of lime for years and have never had a major incident (though I have had minor ones). Lime is natural and basically non toxic, but it is caustic. This means it can cause chemical burns. Don't take a bath in it. You will probably die. Horribly. Don't let your pets drink it. They will probably die unpleasant deaths too.
But assuming you have an ounce of sense, lime shouldn't cause you too much trouble. It isn't nuclear waste or sulfuric acid. It doesn't burn your hand off in five seconds. It shouldn't give you cancer ten years later either. I've used the stuff for ten years now and genuinely love its beauty and breathability. It's far nicer to use that any of the other carcinogenic chemical products out there. Yes I always wear decent gloves. Yes I flush off any lime that splashes on my skin quickly.
So you do need to protect yourself when using lime. But not to the level of a radiation suit. You also need to protect kids and animals.
When slaking use:
- A mask (lime can damage the lungs if you breathe in enough of the dust).
- Goggles. If lime gets in your eye it's bad news.
- Protective gloves. You really want tough water/chemical resistant gloves. Most washing up gloves are too thin and may rip.
- Protective clothing. Long sleeves and legs covered. Your bikini isn't suitable.
When mixing or applying any lime substances and mixtures you need:
- Decent gloves (as mentioned above)
- Protective clothing.
- Goggles if there's a chance it will splash in your eyes.
- I also use a barrier cream on my hands and arms these days for extra protection.
The biggest risk is your kids and pets
The thing I worry about most with lime is keeping animals out of the slaking pit. This is the biggest danger if you ask me. So make sure pets and kids can't get near any uncured lime. This is just one reason I recommend using a high-sided drum with a lid on for slaking lime. I fence my slaking area off too. Also make sure kids and animals are kept away from the lime mixing and application area at all times.
What if you get lime on your skin?
Don't panic. Wash it off as fast as you can and flush the whole area with plenty of water. Most of the time nothing will happen. Lime doesn't burn immediately but takes time to work past the skin's oils. I've been burned countless times, and it usually happens when I'm working for hours with lime and lime water has dripped from my gloves onto my elbow for too long.
If you see soreness, stinging, or see blisters or redness, you're late. The lime is burning you. Soak the affected area in plenty of water, and then dowse with vinegar or lemon juice. Lime is alkali, so mild acids neutralise it. You may get a blister. It will typically disappear in a day or two. If you didn't catch the burning fast enough, it may leave a scar. That too often fades and disappears after a few months.
What if you get lime in your eye?
Don't hang around. Flush it straight out with plenty of water. I've done this far too often too. I'm still alive and seeing, but I may be lucky. I always drop tools when this happens and immediately stick my eye under the tap. If you feel any burning, go to the doctor.
The increasing sensitivity factor
It's interesting (and important) to note that over time our bodies develop sensitivities. So what didn't affect us once, begins to affect us more later on. This goes for lime too. If you are burned once, your body remembers. The next time it comes in contact with lime, it will react sooner and more aggressively. So just note, you may find your reaction to lime increases after a year or two of using.
Remember lime doesn't burn in one second. It usually takes a while to get past your skin oils. So if you wash it off fast mostly nothing will happen.
When is lime safe to touch?
Once lime applications have cured and completely dried, they no longer burn. So you don't need to worry about touching your dried mortar or whitewashing your chicken coop. Just wait for the stuff to dry properly before letting your loved ones near it.
Are all limes the same?
No. The riskiest is the quicklime when you are slaking it. But during application most decent limes will cause a mild burn if they stay on your skin a while. In my experience lime putty and NHL limes can both cause burns. The one exception as far as I can tell is hydrated lime. Be careful though, sometimes companies (especially in the US) use the word hydrated lime in different ways. If you don't understand what I'm talking about here, read my article on the different kinds of lime.
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