# Guide 172: Gallium and Mercury

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** ERG 2024 Guide 172
- **title:** Guide 172: Gallium and Mercury
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** U.S. DOT / Transport Canada / SICT
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2024-04-04
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** ERG2024 response Guide 172: Gallium and Mercury.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-erg-2024-guide-172.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-erg-2024-guide-172.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-erg-2024-guide-172
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/erg/guide?number=172
**body:**

GUIDE
172
Gallium and Mercury
POTENTIAL HAZARDS
HEALTH
•
Inhalation of vapors or contact with substance will result in contamination and potential harmful effects.
•
Fire will produce irritating, corrosive and/or toxic gases.
FIRE OR EXPLOSION
•
Non-combustible, substance itself does not burn but may react upon heating to produce corrosive
and/or toxic fumes.
•
Runoff may pollute waterways.
•
•
•
PUBLIC SAFETY
CALL 911. Then call emergency response telephone number on shipping paper. If shipping paper
not available or no answer, refer to appropriate telephone number listed on the inside back cover.
Stay upwind, uphill and/or upstream.
Keep unauthorized personnel away.
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
•
Wear positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
•
Structural firefighters' protective clothing provides thermal protection but only limited chemical protection.
EVACUATION
Immediate precautionary measure
•
•
•
Isolate spill or leak area for at least 50 meters (150 feet) in all directions.
Large Spill
Consider initial downwind evacuation for at least 100 meters (330 feet).
Fire
When any large container is involved in a fire, consider initial evacuation for 500 meters (1/3 mile) in all
directions.
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ERG 2024

Gallium and Mercury
GUIDE
172
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
FIRE
•
•
Use extinguishing agent suitable for type of surrounding fire.
Do not direct water at the heated metal.
SPILL OR LEAK
•
Do not touch or walk through spilled material.
•
Do not touch damaged containers or spilled material unless wearing appropriate protective clothing.
•
Stop leak if you can do it without risk.
•
Prevent entry into waterways, sewers, basements or confined areas.
•
Do not use steel or aluminum tools or equipment.
•
Cover with earth, sand or other non-combustible material followed with plastic sheet to minimize
spreading or contact with rain.
•
For mercury, use a mercury spill kit.
•
Mercury spill areas may be subsequently treated with calcium sulphide/calcium sulfide or with sodium
thiosulphate/sodium thiosulfate wash to neutralize any residual mercury.
FIRST AID
Refer to the “General First Aid” section.
ERG 2024
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