KEROSENE & DIESEL FUEL

Both kerosene and diesel fuel are flammable and are petroleum distillate products. Kerosene is used in lamps, domestic heaters or furnaces, jet engine fuel, and as a solvent for greases and pesticides. Diesel fuel has a higher boiling point than kerosene and is used to power diesel engines.

Kerosene and diesel fuel can damage your health through inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact and absorption. The first symptoms of poisoning include confusion, restlessness, and tremors. Overexposure can lead to central nervous depression with symptoms of inebriation. This may be followed by nausea and headache and may eventually lead to coma and death. Aspiration of fluid into the lungs can occur during ingestion and vomiting. This may result in chemical pneumonia and lung lesions. Ingestion of kerosene is a special problem since it is frequently improperly stored in food containers (such as soda pop bottles) and then swallowed by children.

Use: Never smoke around kerosene or diesel fuel. Keep the lid on when not in use. Do not use kerosene or diesel fuel to clean paint or grease from your body (use detergent and water instead or massage with a few drops of baby oil, butter or margarine, wipe dry, and wash with soap and water). Always wear protective gloves and wash your hands and exposed body parts before eating or smoking. Avoid breathing fumes.

If using a kerosene heater, provide adequate ventilation to remove combustion pollutants, such as carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. Use only low sulfur 1-K grade fuel in kerosene space heaters. Never use home heating oil or other fuels.

Storage: Keep out of the reach of children and pets. Store in an approved safety container in a garage or outbuilding with good ventilation. If you have a water heater, furnace, or other sources of ignition in your garage, it may not be a safe place to store kerosene or diesel fuel. Keep away from heat, flame, and sources of ignition. Do not completely fill the container; kerosene and diesel fuel need room to expand.

Disposal: There is usually little need to dispose of kerosene or diesel fuel since it can normally be used. However, kerosene or diesel fuel that has been contaminated or dirtied cannot be used and must be saved for disposal by a licensed hazardous waste collector or through a professional household hazardous waste collection program.

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