.... can cause sudden death

I just wrote about how tired I was.  Nothing like working with potentially deadly chemicals to wake you up.  I did some work in our HF alkylation unit today.  Many refineries use Hydrofluoric Acid to rearrange butanes into better fuels for gasoline.  HF acid is a bad mother.  Here's some info from eMedicine:

"Dilute solutions deeply penetrate before dissociating, thus causing delayed injury and symptoms. Burns to the fingers and nail beds may leave the overlying nails intact, and pain may be severe with little surface abnormality.

Severe burns occur after exposure of concentrated (ie, 50% or stronger solution) HF acid to 1% or more body surface area (BSA), exposure to HF acid of any concentration to 5% or more BSA, or inhalation of HF acid fumes from a 60% or stronger solution.

Fluoride ions penetrate and form insoluble salts with calcium and magnesium. Soluble salts also are formed with other cations but dissociate rapidly. Consequently, fluoride ions release, and further tissue destruction occurs.

• Systemic fluoride ion poisoning from severe burns may be associated with hypocalcemia, hyperkalemia, hypomagnesemia, and sudden death.
• Deaths have been reported from concentrated acid burns to as little as 2.5% BSA."

Basically if you see this, stay away.  A burn on as little as 2.5 % of you skin area (less than a whole hand) can be fatal and you might not even feel it right away.  It frightens me that they sell this as rust remover at your local Lowe's.  Have a happy day!!