NIOSH Skin Notation Profiles: Hydrogen Flouride / Hydrofluoric Acid (HF)

HF is potentially capable of causing both systemic toxicity and direct adverse effects on the skin following dermal exposure. A critical review of available data provides evidence that skin contact with HF may be extremely hazardous and life-threatening, causing severe skin corrosion and acute systemic toxicity. NIOSH has designated HF with the following SK assignment: SK: SYS (FATAL)-DIR (COR). Table 1 provides an overview of the critical effects and data used to develop the SK assignment for HF. The following section provides additional detail about the potential health hazards of skin contact with HF and the rationale behind the SK assignment.

NIOSH Skin Notation Profiles: Hydrogen Flouride / Hydrofluoric Acid (HF) [PDF – 534.17 KB]