Dry Ice Safety

Dry ice is a useful (and fun!) product, but it requires certain safety precautions. Make sure to follow these directions to enjoy dry ice safely. 

Handling

Dry ice is extremely cold, cold enough to freeze skin cells and cause an injury similar to a burn. Always handle dry ice with protective gloves. If you don't have gloves, you could also use a towel or oven mitt -- anything that acts as a buffer between your skin and the dry ice. 

Storage

To prevent sublimation (shrinking) and elongate the life of dry ice, store it in an insulated container, like a cooler. Inside of the cooler, you can also place blankets or towels on top of the dry ice to increase the insulation and elongate the life of your dry ice even further. 

Do not store dry ice in a container that is completely airtight, such as a box sealed completely with tape. As the dry ice sublimates into CO2 (carbon dioxide) gas, it will cause an airtight container to expand and possibly explode or burst.

Ventilation

Dry ice gives off CO2 (carbon dioxide) gas into the air, which can be dangerous within a confined space, such as a car, van, or room. If dry ice has been present in a confined space for more than 10 minutes, open the doors and windows before entering the space. Otherwise, you will experience difficulty breathing, light-headedness and potential injury or death.

Leave the area immediately if you start to breathe quickly or have any difficulty breathing!

Other Dry Ice Safety Information

Children should be supervised by an adult when using dry ice. 

Dry ice is not edible. Take extreme caution when placing dry ice into beverages, such as a punch bowl or individual glasses, to make sure that no dry ice is ingested. If consumed, seek medical attention immediately

Dry Ice Material Safety Data Sheet