Key Points

Fire

• Flammable on heating
• Reacts with alkalis and oxidising materials such as peroxides, nitric acid and chromic acid. Formic acid forms explosive reactions
• Emits toxic fumes of carbon monoxide when heated to decomposition or on contact with strong acids
• In the event of a fire involving formic acid, alcohol resistant foam or fine water spray and liquid tight chemical protective kit with breathing apparatus

Health

• Toxic by all routes of exposure
• CHIP classification: corrosive
• Inhalation causes irritation of the eyes and nose with sore throat, cough, chest tightness, headache and confusion
• Ingestion causes immediate burning of the mouth and throat, difficulty swallowing, vomiting and stomach pain
• Exposure to skin can cause burns to the skin layers 
• Eye exposure causes pain, lacrimation and increased sensitivity to light

Environment

• Avoid release into the envionment
• Inform the Environment Agency of substantial releases

 

All sections of the compendia are available to download:

• General Information (PDF, 56 KB)
• Incident Management (PDF, 100 KB)