ProductCarbon dioxide, solid · Dry ice
SupplierPolar Sharks Dry Ice
Version · Date of issue1.0 · 2026-09-03
FormatGHS / WHMIS 2015 (HPR), 16 sections
This sheet is written for the substance we manufacture and sell. It is consistent with the published sheets of the major industrial gas suppliers for the same substance and is provided for workplace and transport use. It is not a substitute for the site-specific risk assessment an employer must do.
Section 1. Identification
- Product identifier
- Carbon dioxide, solid (dry ice)
- Other names
- Dry ice; solid CO₂; carbonic anhydride, solid
- Chemical formula · CAS
- CO₂ · 124-38-9
- Recommended use
- Refrigerant for food and pharmaceutical cold chain, shipping of perishables, dry ice blast cleaning media, laboratory cooling, fog effects
- Restrictions on use
- Not for consumption. Not for use in sealed containers or unventilated spaces.
- Supplier
- Polar Sharks Dry Ice, #5 730 Eaton Way, Delta, BC V3M 6J9, Canada · info@polarsharks.ca · polarsharks.ca
- Emergency telephone
- 911 · Poison Control (BC): 1-800-567-8911 (24 hours) · CANUTEC (transport): 1-888-CAN-UTEC (226-8832)
Section 2. Hazard identification
- Classification (WHMIS 2015 / GHS)
- Not classified as a hazardous product under the Hazardous Products Regulations. Hazards not otherwise classified: refrigerated solidified gas; contact causes cryogenic burns and frostbite; sublimes to carbon dioxide gas that can displace oxygen and cause asphyxiation.
- Signal word
- Warning
- Hazard statements
- Extremely cold (−78.5 °C / −109 °F). May cause cryogenic burns or injury. May displace oxygen and cause rapid suffocation. May increase respiration and heart rate.
- Precautionary statements
- Read the label before use. Keep out of reach of children. Do not handle with bare hands; use insulated gloves and eye protection. Use and store only in well-ventilated areas. Do not put in tightly sealed containers: the product sublimes and may burst the container. Do not eat or taste. Do not enter confined areas where used or stored unless they are adequately ventilated.
Section 3. Composition / information on ingredients
| Ingredient | CAS | % |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon dioxide, solid | 124-38-9 | 100 |
Substance. No additional ingredients classified as hazardous within the supplier's knowledge.
Section 4. First-aid measures
- Inhalation
- Move the person to fresh air and keep at rest in a position comfortable for breathing. If breathing is difficult or stopped, call 911; trained personnel may give oxygen or artificial respiration.
- Skin contact
- Thaw frosted parts with lukewarm water (38–41 °C). Do not rub. Do not use hot water or dry heat. Remove clothing that is not frozen to the skin. Get medical attention.
- Eye contact
- Do not rub. Cover both eyes with a soft, sterile pad and get medical attention at once. If particles entered the eye, flush gently with lukewarm water.
- Ingestion
- Do not induce vomiting. Rinse the mouth with water. Call Poison Control or 911. Swallowed dry ice can cause severe internal cold injury and gas expansion.
- Most important symptoms
- Frostbite and cryogenic burns on contact. Headache, rapid breathing, dizziness, confusion and loss of consciousness from carbon dioxide in air; high concentrations can be fatal within minutes.
- Notes to physician
- Treat symptomatically. Frostbite: rewarm in water at 38–41 °C; do not rewarm if refreezing is possible.
Section 5. Fire-fighting measures
- Extinguishing media
- Not combustible. Use media suitable for the surrounding fire. Carbon dioxide itself is an extinguishing agent.
- Specific hazards
- Heat accelerates sublimation. Closed containers holding dry ice can rupture from gas pressure. Gas released in an enclosed space displaces oxygen.
- Protective equipment
- Self-contained breathing apparatus in enclosed spaces where the gas may accumulate.
Section 6. Accidental release measures
- Personal precautions
- Ventilate the area. Keep people out of low-lying and enclosed spaces until the gas disperses. Wear insulated gloves and eye protection to handle pieces.
- Environmental precautions
- None specific. Carbon dioxide is a natural constituent of air; avoid release into enclosed spaces.
- Containment and clean-up
- Scoop pieces with insulated tools into an open, insulated, vented container, or leave them to sublime in a well-ventilated area away from people. Do not flush to drains.
Section 7. Handling and storage
- Handling
- Insulated gloves, eye protection, long sleeves. Use tongs, scoops or a heavy cloth. Never handle with bare hands. Do not put in the mouth, in food or in drinks. Do not use in vehicles without fresh-air ventilation.
- Storage
- Insulated, vented container (lid closed, not latched or sealed). Well-ventilated area, not a walk-in cooler, basement, closet or closed vehicle. Not in a household freezer. Keep out of reach of children. Product sublimes continuously: expect 5–10 lb per 24 h loss in an insulated cooler.
- Incompatible materials
- Sealed containers of any material. Water in traps and pipes (freezing).
Section 8. Exposure controls / personal protection
| Carbon dioxide | 8-hour TWA | 15-minute STEL |
|---|---|---|
| WorkSafeBC (BC OHS Regulation, Table of Exposure Limits) | 5,000 ppm | 15,000 ppm |
| ACGIH TLV | 5,000 ppm (9,000 mg/m³) | 30,000 ppm (54,000 mg/m³) |
- Engineering controls
- General ventilation is sufficient for handling in open areas. Where dry ice is stored or used in quantity indoors, provide mechanical ventilation at floor level and consider a CO₂ monitor. Carbon dioxide is 1.5 times heavier than air and collects in low points.
- Eye / face
- Safety glasses with side shields when handling or breaking pieces.
- Skin
- Insulated (cryogenic or thermal) gloves. Long sleeves and trousers. Closed footwear.
- Respiratory
- Not normally required. Do not enter an enclosed space where dry ice has been stored without ventilating it first; supplied-air respirator if an oxygen-deficient atmosphere is possible.
Section 9. Physical and chemical properties
- Appearance
- White, opaque solid (pellets, nuggets, slices or blocks), odourless
- Sublimation point
- −78.5 °C (−109.3 °F) at 101.3 kPa (does not melt at atmospheric pressure)
- Density (solid)
- Approx. 1.5–1.6 g/cm³ (94–100 lb/ft³) as manufactured
- Vapour pressure
- 5,730 kPa at 20 °C
- Relative vapour density (air = 1)
- 1.52
- Gas volume
- 1 kg of solid yields about 0.54 m³ of gas at 15 °C
- Solubility in water
- Slight; forms carbonic acid
- Flammability · flash point · autoignition
- Not flammable · not applicable · not applicable
- Molecular weight
- 44.01 g/mol
Section 10. Stability and reactivity
- Reactivity · stability
- Stable. Sublimes continuously to gas at any temperature above −78.5 °C.
- Conditions to avoid
- Sealed containers (pressure build-up). Heat (rapid sublimation). Contact with water in plumbing.
- Incompatible materials
- Strong alkalis and alkali metals react with carbon dioxide gas.
- Hazardous decomposition
- None under normal conditions.
Section 11. Toxicological information
- Routes of exposure
- Skin and eye contact (cold); inhalation of the gas; ingestion.
- Acute effects
- Contact: cryogenic burns, frostbite. Inhalation of carbon dioxide: at 1–3 % headache and increased breathing rate; at 5 % marked breathing difficulty; above 10 % loss of consciousness and death can follow within minutes. Ingestion: severe internal cold injury.
- Chronic effects · carcinogenicity · mutagenicity · reproductive
- No known significant effects. Not listed by IARC, ACGIH or NTP.
Section 12. Ecological information
Carbon dioxide is a natural constituent of the atmosphere. The product sublimes completely; no residue, no bioaccumulation, no persistence beyond the gas itself. Avoid releasing large quantities into enclosed spaces where animals are kept.
Section 13. Disposal considerations
Allow unused product to sublime in a well-ventilated area, outdoors or in an open insulated container, away from people and animals. Do not dispose of in sinks, toilets, drains, garbage chutes or closed bins. Empty packaging: recycle with plastics where accepted.
Section 14. Transport information
| TDG (Canada) | DOT (USA) | IATA (air) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UN number | UN1845 | UN1845 | UN1845 |
| Proper shipping name | CARBON DIOXIDE, SOLID (DRY ICE) | Carbon dioxide, solid | Carbon dioxide, solid (Dry ice) |
| Class | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Packing group | — | III | — |
| Notes | Special provision 18: by road or rail in packaging that vents the gas, Parts 3–8 of the TDG Regulations do not apply. | 49 CFR 173.217 | Packing instruction 954. 200 kg per package. Mark the net weight of dry ice on the package. |
Packaging must allow the gas to escape. Never ship or carry dry ice in a sealed container. Ventilate vehicles.
Section 15. Regulatory information
- Canada
- WHMIS 2015 (Hazardous Products Act and Regulations): not classified; this sheet is supplied voluntarily. Carbon dioxide is listed on the Domestic Substances List. Transport: TDG Regulations, Class 9, UN1845.
- United States
- TSCA: listed. OSHA HCS 2012: not classified. Transport: 49 CFR, Class 9, UN1845.
Section 16. Other information
- Version · Issued
- 1.0 · 2026-09-03 · First issue
- Prepared by
- Polar Sharks Dry Ice, Delta, BC · info@polarsharks.ca
- Abbreviations
- ACGIH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists · GHS: Globally Harmonized System · HPR: Hazardous Products Regulations · STEL: short-term exposure limit · TDG: Transportation of Dangerous Goods · TLV: threshold limit value · TWA: time-weighted average · WHMIS: Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System
The information in this sheet is believed to be accurate as of the date of issue and is offered for the guidance of the user. Polar Sharks Dry Ice makes no warranty as to its completeness and assumes no liability for its use. The user is responsible for determining the suitability of the product and of these precautions for their own conditions of use. Keep out of reach of children. Use only under adult supervision.