More and more people are interested in homemade biodiesel, but before getting started you should think about safety. You should think about ways to protect yourself and the ones around the house, other people, children or pets.
Firstly, you would have to buy, if you don’t already have, the proper items. You should wear an apron, soothing to protect your eyes, a pear of protective gloves and a lab coat or a shirt. Remember that making biodiesel, involves some dangerous chemicals like methanol that is quickly sucked through skin and, in some condition, can cause blindness and death. You have to keep in mind than sodium hydroxide can cause serious burns and even death. When you mix these two substances during biodiesel production, they form sodium methoxide than is very caustic and can have severe consequences if it is inhaled, swallowed or absorbed by the skin.
Knowing this, I think you rethought those latex gloves. Everything you wear while making biodiesel must be high quality. The gloves must be chemical and fire proof. Remember cover as much as you can your skin.
Before beginning, announce everyone in the house about what you are about to do and warn them to stay away. Find a way to keep pets away, if any.
Make sure that you have a water source available, a ventilated workplace to permit the vapors to escape. Also pick a cooler day to do this because methanol emits fumes if it is hot. Keep al chemicals in plastic baggies because they are safer.
Be careful! If you took into consideration all this advices, I think you are ready now to produce biodiesel.
