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Chlorine Sodium Hydroxide Potassium Hydroxide Hydrogen Chloride / Hydrochloric Acid Sodium Hypochlorite

Sodium Hypochlorite

Sodium hypochlorite, commonly referred to as bleach, is a chemical compound with the formula NaOCl. Sodium hypochlorite solutions are made by reacting chlorine (gas or liquid) with a dilute sodium hydroxide solution in continuous or batch method. These two reactants are the major co-products from most chlor-alkali cell rooms. It is commonly available in strengths of 3 to 20 wt. % sodium hypochlorite and is shipped in a variety of methods such as rail tank car, cargo tank (truck), and other smaller containers.

Sodium hypochlorite is one of the most broadly utilized disinfectants and is used in critical applications to protect public health, such as drinking water and wastewater treatment, healthcare facility disinfection, and household disinfection products.

CI Resources

The Institute has produced the below materials relevant for the safe manufacturing, storage, shipping, handling, and use. Refer to CI's Resource Catalog for fuller details and visit the CI Bookstore.

  • Pamphlet 96) Sodium Hypochlorite Manual
  • FACT-2) Sodium Hypochlorite Release Fact Sheet
  • Wall Chart 2) Handling Sodium Hypochlorite
  • Bleach - Storage Guidelines for End Users
  • Sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCI) Incompatibility Chart (English Version)
  • Sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCl) Incompatibility Chart (Spanish Version)

HYPO-VIDEO) Handling Sodium Hypochlorite Safely

This video provides guidelines, recommended practices and other information for the safe handling, storage, loading and unloading of sodium hypochlorite tank cars and tank trucks. This video also includes sodium hypochlorite properties, health effects, reactivity, suitable materials of construction, and common uses.


AM-VIDEO) Accidental Mixing

The video is designed to increase awareness about the risks of accidentally mixing sodium hypochlorite with other incompatible materials. 

The training video topics include: Basic Properties of Sodium Hypochlorite; Sodium Hypochlorite Reactions and Unintended Consequences; Two Case Studies (Atchison, Kansas and Kitchener, Ontario); Common Contributing Factors; and Safeguards for Drivers, Customers, and Suppliers; and additional resources. 

SAMP-VIDEO) Bleach Sampling

The Chlorine Institute in partnership with NSF International, UL, and the Water Quality Association developed this training video that covers the following topics: pulling the sample; handling the sample; quenching the sample; and logging and shipping.

CTS-VIDEO) Preventing Chlor-Alkali Releases during Cargo Tank Operations

This video provides an overview of best practices to prevent releases during cargo tank shipments of certain CI mission chemicals, namely sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, and sodium hypochlorite.  Viewers, including plant operators and drivers, will learn requirements for reporting hazmat transportation releases to DOT, review related DOT-reported cargo tank incident data, understand the sources and cause of common releases during cargo tank transport and operations, and learn best practices for preventing these types of releases.