Resources on our ice & dry ice.
Ensuring consumer safety: food-safe packaged ice and safe handling of dry ice.
International Packaged Ice Association
Founded in 1917 as the National Association of Ice Industries, today’s International Packaged Ice Association represents commercial producers of block ice and packaged ice across North America and around the world. Its members’ commitment to food safety and education, for regulators, retailers and consumers alike, rests on one idea: ice is food.
IPIA ice producing and distribution members make quality bagged ice and ice cube products that meet rigorous sanitation standards.
Dry ice safety considerations
Dry ice should always be handled with care. Protect your hands with gloves, a cloth between the ice and your skin, or tongs. Prolonged contact with bare skin freezes the cells and causes an injury similar to a burn.
Store dry ice in an insulated container in a well-ventilated area. A foam cooler is ideal: it insulates but isn’t airtight. Air with more than 0.5% CO₂ can be dangerous to your health.
Watch for headaches and difficulty breathing, signs that carbon dioxide from the dry ice is replacing oxygen. Losing consciousness in a confined space with dry ice can lead to serious injury or death.
Dry ice gives off large volumes of CO₂ gas, so a closed container can build up pressure and, given enough time at room temperature, burst. Serious injuries have happened from improperly packed dry ice.
Occupational exposure limits: 8-hour time-weighted average 5,000 parts per million (ppm); 15-minute short-term exposure limit 30,000 ppm.
Dry ice Safety Data Sheet
Review the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for carbon dioxide, solid (dry ice) for more on safe handling, storage, first aid and exposure limits.
Questions about handling dry ice?
Call and a real person picks up. We’ll tell you how much you need and how to store it safely.