How careful do you have to be when handling DE?

[dulcimer lady]

My 50 lb. sack of foodgrade DE arrived from Countryside Natural Products. I was reading the side of the bag where is talks about eye irritation and lung damage. Can I just scoop this stuff up and spread it or do I have to wear gloves, mask, etc when I handle it?? I'm going to spread it in the coop with the bedding to help prevent mites, etc.

 

[gritsar]

It's super safe but I wear a mask to avoid inhaling the dust, but don't wear gloves.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

It is not toxic, but as with any dusty product you won't want to be breathing a lot of it or getting it into your eyes.

Even ordinary flour can be harmful if you breathe enough of it. Try to use it in such a way that you will not be working inside of a dust cloud. If you can't then wear a dust mask such as you'd find in a paint or hardware store.