Working safely in the cellar — what to do if something goes wrong
Anyone who makes their own wine, must or liqueur works with substances that have been part of the craft for generations: sulphur to protect against oxidation, acids for correcting, enzymes for clarifying, lye in the measuring kit. At the same time, these substances are classified as hazardous under the CLP Regulation and therefore carry pictograms, a signal word and hazard statements on the label. The two go together — one does not rule out the other.
This page exists for one simple reason: in an emergency, nobody should have to start searching. It reproduces the official precautionary statements and the manufacturers' information so that you know what to do and whom to call. It does not replace the label of the product you are holding — the information on the label and in the manufacturer's safety data sheet is always authoritative.
As of: 14.08.2026. The warnings quoted are the official standard phrases under Annex IV of the CLP Regulation.
Which substances this is about
We carry five groups of products with hazard labelling. Each has its own hazard profile — please look for the block that belongs to your product and do not read the instructions for a different one.
- Potassium metabisulphite (potassium disulphite) / sulphur powder — H318 (Causes serious eye damage), EUH031 (Contact with acids liberates toxic gas). Official precautionary statements: P280, P305+P351+P338, P310.
- Lactic acid 80 % — H314 (Causes severe skin burns and eye damage). Official precautionary statements: P280, P262, P305+P351+P338, P313.
- Sodium hydroxide solution (blue lye) in the acidometer set — H290 (May be corrosive to metals), H315 (Causes skin irritation), H319 (Causes serious eye irritation). Official precautionary statements: P280, P302+P352, P305+P351+P338.
- Pectinase enzyme preparations (“Antigel”) — H315, H319, H334 (May cause allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled), H335 (May cause respiratory irritation). Official precautionary statements: P280, P302+P352, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338.
- Citric acid — H319 (Causes serious eye irritation). Official precautionary statements: P264, P280, P305+P351+P338, P337+P313.
Before anything happens — four basic rules
These four points concern preparation and your surroundings, not the treatment of people. They take little time and take the edge off an emergency.
- Put on safety goggles and gloves before you open the bag or the bottle. The official statement P280 reads: “Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection.” It appears on all five product groups listed above. Make sure running water is within reach before you start.
- Ventilate. Work in the cellar with a window or door open, especially when handling sulphur powder and when weighing out powdered enzyme preparations. For the enzyme preparations, statement P280 expressly also covers respiratory protection as specified on the label.
- Never bring sulphur and acid together. Potassium metabisulphite carries the statement EUH031: “Contact with acids liberates toxic gas.” Never add sulphur products to an acid solution, never to leftover acid in the measuring cylinder, never into the same bucket. Weigh them separately, store them separately and rinse your equipment in between.
- Never decant into drinks bottles or food containers. No decanting into water, juice or wine bottles, no unlabelled containers. Use the original container with the original label, keep it closed and store it out of reach of children and pets. In an emergency, the label is the most important source of information for the poison centre.
If something does happen
The following four sections reproduce the official precautionary statements printed on the labels of our products. In every case, pick up the phone first and have the packaging and label ready — they show the product name, the manufacturer and, where assigned, the UFI code that the poison centre will ask for.
On the skin
First: With lactic acid 80 % (H314, severe burns), get medical help immediately — the official statement P313 reads: “Get medical advice/attention.” Call the poison information centre responsible for your area (numbers below) or, in case of unconsciousness, respiratory or circulatory arrest or seizures, call the emergency services on 112.
For the sodium hydroxide solution from the acidometer set and for pectinase enzyme preparations (each H315), the label carries the official statement P302+P352: “IF ON SKIN: Wash with plenty of water/…” Lactic acid 80 % additionally carries the preventive statement P262: “Do not get in eyes, on skin, or on clothing.”
Remove soaked clothing and jewellery from the affected area. Otherwise, follow the information on your product's label and the first-aid measures in section 4 of the manufacturer's safety data sheet.
In the eyes
First: Call the poison information centre responsible for your area; for potassium metabisulphite (H318, serious eye damage) the official statement P310 applies: “Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…” In case of unconsciousness, respiratory or circulatory arrest or seizures, call 112 first.
All five product groups listed above carry the same official statement P305+P351+P338:
- “IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.”
For lactic acid 80 %, the label additionally states P313: “Get medical advice/attention.” For citric acid (H319) it states P337+P313: “If eye irritation persists: Get medical advice/attention.” Do not interrupt rinsing to make the call — if possible, let someone else make the phone call.
If inhaled
First: If breathing difficulties, coughing, a feeling of tightness in the chest or wheezing occur after contact with enzyme dust or after gases have been released, call the emergency services on 112 immediately or call the poison information centre responsible for your area.
For pectinase enzyme preparations (H334, H335), the label carries the official statement P304+P340:
- “IF INHALED: Remove person to fresh air and keep comfortable for breathing.”
The same procedure applies if potassium metabisulphite has accidentally come into contact with an acid — with EUH031, the label warns of the release of toxic gas in this case. If this happens, leave the room, create a through-draught and do not go back in unless absolutely necessary.
If swallowed
First, and in every case: Immediately call the poison information centre responsible for your area or a doctor — for potassium metabisulphite, the official statement P310 reads verbatim: “Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…” In case of unconsciousness, respiratory or circulatory arrest or seizures, call 112 first.
Keep the packaging with the label to hand and, on the phone, state the product name, manufacturer, estimated amount and time. Do not take any measure that is not stated on the label or in section 4 of your product's safety data sheet — in particular, for corrosive products the official statement P331 applies: “Do NOT induce vomiting.”
Whom to call
In case of unconsciousness, respiratory or circulatory arrest or seizures, call the emergency services first: 112. The number 112 applies in all EU countries and in Switzerland for ambulance, fire brigade and police.
In all other cases, dial the poison information centre responsible for your area. Advice is available around the clock, free of charge, and open to laypeople and medical professionals alike. Have the packaging and label ready.
- Berlin — Giftnotruf der Charité (Berlin, Brandenburg): 030 19240
- Bonn — Informationszentrale gegen Vergiftungen, University Hospital Bonn (North Rhine-Westphalia): 0228 19240
- Erfurt — Gemeinsames Giftinformationszentrum (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia): 0361 730730
- Freiburg — Vergiftungs-Informations-Zentrale, University Hospital Freiburg (Baden-Württemberg): 0761 19240
- Göttingen — GIZ-Nord (Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein): 0551 19240
- Mainz — Giftinformationszentrum (Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, Saarland): 06131 19240
- Munich — Giftnotruf München, TUM Klinikum rechts der Isar (Bavaria): 089 19240
- Austria — Vergiftungsinformationszentrale (VIZ) Vienna, around the clock: 01 406 43 43, from abroad +43 1 406 43 43
- Switzerland — Tox Info Suisse, around the clock: 145 (only reachable within Switzerland), from abroad +41 44 251 51 51
The German numbers are location-based special numbers and must always be dialled with the area code, including from a mobile phone. Erfurt deliberately deviates from the 19240 pattern. Please note: older lists, notices and directories still contain numbers of facilities that are no longer designated as poison information centres — among them the former centre in Homburg/Saar and the former centre in Nuremberg. Do not use these numbers. Saarland is covered by Mainz, Bavaria by Munich. The official directory is kept by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), where the current status can be looked up.
We ourselves do not give advice in cases of poisoning or chemical burns. Not by phone, not by email and not via the advice chat with Magnus von Kageneck. Our cellar master is happy to advise on the course of fermentation, acidity levels and questions about varieties — in an emergency there is only one right answer, and that is: poison information centre or 112.
What you should not do
- Do not induce vomiting. The official statement P331 on corrosive products expressly reads: “Do NOT induce vomiting.”
- Do not neutralise. Neither acid with baking soda nor lye with vinegar or citric acid. Such reactions release heat, and with sulphites toxic gases are produced as well (EUH031).
- Do not give any home remedies. Whatever is done on or in the body is governed solely by the label, the safety data sheet and the instructions of the poison information centre or the doctor.
- Do not wait and see. Call, even if nothing else can be seen at first. The official statement P310 allows no waiting time.
- Do not stop rinsing too early. The official statement P305+P351+P338 ends with “Continue rinsing”.
- Do not throw the label away. Nor the empty container. It is the basis for any information given over the phone.
Safety data sheets
For every product with hazard labelling, we provide the manufacturer's safety data sheet in its current version free of charge. To request one, write to us at service@maischewerk.de, stating the product name and item number; we will send you the PDF. Commercial customers are entitled to this under Article 31 of the REACH Regulation. You will find the manufacturer's first-aid measures in section 4 of the sheet.
Legal notice
This page reproduces general safety information as well as the manufacturers' information from the label and the safety data sheet; it replaces neither the label of the respective product nor medical help and does not constitute individual medical advice. In an emergency, immediately call the poison emergency line (e.g. Bonn +49 228 19240, Switzerland 145) or the emergency services on 112 and have the packaging and label ready. Only the manufacturer's information in its current version is authoritative; we compile and update this page with care, but cannot judge whether and how it applies to your specific situation. Our liability is governed by the statutory provisions — in the event of injury to life, body or health, and in cases of intent and gross negligence, our liability is unlimited.
Maischewerk is a brand of Christoph Demuth Handel GmbH, Trierer Straße 176, 52078 Aachen.