Emergencies phosgene

Guides for Emergency Response Chemical Agent or Weapon Diphosgene and Phosgene... 

NRC (National Research Council). 1985. Emergency and Continuous Exposure Limits for Selected Airborne Contaminants. Phosgene, pp. 69-86. National Academy Press. Washington, D.C. 

TEMIS (Trauma Emergency Medical Information System). 1997. Phosgene. 

Several near misses have also taken place one occurred recently at the Sandoz plant in Basle, Switzerland, where a fire destroyed a warehouse next to a phosgene store. And in what must rate as anguis in herba - at the very least - reports have emerged that phosgene is being pumped from one chemical plant to another across central Toulouse, France. 

Owing to the poor warning properties of the gas to the human senses, automatic continuous monitors equipped with alarm systems are recommended [36,1486,1893], and a detailed specification for such devices has been provided [1484]. Skin and eye contact with phosgene should be avoided, but contaminated clothing should be removed immediately and decontamination effected by washing. Emergency showers should be provided [1893] in any facility in which phosgene is stored, used or manufactured. 

Catastrophic releases of phosgene have arisen both deliberately (see Chapter 1) and accidentally. This Section is concerned with accidental releases of disastrous, or potentially disastrous, proportions, simulation studies of such releases, and the emergency procedures necessary to minimize the hazards. 

The advanced formulation of emergency procedures has been recommended by NIOSH [1486], and broad measures for dealing with phosgene emissions have been described by the MCA [1318]. Participation in periodic emergency drills has been suggested [1484]. 

The burning of phosgene is not recommended except as a short-term emergency measure [1318]. 

The detailed studies so far published are summarized in Table 5.5 dichlorine emerges as a very efficient photosensitizer for these reactions. Similar results to the photochemical oxidation of CjCl, and C2HCI3 are produced by the thermal reaction between these chloroalkenes and dioxygen in the presence of difluorine, which acts as a sensitizer [1399]. Surprisingly, no phosgene was detected in the photo-oxidation of CH3CI by a mixture of and Clj [1776c]. 

D. Noltkamper and S. Burgher, Toxicity, Phosgene, article updated 12 Febmary 2003, available at http //www.emedicine.com/emerg/ topic849.htm, accessed 18 March 2003. 

---