Hazard health

Health hazards are defined as those chemicals for which there is scientific evidence demonstrating that acute or chronic health effects may occur if employees are exposed to that chemical. A significant amount of the hazards in the processing industry are of the chemical type. For chemical health hazards, the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is the process employee s best friend for information about a chemical. Like physical hazards, there are a variety of health hazards, some of which have been mentioned in the previous chapter. 

Assume you work on a process unit that uses monomethaneolamine and benzene in its process. Just those two chemicals expose you to the following health hazards  

Carcinogen (cancer causing agent)—A chemical is considered to be a carcinogen if  

Corrosives—Corrosives are chemicals that cause visible destruction of or irreversible alterations in, living tissue by chemical action at the site of contact. The pH of a chemical is a good indicator of its corrosivity. The pH scale spans from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. A value above 7 is basic, a value below 7 is acidic. 

IrritORt—An irritant is a chemical which is not corrosive, but which causes a reversible inflammatory effect on living tissue by chemical action at the site of contact. A chemical 

Health-related hazards must be identified (recognized), evaluated, and controlled to prevent occupational illnesses that come from exposure to them. Health-related hazards come in a variety of forms, such as chemical, physical, ergonomic, or biological  

Chemical hazards arise from excessive airborne concentrations of mists, vapors, gases, or solids that are in the form of dusts or fumes. In addition to the hazard of inhalation, many of these materials may act as skin irritants or may be toxic by absorption through the skin. Chemicals can also be ingested, although this is not usually the principal route of entry into the body. 

Physical hazards include excessive levels of nonionizing and ionizing radiations, noise, vibration, and extremes of temperature and pressure. 

These health-related hazards can often be difficult and elusive to identify. A common example of this is a contaminant in a building that has caused symptoms of illness. Even the evaluation process may not be able to deteet the contaminant, which has dissipated before a sample can be coUecled. This leaves nothing to control and possibly no answer to what caused the illnesses. 

You might want to know the most common reported illnesses in the woikplace. This can also assist you in deciding where to put your resources toward prevention of occupational illnesses in your facility or worksite. In Table 10.2 you can find a listing of the most commonly reported occupational illnesses. The cost of compensation should also make you look carefully at the types of illnesses that are most costly and yet are preventable. Most anployers look at trauma injuries only and seldom pay attention to the potential cost of occupationally related illnesses. 

There are certain potential health hazards associated with the handling of fibrous materials. These came to prominence when the health hazards associated with asbestos fiber came to light (see Chapter 6). We provide a summary of these. The following characteristics of fibers relate to potential biological activity  

Physical dimensions or size of a fiber determine whether or not it is respirable. For example, for silica-based glass fiber, fibers less than 3 jxm in diameter and 

The HCS defines the following as health hazards, based upon the GHS classifications  

Specific target organ toxicity (single or repeated exposure) 

Chemicals which are health hazards can cause illness right away (acute) or later on (chronic). 

A rash that results from a one-time exposure of a chemical to the skin would be an acute health hazard. 

Cancer that develops much later or is caused by repeated exposures to chemicals known to cause cancer would be a chronic health hazard. 

The following gronps of chemicals present health hazards for laboratory workers and others in the working environment, and are differentiated for the pnrposes of risk assessment and for product labelling in UK and EU health and safety regnlations  

Acetylenic compounds, especially polyacetylenes, haloacetylenes, and heavy metal salts of acetylenes (copper, silver, and mercury salts are particularly sensitive) 

Acyl nitrates Alkyl and acyl nitrites Alkyl chlorates 

Alkyl nitrates, particularly polyol nitrates such as nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine 

Amine metal oxosalts metal compounds with coordinated ammonia, hydrazine, or similar nitrogenous donors and ionic chlorate(Vll), nitrate(V), manganate(VIl), or other oxidizing group Azides, including metal, nonmetal, and organic azides Chlorate(lll) salts of metals 

Personal Protective Equipment — The items are those recommended by (a) manufacturers, either in technical bulletins or in Material Safety Data Sheets, (b) the Manufacturing Chemists Association, or (c) the National Safety Council, for use by personnel while responding to fire or accidental discharge of the chemical. They are intended to protect the lungs, eyes, and skin. 

Short-Term Inhalation Limits — The parts of vapor (gas per million parts of contaminated air by volume at 25°C (77°F) and atmospheric pressure is given. The limits are normally given in milligrams per cubic meter for chemicals that can form a fine mist or dust. The values given are the maximum permissible average exposures for the time periods specified. The term Short Term 

Exposure Limit (STEL) is also used and is considered interchangeable with Short - Term Inhalation Limit. The STEL designation is derrived from OSH standards. 

In some instances the values disagree, or the short-term limits overlap the TLV. These are not errors the values were supplied by several laboratories, each of which used its own experimental techniques and methods of calculation. 

Vapor (Gas) Irritant Characteristics — Since MSDSs often provide non-qualifying statements, the most appropriate of five statements listed below is given. (Source National Academy of Sciences, Committee on Hazardous Materials, Evaluation of the Hazard of Bulk Water Transportation of Industrial Chemicals, A Tentative Guide, Washington, D.C., 1970.) 

---

Pu (86 years) is formed from Np. Pu is separated by selective oxidation and solvent extraction. The metal is formed by reduction of PuF with calcium there are six crystal forms. Pu is used in nuclear weapons and reactors Pu is used as a nuclear power source (e.g. in space exploration). The ionizing radiation of plutonium can be a health hazard if the material is inhaled. 

The metal is very effective as a sound absorber, is used as a radiation shield around X-ray equipment and nuclear reactors, and is used to absorb vibration. White lead, the basic carbonate, sublimed white lead, chrome yellow, and other lead compounds are used extensively in paints, although in recent years the use of lead in paints has been drastically curtailed to eliminate or reduce health hazards. 

Except for siUca and natural abrasives containing free siUca, the abrasive materials used today are classified by NIOSH as nuisance dust materials and have relatively high permissable dust levels (55). The OSHA TWA allowable total dust level for aluminum oxide, siUcon carbide, boron carbide, ceria, and other nuisance dusts is 10 mg/m. SiUca, in contrast, is quite toxic as a respkable dust for cristobaUte [14464-46-1] and tridymite [15468-32-3] the allowable TWA level drops to 0.05 mg/m and the TWA for quartz [14808-60-7] is set at 0.1 mg/m. Any abrasive that contains free siUca in excess of 1% should be treated as a potential health hazard if it is in the form of respkable dust. Dust masks are requked for those exposed to such materials (see Industrial hygene). 

Exposure limits for siHcon carbide and powders of zirconium compounds (including zirconium dioxide) have been estabHshed by ACGIH. TLV—TWA s are 10 mg/m and 5 mg/m, respectively. OSHA guidelines for zirconium compounds call for a PEL of 5 mg/m. There are no exposure limits for siHcon nitride powder, but pmdent practice suggests a TLV—TWA of 0.1 mg/m. The soHd ceramics present no apparent health hazard. In machining such ceramics, however, care should be taken to prevent inhalation of respirable particles in amounts in excess of estabHshed limits. Disposal should be in approved landfills the materials are inert and should pose no danger to the environment. 

Exposure to PTFE can arise from ingestion, skin contact, or inhalation. The polymer has no irritating effect to the skin, and test animals fed with the sintered polymer have not shown adverse reactions. Dust generated by grinding the resin also has no effect on test animals. Formation of toxic products is unlikely. Only the heated polymer is a source of a possible health hazard (120). 

Lipoproteins may denature on heating and if present during pasteurization can result in the formation of haze or turbidity in the final product. This material was removed traditionally by filtration through asbestos (qv) sheets (6) however, health hazards associated with asbestos have led to its replacement by alternative filter materials (23,37,193). These media have been less effective than asbestos and further measures have been required to ensure the visual clarity of albumin products, eg, further filtration developments for Hpid removal (194), preferential denaturation of contaminants using in-process heat treatment, and anion-exchange chromatography (49). 

W. A. Burgess, Recognition of Health Hazards in Industry, Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1981. 

S. Lipton and J. Lynch, Handbook of Health Hazard Control in the Chemical Process lndustry, ]okm. Wiley Sons, Inc., New York, 1994. 

Health and Safety Factors. Handling of cyanoacetic acid and cyanoacetates do not present any specific danger or health hazard if handled with the usual precautions. Cyanoacetic acid is classified as a moderate irritant (skin irritation, rabbits) and has an LD q (oral, rats) of 1500 mg/kg. Methyl and ethyl cyanoacetate are both classified as slight irritants (skin irritation, rabbits) and have an LD q (oral, rats) of 3062 and 2820 mg/kg, respectively. Transport classification cyanoacetic acid RID/ADR 8 IMDG-Code 8 lATA/ICAO 6.1. Methyl and ethyl cyanoacetate RID/ADR 6.1 IMDG-Code 6.1 lATA/ICAO 6.1. 

This can be a dangerous procedure due to the potential growth of food poisoning bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus (31). This method of inoculation requites a very strict condition to assure the absence of not only bacteria associated with a health hazard but also those associated with product failure (proteolytic, greening, and gas-forming microorganisms). 

Methanol does not pose an undue toxicity hazard if handled in weU-ventilated areas, and is rated as a slight health hazard by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The TLV is 200 ppm with a STEL of 250 ppm, and the limit which is immediately dangerous to Hfe and health is 25,000 ppm. Accidental ingestion is immediately treated by inducing vomiting, followed by adrninistration of sodium bicarbonate. Rinsing with water is effective in treating external exposure. 

LLDPE can present a certain health hazard when it bums, since smoke, fumes, and toxic decomposition products are sometimes formed in the process. Exposure to burning LLDPE can cause irritation of the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes of the nose and throat due to the presence of acrolein and formaldehyde (81). Toxicity of LLDPE pyrolysis products depends on temperature, heating rate, and the sample size (82—84). 

Properties of other higher a-olefins and those of some commercially significant cycloolefins are given in Table 2. These monomers are fiquids at ambient temperature and pressure. They are highly combustible and can form explosive mixtures with air. The primary health hazards presented by these monomers are associated with inhalation or prolonged skin contact that can cause irritation. 

Polymers and higher a-olefins are not toxic their main potential health hazards are associated with residual monomer, antioxidants, and catalyst residues. 

In particular, PB and PMP are inert materials and usually present no health hazard. PMP is employed extensively for a number of medical and food packaging appHcations. Several grades conform to FDA regulations and to the health standards of other countries. Flammability of polyolefin resins is equal to that of PP, around 2.5 cm /min (ASTM D635). However, during combustion or pyrolysis, smoke, fumes, and toxic decomposition products are formed and can pose a health hazard. 

Mineral spirits, a type of petroleum distillate popular for use in solvent-based house paints, consist mainly of aUphatic hydrocarbons with a trace of aromatics. This type of solvent finds use in oil- and alkyd-based house paints because of its good solvency with typical house paint binders and its relatively slow evaporation rate which imparts good bmshabiUty, open-time, and leveling. Other properties include lower odor, relatively lower cost, as well as safety and health hazard characteristics comparable to most other organic solvents. 

On the basis of these differences in species response it was concluded that phthalates do not pose a significant health hazard to humans. This view is home out by the EU Commission decision of July 25, 1990 which states that DEHP shall not be classified or labeled as a carcinogenic or an irritant substance (42). This has been reaffirmed in a comprehensive review (43) which concludes that "peroxisome proliferators constitute a discrete class of nongenotoxic rodent hepatocarcinogens and that the relevance of thek hepatocarcinogenic effects for human hazard assessment is considered to be negligible."... 

A brief summary of safety and health hazards follows detailed health hazards, however, should be obtained from producers by requesting Material Safety Data Sheets. Proper protective equipment and exposure hazards should be noted before handling any alkan olamine. Detailed toxicological testing is found in the CTEA Chemical Ingredient Review Board Reports on ethanolamines and isopropanolamines (24). 

There is a health benefit associated with hindering hydrogen bonding. Alkylphenols as a class are generally regarded as corrosive health hazards, but this corrosivity is eliminated when the hydroxyl group is flanked by bulky substituents in the ortho positions. In fact, hindered phenols as a class of compounds are utilized as antioxidants in plastics with FDA approval for indirect food contact. 

Threshold limit values (TLV) adopted by the ACGIH are guidelines for the control of health hazards. Table 3 shows the eight-hour TWA and the STEL TLV values for those lower alkylamiaes Hsted ia the ACGIH guideliae (18). 

Use of isopropyl alcohol in industrial appHcations does not present a health hazard. The alcohol produces anesthetic effects in high vapor concentration. Consequently, the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) and the ACGIH threshold limit value (TLV) have been estabUshed at 400 ppm (0.098 mg/L) for an 8-h exposure (TWA) (138). This level causes a mild irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat (139). However, the TLV level does not produce symptoms of anesthesia (140). The OSHA and ACGIH short-term exposure limits (STELs) are 500 ppm. The odor threshold for isopropyl alcohol ranges from 3 to 200 ppm, which is the minimum concentration having identifiable odor (141). 

Inhalation of certain fine dusts may constitute a health hazard. Eor example, exposure to siUca, asbestos, and beryllium oxide dusts over a period of time results ki the potential risk of lung disease. OSHA regulations specify the allowable levels of exposure to kigestible and respkable materials. Material Safety Data Sheets, OSHA form 20, available from manufacturers, provide information about hazards, precautions, and storage pertinent to specific refractory products. 

The NRC has developed special procedures for the handling, transportation, and storage of nuclear fuel because radioactivity can be a health hazard if not properly shielded. Spent fuel is typically transported by rail or tmck in heavily shielded (Type B), sealed, thick metal shipping containers designed to withstand possible accidents, such as derailments or coHisions, which may occur during transport. The NRC certifies that each shipping container meets federal requirements. The U.S. Department of Transportation sets the rules for transportation. 

U.S. Dept, of Health, Education and Welfare, Health Hazard Evaluation Report 71 —72, NIOSH, Washington, D.C., July 1973. 

The principal health hazard that may be associated with shicon and shicon alloys is caused by the crystalline form of the oxide, ie, quartz, used as a raw material. Shica ia its crystalline form is the chief cause of disabling pulmonary fibrosis, such as shicosis. Over a period of years, the breathing of air containing excessive amounts of crystalline shica can cause shortness of breath (30). 

---