Health hazards categories

Table 10.1 Health hazard categories and their corresponding health effects.

There are three major categories of filth and extraneous material that constitute contamination potentially hazardous, indicators of insanitation, and aesthetic defects (Zimmerman et al., 2003). Potentially hazardous material includes physical hazards such as hard or sharp objects, chemical hazards such as mites that can cause allergic reactions (Olsen, 1998), or insects that may carry food-borne diseases. Even if insects do not present a health hazard, the presence of insects as foreign matter in food is considered an indication of unsanitary conditions (Zimmerman et al., 2003). The presence of unsanitary conditions can be indicated by the presence of live or dead insects and by intact insects, fragments of insects, or insect products such as... 

There are three main categories of hazards namely, fire and explosion hazards, health hazards and environmental hazards. Different evaluation methods exist for each category. Not being experts in every evaluation method, the authors will refer only to the evaluation methods which are generally used. Evaluation methods according to the U.N. classification system, which covers a wide range of hazardous materials, are explained. 

What is an OSHA Hazardous Chemical Under HCS, each manufacturer or importer had to determine the hazards of the chemicals it manufactured or imported. These were broken down into many different physical and health hazards. If a substance possessed any of these properties, it was, by definition, a hazardous chemical and therefore had to have an MSDS created for it, listing certain properties and hazards in a loosely specified form. Even if, after testing, it was determined that the chemical did not fall into any of these 23 categories but was listed in certain other references, the standard said that it was also hazardous, by definition. 

The final section of the health assessment should address conclusions about the site and the health threat it poses. The first conclusion should be a statement about the site s level of public health hazard. The assessor should assign one of the five public health categories ... 

Category A - Urgent Public Health Hazard This category is used for sites that pose an urgent public health hazard as the result of short-term exposures to hazardous substances. 

Rosenkranz HS, Cunningham AR. Chemical categories for health hazard identification A feasibility study. Regul Toxicol Pharm 2001 33 313-18. 

ERA considers it a health hazard if a particular chemical gas has a ground-level concentration (GLC) greater than 1 x 10 g/m. An explosion in a chemical plant releases 1000 kg of this gas as a puff from ground level conditions. A residential community is located 4000 m downwind and 1000 m crosswind Ifom the source of the explosion. If the wind speed is 6 m/s and the stability category is unstable, how much time do the residents have to evacuate the town ... 

Category D Organic solvents - represented by a transport system which is wholly and completely organic. The disposal solvents can contain solutes and thereby act as transport system for a host of hazardous constituents. This is particularly apparent for polar fluids such as kerosene, xylene, ethylene glycole, and isoparopol alcohol. Special equipment must be used to avoid health hazards from fumes. 

Hazard Class 6 materials are poisons that are solids and liqnids. Some of the hqnids are volatile and produce vapors, which are an inhalation hazard. Volatile poisons that are an inhalation hazard require the transport vehicle to be placarded regardless of the quantity. Class 6 is divided into two subclasses 6.1 and 6.2. The DOT defines a Class 6.1 poison as a material, other than a gas, known to be so toxic to humans as to afford a health hazard during transportation or which, in the absence of adequate data, is presumed to be toxic to humans because it falls within any one of the following categories when tested on laboratory animals. 

The Green Screen also references GHS hazard categories for specific human health effects. The GHS does not provide lists of chemicals, but rather develops threshold values for assigning a chemical to a hazard category. ... 

DOE O 5480.23 Nuclear Safety Analysis Reports For nuclear facilities only (Hazard Category 3 or above), requires preliminary and final hazard categorization and comprehensive hazard/safety analysis to support the conclusion that nuclear facility activities can be conducted without causing unacceptable health or safety impacts to workers, public, or environment. SAR prepared in accordance with DOE-STD-3009 or a BIO prepared in accordance with DOE-STD-3011. Annual updates to either SAR or BIO for those changes that affect the safety basis. Preliminary and final hazard categorization prepared in accordance with DOE-STD-1027. 

In this category, because these compounds are used outdoors, the expected health hazard will be not from volatile organic compounds (VOC), but mostly from the flammability of the material. 

There is no list of hazardous chemicals. Instead, OSHA has defined two categories of hazardous materials health hazards and physical hazards. If a material meets one of OSHA s definitions it is considered a hazardous chemical. 

OSHA issued its HAZCOM standard to address the assessment and communication of chemical hazards in the workplace. This standard has often been referred to as the worker s right to know standard. This standard is intended to help protect employee safety and health in work sites where chemicals are used or present. There is no list of hazardous chemicals. Instead, OSHA has defined two categories of hazardous materials health hazards and physical hazards. If a material meets one of OSHA s definitions, it is considered a hazardous chemical. Every company which uses hazardous chemicals, must have a written hazard communication program. This program must be available to employees, and be provided to OSHA upon request. The most important element of the entire right-to-know program is employee training and education. 

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