Physical hazard

The hazards considered in this chapter are those associated with changes in phase of cryogenic fluids, and with interactions between the fluids and their environments. 

Physical hazards refer to a chemical s physical properties, and mean that a material can easily burn, explode, or react violently when it comes in contact with another substance. 

Self-heating Organic peroxide Corrosive to metal Gas under pressure 

Emits flammable gas when in contact with water 

Physical hazards include excessive levels of nonionizing and ionizing radiation, noise, vibration, and extremes of temperature and pressure. Any of these have or can have serious adverse effects upon your workforce. You should identify any of these that exist in your work environment and that present a risk to your employees. 

Physical hazards are defined as the types of hazards that can cause harm to a woiker from an external source. Types of physical hazards are loud noise (equipment), temperature extremes (working in personal protective equipment), radiation (exposures to the infrared or gamma rays), chemical bum (acids or caustics), fire, and explosions. Other physical hazards include, but are not limited to, slips and falls, exposed machinery because of improper guarding, live electrical circuits or conductors, equipment moving about on site, confined spaces, and falling objects. 

Noise is a serious hazard when it resnlts in temporary or permanent hearing loss, physical or mental disturbance, any interference with voice conununications, or the disruption of a job, rest, relaxation, or sleep. Noise is any undesired sound and is usually a sound with varying intensity that 

Cold stress occurs when temperatures go down the body maintains its temperature by reducing blood flow to the skin. This causes a maiked decrease in skin temperature. The most severe effect is on the extranities (fingers, toes, earlobes, and nose). When hands and fingers become cold, they become numb and insensitive, and there is an increased possibility of accidents. If the restriction of blood flow to the skin is not adequate to maintain temperature, then shivering occurs. If this is not adequate to warm the body, then a marked decrease in temperature (hypothermia) may occur. Workers who may be at ino-eased risk are 

Radiation is divided into two major categories, based on its effect on living tissue (1) ionizing and (2) nonionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation has the ability to change or destroy the atomic (chemical) 

any physical hazards including any unusual reactivity along with fire and explosion hazards  

any health hazards along with symptoms of overexposure  

the OSHA PEL values and ACGIH TLV values, along with any other recommended exposure limits  

any suggested safe handling or control measures that might used with the chemical  

the date of the latest revision of the MSDS along with the name, address, and telephone number of person responsible for the MSDS. 

Safety hazards related to the physical characteristics of a chemical can be defined in terms of testing requirements, such as ignitability however, health hazard definitions are less precise and more subjective. There have been many attempts to categorize effects and to define them in various ways. Generally, the terms acute and chronic are used to delineate between effects on the basis of severity or duration. Acute effects occur rapidly as a result of short-term exposures. Chronic effects occur as a result of long-term exposures. 

Physical hazards include noise, vibration, extremes of temperature, compressed gases, combustible and flammable chemicals, pyrophorics, explosives, oxidizers, and reactive materials. Process employees are exposed to physical hazards on a daily basis because they woric outside on the unit among pipes containing compressed gases, fluids under high temperatures, and flammable and explosive chemicals. Examples of some these hazards on a process unit might include  

Any chemical that has a physical hazard as defined in the following pages constitutes an OSHA defined hazardous chemical. The hazards of noise and vibration are discussed in greater detail in a later chapter. 

A combustible liquid is any liquid having a flash point at or above 100°F (37.8°C) but below 200°F (93.3°C). The exception to the preceding sentence is any mixture having components with flash points of 200°F (93.3°C), or higher, the total volume of which make up 99 percent or more of the total volume of the mixture. 

An explosive is a chemical that causes a sudden, almost instantaneous release of pressure, gas, and heat when subjected to sudden shock, pressure, or high temperature. 

Explosive materials, regulated under Article 77 Compressed gases, regulated under Article 80 and Article 74 Flammable and combustible liquids, regulated under Article 79 Flammable solids Organic peroxides Oxidizers 

Pyrophoric materials Unstable (reactive) materials Water-reactive materials 

Cryogenic fluids, regulated under Article 80 and Article 75 

Materials with a primary classification as a physical hazard may also present a health hazard, and materials with a primary classification as a health hazard may also present a physical hazard. All of the hazards must be addressed by the facility design (see UFC Section 8001.1.3). 

Hazardous Production Material (HPM) is a solid, liquid or gas that has a degree-of-hazard rating in health, flammability or reactivity of Class 3 or 4 as ranked by UFC Standard No. 79-3, and which is used directly in research, laboratory or production processes which have as their end-product materials which are not hazardous. 

Description of hazard. Water plant operators and associated maintenance staff are frequently asked to work on electrical switchboards, panel boards, and motor control panels that are energized. In order to perform such work, an arc flash analysis must be done to determine the arc flash boundary and level of personal profecfive equipment (PPE) required to protect workers from potential exposure to an arc flash. 

Common controls. Electrical safety training for these workers is usually included in most basic safety training. Based on new standards, additional training is needed on the following topics  

OSHA regulations 1910.302-308 and 1910.331-335 require fhat all non-dwelling facilities have an arc flash hazard analysis done to determine the presence of a flash hazard, the arc flash boundary, and the level of PPE required. 

The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) 70E regulations provide a roadmap to meeting the latest workplace arc flash protection requirements and meeting the OSHA standards. 

Description of hazard. Water plant operators and associated maintenance staff are exposed to possible death or injury when entering what is considered a confined space. Examples of confined spaces in the water industry are storage tanks, tunnels, vaults, meter pits, excavations, and process basins. These spaces are large enough for a worker to enter, have restricted means of enfry or exit, and may present hazards related to atmospheric conditions, engulfment, configuration, or any other recognized serious safety hazard. 

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As discussed in Chapter 2, The Toller Selection Process, evaluating the site s safe work practice procedures should have been a part of the review during the toller selection process. Still, new materials may indicate a need to revise or develop special procedures to address unique chemical and physical hazards. New hazards such as vacuum, ciyogenics, ultra-high pressure, or new rotating equipment could be introduced. Medical monitoring requirements or special handling and spill response procedures for the toll s raw materials and products may indicate a need to write or revise safe work practices. 

Any chemical which presents a physical hazard or a health hazard to employees. 

You should always anticipate hazards such as sharp objects like nails, broken glass, and medical needles slippery surfaces steep grades and potentially unstable surfaces such as walls, floors, or roofs that could cause falls, give way, or collapse. Other common physical hazards include ... 

In most cases, physical hazards are easy to identify. Let s consider housekeeping items. These items can contribute to slip, trip, and fall hazards. Most people are comfortable in observing and fixing these types of hazards, especially after an accident occurs. After all, you can easily see these types of hazards. The accident occurrence is also easy to envision. 

Harmful dust that could accumulate or become airborne causing inhalation or physical hazards... 

Is PPE selected and used to protect employees from the hazards and potential hazards they are likely to encounter as identified during the site characterization and analysis (including physical hazards such as heat stress, ionizing radiation, and noise) ... 

Among the major potential hazards affecting working environment are chemical (airborne contaminants), biological, and physical hazards,. ir contaminants are commonly classified as either particulate contaminants or gas and vapor contaminants. Common particulate contaminants include dusts, fumes, mists, aerosols, and fibers. 

Physical hazards, including potenUal for fire, explosion, and reactivity ... 

Compressed gases, therefore, present a unique hazard from their potential physical and chemical dangers. Unless cylinders are secured they may topple over, cause injury to operators, become damaged themselves and cause contents to leak. If the regulator shears off, the cylinder may rocket like a projectile or torpedo dangerously around the workplace. Other physical hazards stem from the high pressure of a cylinder s contents, e.g. accidental application of a compressed gas/air hose or jet onto an open cut or wound, whereby the gas can enter the tissue or bloodstream, is particularly dangerous. 

Physical hazard metrics are closely associated with hazards that are famihar to most chemists because they often involve spectacular, rapid and destructive events (see Table 2.2). 

Class of physical hazard Assessment metric Measurement metric... 

The final steps in the hazardous waste identification process determine whether a waste poses a sufficient chemical or physical hazard to merit regulation. These steps in the hazardous waste identification process involve evaluating the waste in light of the regulatory definition of hazardous waste. The remainder of this chapter explains the definition, characteristics, and properties of hazardous wastes. 

Construct roadways to provide ease of access and a sound roadbed for heavy equipment and vehicles Arrange traffic flow patterns to ensure safe and efficient operations Eliminate physical hazards from the work area as much as possible, including ... 

A mixture of flake potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide was added to a reaction mixture without the agitator running. When this was started the batch erupted, owing to the sudden solution exotherm. Although this is a physical hazard rather than a chemical hazard, similar incidents have occurred frequently. 

The evaluation phase determines the extent and degree of employee exposure to toxicants and physical hazards in the workplace environment. 

Physical Hazards A variety of physical hazards are presented by the various inerts in common usage. 

Understand the hazardous properties of the materials to be stored and handled (Flammability, Reactivity, Toxicity, Other Hazards), as well as the physical hazards associated with the expected process design. 

Petroleum and chemical related hazards can arise from the presence of combustible or toxic liquids, gases, mist, or dust in the work environment. Common physical hazards include ambient heat, bums, noise, vibration, sudden pressure changes, radiation, and electric shock. Various external sources, such as chemical, biological, or physical hazards, can cause work related injuries or fatalities. Although all of these hazards are of concern this book primarily concentrates on fire and explosions hazards that can cause catastrophic events. 

Standard colors have been adopted in the industrial world for the identification of physical hazards, marking of safety equipment, and operating modes of typical equipment. These conventions have been incorporated into standards used worldwide for the recognition of such devices and are categorized by the following color coding. 

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... 

The fourth question to be addressed is whether any hazardous materials or dangerous goods are stored or handled at your facility. This would include materials for which material safety data sheets (MSDSs) are required. In the U.S., MSDSs are required for each chemical posing either a health hazard or a "physical hazard."... 

Physical hazard" is defined by the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (OSHA1994) as an element, chem-... 

A Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion, or BLEVE, is an industrial event related to the laboratory bump occasioned when the inadequately mixed bottom of a vessel of liquid becomes superheated, then explosively boils. In the industrial version, rupture of a pressurised container is usually involved. Although strictly speaking a non-reactive physical hazard, chemical fires and explosions, with fatalities, often follow. Means of estimating risk and prevention, with a fist of incidents are given[l], A more ferocious version, the Boiling Liquid Compressed Bubble... 

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