Physical Hazards Associated with Chemicals

Process technicians who transport, store, and handle chemicals must understand the systems, equipment, and technology they are working with the physical hazards associated with chemicals in their facility the health hazards associated with chemicals in their facility chemical routes of entry into the human body use of the material safety data sheets and proper usage of labeling, signs, and tags. 

Chemists must become familiar with several fields. For example, the ultimate objective of those working on assessing toxic hazards associated with chemicals, which must be to provide a sound body of knowledge underpinned by validated theory, is still some way off (Richardson, 1986). Assessing the probability that a chemical will be toxic to humans is a complex task. In order to make the correct diagnosis in a particular instance, one would need to be an expert in methods of chemical analysis for tiny concentrations, the physical chemistry of the relevant environment, and the pharmacology and toxicology of the substance. 

Human activities are associated with the use and disposal of a variety of chemicals and chemical products. This is the situation for a householder, a laboratory student, and also the industry worker. Many materials have properties that make them hazardous. They can create physical (fire, explosion) or health hazards (toxicity, chemical bums). However, there are many ways to work with chemicals which can both reduce the probability of an accident and reduce the consequences should an accident occur. Risk minimization depends on safe practices, appropriate engineering controls for chemical containment, the proper use of personnel protective equipment, use of the least amount of material necessary, and substitution of a less-hazardous chemical for a more hazardous one. Before beginning any chemical processing or operation, ask What would happen if. .. The answer to this question requires understanding of the hazards associated with chemicals, the equipment, and the procedure involved. The hazardous properties of the material and its intended use will dictate the precautions to be taken. 

When selecting the type and manufacture of the PPE, the purchaser should understand the functions being preformed by the responder and the chemical and physical hazards associated with the operation. They must also know how the operation and chemical will effect the degradation of the suit, gloves, and boots and the tactility and dexterity needed by the responder. Especially when Levels A and B equipment is in use, it is important not to overlook nonchemical hazards, such as heat stress, cold stress, slip, trip and falls, moving equipment, and lifting. 

The physical and health hazards associated with chemicals should be determined before working with them This determination may involve consulting literature references. Laboratory Chemical Safety Summaries (LCSSs), Matmal Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs), or other reference materials (see also Chapter 3, section 3.B) and may require discussions with the laboratory supervisor and consultants such as safety and industrial hygiene officers. Every step of the waste minimization and removal processes should be checked against federal, state, and local regulations. Production of mixed chemical-radioactive-biological waste (see Chapter 7, section 7.C.1.3) should not be considered without discussions with environmental health and safety experts. 

The OSHA HCS (29 CFR 1910.1200) requires employers to provide employees information and training on hazardous chemicals used in their work areas. Employers must conduct training at the time of their initial assignment and upon the introduction of a new hazardous substance. Training must address the methods and observations used to detect the presence or release of the chemical. It must also address physical and health hazards, protective measures, labeling, and an explanation of the SDS. Employers must inform employees of the hazards of nonroutine tasks and the hazards associated with chemicals in unlabeled pipes (Table 7.11). 

The hazards associated with any faciUty which produces or uses chemicals can be quite numerous, perhaps ia the hundreds or thousands for larger facihties. These hazards are the result of the physical properties of the materials, the operating conditions, the procedures, or the design, to name a few. Most of the hazards are continually present ia a faciUty. 

What do we mean when we speak of an inherently safer chemical process Inherent has been defined as existing in something as a permanent and inseparable element, quality, or attribute (American College Dictionary, 1967). A chemical manufacturing process is inherently safer if it reduces or eliminates the hazards associated with materials and operations used in the process, and this reduction or elimination is permanent and inseparable. To appreciate this definition fully, it is essential to understand the precise meaning of the word hazard. A hazard is defined as a physical or chemical characteristic that has the potential for causing harm to people, the environment, or property (adapted from CCPS, 1992). The key to this definition is that the hazard is intrinsic to the material, or to its conditions of storage or use. Some specific examples of hazards include ... 

DOE sites not only are subject to radiological hazards, but also have the typical physical, chemical, and biological hazards associated with other sites. Although your site may seem unlikely to have radiological hazards, they can be found in more places than you might believe. Eor example, if your site manufactures chemicals or other items, or generates electricity, it likely has some form of radiological hazards. 

Each hazard is analyzed and documented as specifically as possible in this section. Specific job tasks and hazards associated with those tasks should also be included. If analytical information is available for site contaminants, it should be included. These typical hazards may also include physical, chemical, biological, and radiological, as discussed in the next sections. 

The industrial hygienist or safety professional must interpret the physical and toxicological properties to determine the hazards associated with a chemical. These properties are also used to develop a strategy for the proper control and handling of these chemicals. 

A list of 400 toxic substances may be found in the Federal Register, Volume 40, No. 23072, May 28, 1975. An abbreviated list may be obtained from Inorganic Syntheses, Vol. 18, p. xv, 1978. A current assessment of the hazards associated with a particular chemical is available in the most recent edition of Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents in the Workroom Environment published by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. 

Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200). The hazard communication standard requires that all personnel receive training concerning the types of materials handled in the workplace and the potential hazards associated with handling and use of these materials. In addition, the standard requires that a MSDS for each hazardous material be made available for individual employee reference. The MSDS outlines specific material chemical and physical properties, exposure information, emergency response information, regulatory information, and any other information of significance concerning the material. 

Uranium is unusual among the elements because it is both a chemical and a radioactive material. The hazards associated with uranium are dependent upon uranium s chemical and physical form, route of intake, and level of enrichment. The chemical form of uranium determines its solubility and, thus. 

The intrinsic chemical and physical hazards, together with any maximum exposure limits (MELs) or occupational exposure standards (OESs), where appropriate. All chemical manufacturers provide data sheets listing the hazards associated with particular chemical compounds. 

An emergency response plan should be developed in order to delineate how a facility responds to an emergency. The first aspect of the plan is an inventory of the chemical, physical, and biological hazards associated with the facility. The list could include the storage, use, or transportation of hazardous materials, hazardous wastes, and hazardous substances. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration... 

Selection criteria include toxicology, physical/chemical characteristics, and environmental fate information. These data are used to evaluate individual chemicals and estimate the degree of hazard associated with each site. For nonpoint source contamination from pesticide application, rating values include the amount of chemical applied. Final ranking is based on well logs, hydrogeology, and other data derived from on-site reconnaissance. 

This handbook is designed for people who have to find data quickly in emergency situations. Data are provided in the form of MSDSs including chemical name and synonyms. DOT hazard class andguide number, physical description, chemical properties, health hazards, first aid procedures, and hazards associated with fire, reactivity, corrosivity, and radioactivity. 

To establish that a new element has been discovered, a sample of the element must be isolated in pure form and subjected to various chemical and physical tests. If the tests indicate properties unknown in any other element, it is a reasonable conclusion that a new element has been discovered. Sometimes there are hazards associated with isolating a substance whose properties are unknown. The new element could be toxic, or so reactive that it can explode, or extremely radioactive. During the course of history, attempts to isolate new elements or compounds have resulted in more than just a few deaths. 

Chemical manufacturers and importers are responsible for reporting the known hazards of the chemicals they produce, including hazards associated with health, physical properties, and reactivity. This information is provided in the form of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) and labeling. The information must be made available to employees of the warehouse. 

Physico-chemical hazards are those dictated directly by the chemistry or physical properties of the chemical These include explosivity (the potential to evolve highly reactive gases, with the evolution of heat, which can cause an explosion), oxidizing ability (the potential to react exothermally in contact with otha substances, particularly flammable substances) and flammability (the capability to ignite and bum). These hazards are categorised in terms of defined criteria by various regulatory bodies (for example, the EC). Radioactivity is a very unique hazard associated with molecules possessing a special electronic structure. 

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