1. Chemical Hazards

2. What is a Hazardous Chemical?
Chemicals that are flammable, explosive, toxic, corrosive or radioactive, combustion-supporting, etc., which will cause human injury, property loss or environmental pollution.

3. KNOW YOUR CHEMICALS

4. Physical Hazards Compressed Gases Flammables / Explosives Oxidizers
Corrosives (Acids & Bases)
The first thing to know about the chemicals you will be using is the physical properties. These physical properties can result in physical hazards. Generally speaking the physical hazards of chemicals can be summarized in these four categories.

5. Explosives
Explosive: substance capable of producing gas at temperature and, pressure and speed as to cause damage to the surroundings
Explain what an explosive is and give some examples of explosives. Generally not a concern for most factories.

6. Compressed Gas
Compressed gas cylinders are under extremely high pressure (up to 200 bar), and if the valve protection cap is not used, valves can shear or break if cylinders fall. This can lead to serious explosions and other damage related to the sudden release of pressurized gas. In some cases, it can cause destruction or damage of building materials such as concrete.
The following video shows the potential dangers of compressed gases. Compressed gas cylinders are under extremely high pressure (up to 200 bar), and if the valve protection cap is not used, valves can shear or break if cylinders fall. This can lead to serious explosions and other damage related to the sudden release of pressurized gas. In some cases, it can cause destruction or damage of building materials such as concrete.

7. Flammables Solid Liquids Gases and Vapors
readily combustible, or may cause or contribute to fire through friction
Liquids
liquid having a flash point of not more than 93 °C
Gases and Vapors
Have a flammable range while mixed in air
Explain what an flammable is and give some examples of flammables.
The flash point of a volatile material is the lowest temperature at which it can vaporize to form an ignitable mixture in air. Measuring a flash point requires an ignition source. At the flash point, the vapor may cease to burn when the source of ignition is removed.
Readily combustible solids are powdered, granular, or pasty substances which are dangerous if they can be easily ignited by brief contact with an ignition source, such as a burning match, and if the flame spreads rapidly.

8. Oxidizer
a substance that is not necessarily combustible, but may, generally by yielding oxygen, cause or contribute to the combustion of other material
Explain what an oxidizer is and give some examples of oxidizers.

9. Corrosive (Physical)
A substance or a mixture which by chemical action will damage materials (mostly refers to metals)
Examples of Corrosives
Hydrochloric Acid (HCL)
Caustic Soda
Explain what an corrosive is and give some examples of corrosives.

10. Health Hazards Corrosive irritant Sensitizer Carcinogen Toxic
Personnel should also understand how chemicals can impact human health. Generally, health hazards can be divided into five categories of hazards as listed here.

11. Routes of Exposure
How are people exposed to chemicals?

12. Corrosive
A corrosive chemical is one that causes visible destruction of or IRREVISBLE alterations in living tissue by chemical action at the site of contact
Examples of Corrosives
Acids (Hydrochloric Acid)
Bases (Caustic Soda)

13. Irritant
An irritant chemical is one which is not corrosive but which causes a REVERSIBLE inflammatory effect on living tissue by chemical action at the site of contact
Examples of Irritants
Solvents
Cigarette smoke

14. Sensitizer
A chemical which causes a substantial portion of exposed people to develop an allergic reaction in normal tissue after repeated exposure to the chemical. Often first exposure causes little or no reaction in man or test animals, but which on repeated exposure may cause a marked response not necessarily limited to the contact site. Skin sensitization is the most common form of sensitization in the industrial setting, although respiratory sensitization to a few chemicals is also know to occur.

15. Carcinogen
A carcinogen is a chemical that causes cancer in humans or has the potential to cause cancer (found causes cancer in laboratory animals)
Examples of Carcinogens
Benzene
Vinyl Chloride

16. Toxic Acute Toxicity Reproductive Toxicity Chronic Toxicity
Toxic effects can be divided into a variety of types. Including acute, reproductive, and chronic toxicity.

17. Acute Hazards
ACUTE EFFECTS USUALLY OCCUR RAPIDLY AS A RESULT OF “SHORT TERM” EXPOSURE AND ARE OF SHORT DURATION
Examples of Acute effects
Nausea
Vomiting
Dizziness

18. Organic Solvents
Many solvents can lead to a sudden loss of consciousness if inhaled in large amounts
Other narcosis effect on brain include dizziness, nausea, sleepiness
Some solvents are toxic to bone marrow, kidney, liver, and nervous system
Allergy to eye, nose, throat and lung
Dermatitis
Benzene can cause cancer (leukemia)
Examples of health effects due to exposure to organic solvents

19. Chronic Hazards CHRONIC EFFECTS GENERALLY OCCUR AS A RESULT OF
“LONG TERM” EXPOSURE AND ARE OF A LONG DURATION
Examples of Chronic effects
Cancer
Organ damage
Damage to reproductive system

20. Environmental Hazards
Acute aquatic toxicity
Potential or actual bio-accumulation
Degradation of organic chemicals
Chronic aquatic toxicity
Discuss the environmental hazards of chemicals.

21. Environmental Risks of Hazardous Chemicals
Waste or discarded chemicals can impact air, water and soil in the communities where we live and operate
Crops
Food
Soil Pollution
Aquatic Organisms
Water

22. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4
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