Chemical safety

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Chemicals as elements, compounds, mixtures, solutions and emulsions are very widely used and transported in the modern industrial society. Of necessity, they are also used in schools, universities and other training facilities to educate pupils in their safe use and handling and also are commonly used in domestic situations for cleaning, gardening and DIY. However, there are chemicals that should not mix or get in contact with others, as they can produce byproducts that may be toxic, carcinogenic, explosive etc, or can be dangerous themselves. To avoid disasters and mishaps, maintaining safety is considered paramount, especially by chemists.

Contents

Chemical safety includes all those policies, procedures and practices designed to minimise the risk of exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals. This includes the risks of exposure to persons handling the chemicals, to the surrounding environment, and to the communities and ecosystems within that environment. [1]

The hazardous nature of many chemicals may be increased when mixed with other chemicals, heated or handled inappropriately. In a chemically safe environment, users are able to take appropriate actions in case of accidents [2] although many incidents of exposure to chemical hazards occur outside of a controlled environments such as manufacturing plants or laboratories.

It is estimated that 1.6 million human deaths occur each year from contact with hazardous chemicals. [1] and that in 2016, 45 million disability-adjusted life-years were lost, a significant increase from 2012. [3]

Risks and hazards

Chemicals in use in industry and research have a range of properties which cause them to be hazardous to life. These include explosiveness, flammability, toxicity, carcinogenicity and teratogenicity. They may also emit radiation and they may exist at high or low temperatures generating a risk or burning or freezing. Substances such as strong alkalis and strong acids can cause chemical burning. Any one chemical or mixture may exhibit several of these properties.

Toxic materials may be solids in powdered or finely divided form, liquids or gases and any of these materials may all be absorbed by inhalation, directly through the skin of by contact with mucous membranes in the nose or eyes. Some chemicals may persist in the body for substantial periods and can continue to exhibit toxicity. Examples of such materials include mercury, arsenic, dioxins and many organic solvents which can be stored in fat cells.

Environmental risks may be difficult to evaluate and may take years to become apparent. The risk to the Earth's ozone layer from the release of CFCs required the investigative powers of scientists throughout the world to understand fully. Science is still working out the seriousness of the effects of persistent halogenated organics on the marine food chain with some of these chemicals becoming concentrated in the fatty deposits of top predators in concentrations that appear to effect their reproductive success.

Protocols, rules, procedures and standards

A chemically safe environment includes agreed standards and terminology, rules about handling use and transportation, protocols for managing reagents and products, and internationally accepted and standardised warning and information signage. From this are derived, standards related to personal protective equipment (PPE), containment and clean-up procedures, reporting of accidents and incidents and the collection and reporting on data about incidents where hazardous chemicals have cause risk to life, health or the environment.

Management and control

The management and control of chemical safety is widely developed through primary legislation and orders derived from such legislation in the western world and in Australasia. The implementation of such legislation follows a variety of patterns from the European model of detailed Directives and orders implemented through country specific legislation to the US model of wide ranging federal enactments with control divided between State legislations and Federal Government leading to some variation in applications within a standardised labelling framework. Examples from these areas are described below.

Europe

The Chemicals Agents Directive a daughter directive of Directive 89/391/EEC, provides the framework for managing chemical safety [4] The European Chemicals Agency is the responsible agency and specifically implements Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), sets the standards and ensures compliance across the European Union. The European Chemicals Agency sits under REACH and manages the technical and administrative aspects of the implementation of the Directive.

New Zealand

The administrative framework is based on Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017 [5] and is implemented and enforced by Worksafe, a government agency. Although this legislation is comprehensive in its coverage it does not extend beyond the workplace and imposes no duties or responsibilities in regard to hazardous materials in domestic or educational establishments.

UK

In the UK legislation to address chemical safety has been incorporated in many pieces of legislation from the early factories acts onwards. The current Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 provided an all encompassing piece of legislation which covered chemical safety amongst a wide range of other measures designed to improve the safety in the workplace in the UK [6]

Enforcement of chemical safety is the responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) [7] which implements relevant sections of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, formulates regulations, provides safety advice and guidance and investigates major chemical incidents such the Buncefield fire in 2005.

US

In the US, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board is responsible for investigating major chemical accidents and making recommendations to mitigate such events in the future. However relaxation in the Chemical disaster rule by the Trump administration may be implicated in a series of explosions, for example, the State of Texas [8]

Risk areas

Manufacturing

The manufacture and purification of chemicals can involve a range of reagents which may themselves be hazardous, and a range of products which equally may be hazardous. For example, in order to produce the herbicide 2,4,5-Trichlorophenol, chlorine, an acutely toxic gas, is reacted with phenol, a hazardous organic liquid. The output is typically a mixture of chlorinated organic compounds, only some of which are the desired product. In this example, contaminants can include 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin, a dioxin, one of the most toxic synthetic chemicals known which is both acutely and chronically toxic and teratogenic and whose use on one occasion led to the abandonment of the Times Beach, Missouri. This reaction was also the cause of the infamous Bhopal disaster during which the highly poisonous gas methyl isocyanate was released.

Laboratories

Laboratories in schools, university, research establishments and manufacturing typically store and handle a wide range of chemicals. Safety standards for such areas are high and most laboratories provide specific infrastructure to minimise risk including fume cupboards, impervious and inert work surfaces, emergency shower stations and strict policies on the wearing of appropriate PPE.

Domestic use

There are many hazardous chemicals in routine use in the domestic environment including cleaning agents such as bleach and caustic soda. Some modern cleaning formulations also contain sodium silicate and other highly alkaline components. Modern packaging into "pods" may increase the risk of misuse, particularly for small children. [9]

Waste disposal

Surplus hazardous materials often reach the waste stream , whether by being placed in the solid waste stream or being flushed away down sinks, basins or toilets. Although dilution may reduce the immediate risk, the long term environmental risk remains and can be made more serious as more hazardous materials are disposed of in the waste water stream. Disposal with solid waste poses risks to those handling the waste and may pose unexpected risks to uninformed members of the public. Some industrial waste chemical dumps have been known to spontaneously ignite, [10] years after the waste had been deposited. Aluminium dross processing can produce a flux-rich waste that evolves ammonia gas if wetted, and can also spontaneously ignite when stored in bulk. [11] [12] [13]

Common safety practices

PPE

Basic chemical safety practice includes wearing protective personal equipment such as safety goggles. Personal protective equipment is combination of safe work practices but alone does not provide sufficient protection from the risks posed by hazardous chemicals but it is an effective approach to minimize the risk of exposure in controlled environments. Safety googles are required when handling chemicals to prevent chemicals from getting into eyes. Wearing standard gloves, closed toed shoes, long trousers, and laboratory coats to protect the stomach, back and forearm is usually required in the laboratory with similar provisions for the workplace. [2] Regulation of use of PPE is very variable and varies by country. In some countries such as the US, standards may vary from state to state with some states imposing extra regulations to protect laboratory workers from risks. [14]

0-4 (stable-deadly) NFPA-704-NFPA-Diamonds-Sign-000.png
0-4 (stable-deadly)

Labelling

For most of the world, a standard set of illustrative pictograms have been adopted to indicate where hazards exists and the type of hazard present. [15] These pictograms are routinely displayed on containers, transport vehicles, safety advice and anywhere where the material occurs. These have been extended and standardised as the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals and are now used throughout much of the world.

In the US, an NFPA diamond is used to identify chemical hazards such as flammability, corrosivity, toxicity, and reactivity. This label is made up of four colour-coded fields: red(flammability), blue(health hazard), yellow(chemical reactivity), and white(special hazard). The numbering ranges from 0 to 4 (for colours except white), and 0 means that there is no potential hazard, whereas 4 indicates the chemical is extremely hazardous.

Transportation

In a number of countries, the Hazchem system is used whenever a potentially hazardous cargo is transported whether by road, rail, sea or air. The standardised HAZCHEM sign provides details of the material being transported, the nature of the hazard and the approved emergency response.

In the workplace, chemicals are classified using Safety data sheet(SDS) which are standardised document that includes workplace health, restrictions, emergency numbers, and other safety information. [16]

Physical and health hazards

Physical hazards of a chemical include its environmental persistence, its adverse health potential such as carcinogenicity, its flammability and reactivity. [17] Chemicals that affect health depend on its toxicity and hazard. Toxicity is the potential of a chemical to do harm, and hazard is the possibility that the chemical will cause harm under certain conditions. [17]

Accidents

Significant chemical incidents include the Thiokol-Woodbine explosion and the 2020 Beirut explosion involving a shipment of ammonium nitrate, a powerful explosive. The Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters, were accidents caused by a failures of safety policies and by inadequate safety planning [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hazardous waste</span> Ignitable, reactive, corrosive and/or toxic unwanted or unusable materials

Hazardous waste is waste that has substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment. Hazardous waste is a type of dangerous goods. They usually have one or more of the following hazardous traits:ignitability, reactivity, corrosivity, toxicity. Listed hazardous wastes are materials specifically listed by regulatory authorities as hazardous wastes which are from non-specific sources, specific sources, or discarded chemical products. Hazardous wastes may be found in different physical states such as gaseous, liquids, or solids. A hazardous waste is a special type of waste because it cannot be disposed of by common means like other by-products of our everyday lives. Depending on the physical state of the waste, treatment and solidification processes might be required.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemical waste</span> Waste made from harmful chemicals

Chemical waste is any excess, unusable or unwanted chemical, especially those that cause damage to human health or the environment. Chemical waste may be classified as hazardous waste, non-hazardous waste, universal waste and household hazardous waste. Hazardous waste is a material that displays one or more of four characteristics: ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity. This information, along with disposal requirements, is typically available on the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). Chemical waste that is radioactive, radioactive waste, requires special means of handling and disposal. Biohazardous waste, although often chemical, falls into four categories and is handled differently.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safety data sheet</span> Sheet listing work-related hazards

A safety data sheet (SDS), material safety data sheet (MSDS), or product safety data sheet (PSDS) is a document that lists information relating to occupational safety and health for the use of various substances and products. SDSs are a widely used system for cataloguing information on chemicals, chemical compounds, and chemical mixtures. SDS information may include instructions for the safe use and potential hazards associated with a particular material or product, along with spill-handling procedures. The older MSDS formats could vary from source to source within a country depending on national requirements; however, the newer SDS format is internationally standardized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemical hazard</span> Non-biological substance that has the potential to cause harm to life or health

A chemical hazard is a (non-biological) substance that has the potential to cause harm to life or health. Chemicals are widely used in the home and in many other places. Exposure to chemicals can cause acute or long-term detrimental health effects. There are many types of hazardous chemicals, including neurotoxins, immune agents, dermatologic agents, carcinogens, reproductive toxins, systemic toxins, asthmagens, pneumoconiotic agents, and sensitizers. In the workplace, exposure to chemical hazards is a type of occupational hazard. The use of protective personal equipment (PPE) may substantially reduce the risk of damage from contact with hazardous materials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Process safety management</span>

Process safety managementsystem is a regulation promulgated by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). A process is any activity or combination of activities including any use, storage, manufacturing, handling or the on-site movement of highly hazardous chemicals (HHCs) as defined by OSHA and the Environmental Protection Agency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dangerous goods</span> Solids, liquids, or gases harmful to people, other organisms, property or the environment

Dangerous goods, abbreviated DG, are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials. An example for dangerous goods is hazardous waste which is waste that has substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthropogenic hazard</span> Hazard caused by human action or inaction

Anthropogenic hazards are hazards caused by human action or inaction. They are contrasted with natural hazards. Anthropogenic hazards may adversely affect humans, other organisms, biomes, and ecosystems. They can even cause an omnicide. The frequency and severity of hazards are key elements in some risk analysis methodologies. Hazards may also be described in relation to the impact that they have. A hazard only exists if there is a pathway to exposure. As an example, the center of the earth consists of molten material at very high temperatures which would be a severe hazard if contact was made with the core. However, there is no feasible way of making contact with the core, therefore the center of the earth currently poses no hazard.

A chemical accident is the unintentional release of one or more chemical hazard substances which could harm human health and the environment. Such events include fires, explosions, leakages or release of toxic or hazardous materials that can cause people illness, injury, or disability. Chemical accident can be caused by natural disaster, or accidental human error, or deliberate move to cause chaos and destructions for personal gain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental hazard</span> Harmful substance, a condition or an event

An environmental hazard is a substance, state or event which has the potential to threaten the surrounding natural environment or adversely affect people's health, including pollution and natural disasters such as storms and earthquakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Chemicals Agency</span> Agency of the European Union

The European Chemicals Agency is an agency of the European Union which manages the technical and administrative aspects of the implementation of the European Union regulation called Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). ECHA is the driving force among regulatory authorities in implementing the EU's chemicals legislation. ECHA has to ascertain that companies comply with the legislation, advances the safe use of chemicals, provides information on chemicals and addresses chemicals of concern. It is located in Helsinki, Finland. ECHA is an independent and mature regulatory agency established by REACH. It is not a subsidiary entity of the European Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic waste</span> Discarded electronic devices

Electronic waste or e-waste describes discarded electrical or electronic devices. Used electronics which are destined for refurbishment, reuse, resale, salvage recycling through material recovery, or disposal are also considered e-waste. Informal processing of e-waste in developing countries can lead to adverse human health effects and environmental pollution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals</span> International standard managed by the United Nations

The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) is an internationally agreed-upon standard managed by the United Nations that was set up to replace the assortment of hazardous material classification and labelling schemes previously used around the world. Core elements of the GHS include standardized hazard testing criteria, universal warning pictograms, and harmonized safety data sheets which provide users of dangerous goods with a host of information. The system acts as a complement to the UN Numbered system of regulated hazardous material transport. Implementation is managed through the UN Secretariat. Although adoption has taken time, as of 2017, the system has been enacted to significant extents in most major countries of the world. This includes the European Union, which has implemented the United Nations' GHS into EU law as the CLP Regulation, and United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 is a United Kingdom Statutory Instrument which states general requirements imposed on employers to protect employees and other persons from the hazards of substances used at work by risk assessment, control of exposure, health surveillance and incident planning. There are also duties on employees to take care of their own exposure to hazardous substances and prohibitions on the import of certain substances into the European Economic Area. The regulations reenacted, with amendments, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Work Regulations 1999 and implement several European Union directives.

Right to know is a human right enshrined in law in several countries. UNESCO defines it as the right for people to "participate in an informed way in decisions that affect them, while also holding governments and others accountable". It pursues universal access to information as essential foundation of inclusive knowledge societies. It is often defined in the context of the right for people to know about their potential exposure to environmental conditions or substances that may cause illness or injury, but it can also refer more generally to freedom of information or informed consent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biomedical waste</span> Waste containing infectious material

Biomedical waste or hospital waste is any kind of waste containing infectious materials. It may also include waste associated with the generation of biomedical waste that visually appears to be of medical or laboratory origin, as well research laboratory waste containing biomolecules or organisms that are mainly restricted from environmental release. As detailed below, discarded sharps are considered biomedical waste whether they are contaminated or not, due to the possibility of being contaminated with blood and their propensity to cause injury when not properly contained and disposed. Biomedical waste is a type of biowaste.

Hazard statements form part of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). They are intended to form a set of standardized phrases about the hazards of chemical substances and mixtures that can be translated into different languages. As such, they serve the same purpose as the well-known R-phrases, which they are intended to replace.

A hazard is a potential source of harm. Substances, events, or circumstances can constitute hazards when their nature would allow them, even just theoretically, to cause damage to health, life, property, or any other interest of value. The probability of that harm being realized in a specific incident, combined with the magnitude of potential harm, make up its risk, a term often used synonymously in colloquial speech.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waste management law</span>

Waste management laws govern the transport, treatment, storage, and disposal of all manner of waste, including municipal solid waste, hazardous waste, and nuclear waste, among many other types. Waste laws are generally designed to minimize or eliminate the uncontrolled dispersal of waste materials into the environment in a manner that may cause ecological or biological harm, and include laws designed to reduce the generation of waste and promote or mandate waste recycling. Regulatory efforts include identifying and categorizing waste types and mandating transport, treatment, storage, and disposal practices.

Many laboratories contain significant risks, and the prevention of laboratory accidents requires great care and constant vigilance. Examples of risk factors include high voltages, high and low pressures and temperatures, corrosive and toxic chemicals and chemical vapours, radiation, fire, explosions, and biohazards including infective organisms and their toxins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemical storage</span>

Chemical storage is the storage of controlled substances or hazardous materials in chemical stores, chemical storage cabinets, or similar devices.

References

  1. 1 2 "Chemical Safety". World Health Organisation. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Appropriate Lab Attire". Environmental Health & Safety. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  3. ↑ "Public health impact of chemicals: knowns and unknowns". World Health Organization. 23 May 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  4. ↑ "Guidance for employers on controlling risks from chemicals - Interface between Chemicals Agents Directive and REACH at the workplace". European Agency for Heath and Safety at Work. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  5. ↑ "Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017". NZ Government. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  6. ↑ "Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974". HM Government. 1974. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  7. ↑ "Why Chemicals matter". HSE. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  8. ↑ "Refinery Plant Explosion in Texas Raises Questions About Chemical Safety Rules". npr. 27 November 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  9. ↑ "Detergent Pods Pose Risk to Children, Study Finds". New York Times. 10 November 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  10. ↑ "Self Heating and Spontaneous Combustion". South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service. 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  11. ↑ "ALUMINUM DROSS". Cameo chenicals. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  12. ↑ Mahinroosta, Mostafa; Allahverdi, Ali (26 Jun 2018). "Hazardous aluminum dross characterization and recycling strategies: A critical review". Journal of Environmental Management. 223 (223): 452–468. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.06.068. PMID   29957419. S2CID   49589263.
  13. ↑ "Fire in the hole- Aluminum Dross in Lanfills". Journal of Natural Resources & Environmental Law. pp. 159–174.
  14. ↑ "Laboratory Safety | NC DOL". www.labor.nc.gov. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  15. ↑ "Hazard pictograms (symbols)". HSE. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  16. ↑ "Chemical Safety Information | Office of Environmental Health and Safety". ehs.princeton.edu. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
  17. 1 2 "Chemical Safety Information | Office of Environmental Health and Safety". ehs.princeton.edu. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
  18. ↑ "NRC: Backgrounder on Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Accident". www.nrc.gov. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
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