Uranium Hexafluoride Hazard Summary Identification
Common Name: URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE
CAS Number: 7783-81-5 DOT Number: UN 2977 (greater than 1% U-235) RTK Substance number: 1970 UN 2978 (low specific activity) Date: December 2001 ------
HAZARD SUMMARY * Uranium Hexafluoride emits radioactive particles which * Exposure to hazardous substances should be routinely can be breathed in, swallowed or can penetrate the skin. evaluated. This may include collecting personal and area * Uranium Hexafluoride is RADIOACTIVE. Ionizing air samples. You can obtain copies of sampling results radiation can cause mutations, cancer and/or reproductive from your employer. You have a legal right to this damage. information under OSHA 1910.1020. * Uranium Hexafluoride is a HIGHLY CORROSIVE * If you think you are experiencing any work-related health CHEMICAL and contact can severely irritate and burn the problems, see a doctor trained to recognize occupational skin and eyes with possible eye damage. diseases. Take this Fact Sheet with you. * Breathing Uranium Hexafluoride can irritate the nose, throat and lungs causing coughing, wheezing and/or WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS shortness of breath. The following exposure limits are for soluble Uranium * High exposure can cause nausea, vomiting, restlessness, compounds (measured as Uranium): nervousness and convulsions. * Uranium Hexafluoride may damage the kidneys. OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit * Uranium Hexafluoride is a REACTIVE CHEMICAL. (PEL) is 0.05 mg/m3 averaged over an 8-hour * Uranium Hexafluoride is a radioactive isotope and is workshift. regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is Refer to the NRC Standard 10 CFR 20. 0.05 mg/m3 averaged over a 10-hour workshift. * CONSULT THE NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF ACGIH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is HEALTH AND SENIOR SERVICES HAZARDOUS 0.2 mg/m3 averaged over an 8-hour workshift SUBSTANCE FACT SHEETS ON URANIUM AND and 0.6 mg/m3 as a STEL (short-term exposure FLUORINE. limit).
IDENTIFICATION * The above exposure limits are for air levels only. When Uranium Hexafluoride is a colorless or white sand-like solid. skin contact also occurs, you may be overexposed, even It is used in the production of Uranium and as nuclear fuel. though air levels are less than the limits listed above. * Exposure to radioactive materials is regulated by the NRC REASON FOR CITATION and OSHA. Refer to the NRC Standard 10 CFR 20 and * Uranium Hexafluoride is on the Hazardous Substance the OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.96. List because it is regulated by OSHA and cited by ACGIH, DOT and NIOSH. WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE * This chemical is on the Special Health Hazard Substance * Enclose operations and use local exhaust ventilation at the List because it is REACTIVE and CORROSIVE. site of chemical release. If local exhaust ventilation or * Definitions are provided on page 5. enclosure is not used, respirators should be worn. * A regulated, marked area should be established where HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING Uranium Hexafluoride is handled, used, or stored. EXPOSED * Wear protective work clothing. * Wash thoroughly immediately after exposure to Uranium The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most employers Hexafluoride and at the end of the workshift. to label chemicals in the workplace and requires public * Post hazard and warning information in the work area. In employers to provide their employees with information and training concerning chemical hazards and controls. The addition, as part of an ongoing education and training federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, 1910.1200, effort, communicate all information on the health and requires private employers to provide similar training and safety hazards of Uranium Hexafluoride to potentially information to their employees. exposed workers.
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This Fact Sheet is a summary source of information of all WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES potential and most severe health hazards that may result from exposure. Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance Unless a less toxic chemical can be substituted for a hazardous and other factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the substance, ENGINEERING CONTROLS are the most potential effects described below. effective way of reducing exposure. The best protection is to ------enclose operations and/or provide local exhaust ventilation at the site of chemical release. Isolating operations can also HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION reduce exposure. Using respirators or protective equipment is less effective than the controls mentioned above, but is Acute Health Effects sometimes necessary. The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur immediately or shortly after exposure to Uranium In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: Hexafluoride: (1) how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the substance is released into the workplace and (3) whether * Contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls with possible eye damage. should be in place for highly toxic chemicals or when * Breathing Uranium Hexafluoride can irritate the nose, significant skin, eye, or breathing exposures are possible. throat and lungs causing coughing, wheezing and/or shortness of breath. In addition, the following control is recommended:
* High exposure can cause nausea, vomiting, restlessness, * Where possible, automatically transfer Uranium nervousness and convulsions. Hexafluoride from drums or other storage containers to
Chronic Health Effects process containers.
The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at some time after exposure to Uranium Hexafluoride and can Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous last for months or years: exposures. The following work practices are recommended:
Cancer Hazard * Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by Uranium Hexafluoride should change into clean clothing * Because Uranium Hexafluoride gives off very dangerous promptly. radiation, it has the potential for causing cancer. * Do not take contaminated work clothes home. Family
Reproductive Hazard members could be exposed. * Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by * Because Uranium Hexafluoride gives off very dangerous individuals who have been informed of the hazards of radiation, it has the potential for causing reproductive exposure to Uranium Hexafluoride. damage in humans. * Eye wash fountains should be provided in the immediate
Other Long-Term Effects work area for emergency use. * If there is the possibility of skin exposure, emergency * Uranium Hexafluoride may damage the kidneys. shower facilities should be provided.
* On skin contact with Uranium Hexafluoride, immediately MEDICAL wash or shower to remove the chemical. At the end of the workshift, wash any areas of the body that may have Medical Testing contacted Uranium Hexafluoride, whether or not known If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the skin contact has occurred. following are recommended: * Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Uranium Hexafluoride is handled, processed, or stored, since the chemical can be * Kidney function tests. swallowed. Wash hands carefully before eating, drinking, applying cosmetics, smoking, or using the toilet. Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and * Use a vacuum or a wet method to reduce dust during clean- present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for up. DO NOT DRY SWEEP. damage already done are not a substitute for controlling * When vacuuming, a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) exposure. filter should be used, not a standard shop vacuum. * Employees exposed to ionizing radiation should be Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right provided with personal monitoring equipment such as film to this information under OSHA 1910.1020. badges or pocket dosimeters.
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PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT * Uranium Hexafluoride reacts vigorously with WATER and MOIST AIR to produce corrosive Hydrogen Fluoride WORKPLACE CONTROLS ARE BETTER THAN gas. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. However, for * Uranium Hexafluoride must be stored to avoid contact some jobs (such as outside work, confined space entry, jobs with FUELS; HYDROXYL COMPOUNDS; AROMATIC done only once in a while, or jobs done while workplace HYDROCARBONS; ALCOHOLS; and ETHERS since controls are being installed), personal protective equipment violent reactions occur. may be appropriate. * Store in tightly closed containers in a cool, well-ventilated area away from RUBBER, COATINGS, GLASS, OSHA 1910.132 requires employers to determine the CERAMICS and SILICON CONTAINING appropriate personal protective equipment for each hazard and SUBSTANCES. to train employees on how and when to use protective * Wherever Uranium Hexafluoride is used, handled, equipment. manufactured, or stored, use explosion-proof electrical equipment and fittings. The following recommendations are only guidelines and may not apply to every situation. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Clothing Q: If I have acute health effects, will I later get chronic * Avoid skin contact with Uranium Hexafluoride. Wear health effects? protective gloves and clothing. Safety equipment A: Not always. Most chronic (long-term) effects result from suppliers/manufacturers can provide recommendations on repeated exposures to a chemical. the most protective glove/clothing material for your
operation. Q: Can I get long-term effects without ever having short- * All protective clothing (suits, gloves, footwear, headgear) term effects? should be clean, available each day, and put on before work. A: Yes, because long-term effects can occur from repeated exposures to a chemical at levels not high enough to make you immediately sick. Eye Protection * Wear eye protection with side shields or goggles. Q: What are my chances of getting sick when I have been * Wear a face shield along with goggles when working with exposed to chemicals? corrosive, highly irritating or toxic substances. A: The likelihood of becoming sick from chemicals is increased as the amount of exposure increases. This is Respiratory Protection determined by the length of time and the amount of IMPROPER USE OF RESPIRATORS IS DANGEROUS. material to which someone is exposed. Such equipment should only be used if the employer has a written program that takes into account workplace conditions, Q: When are higher exposures more likely? requirements for worker training, respirator fit testing and A: Conditions which increase risk of exposure include dust medical exams, as described in OSHA 1910.134. releasing operations (grinding, mixing, blasting, dumping, * Where the potential exists for exposure over 0.05 mg/m3 etc.), other physical and mechanical processes (heating, (as Uranium), use a NIOSH approved supplied-air pouring, spraying, spills and evaporation from large respirator with a full facepiece operated in a pressure- surface areas such as open containers), and "confined demand or other positive-pressure mode. For increased space" exposures (working inside vats, reactors, boilers, protection use in combination with an auxiliary self- small rooms, etc.). contained breathing apparatus operated in a pressure- demand or other positive-pressure mode. Q: Is the risk of getting sick higher for workers than for * Exposure to 10 mg/m3 (as Uranium) is immediately community residents? dangerous to life and health. If the possibility of exposure A: Yes. Exposures in the community, except possibly in above 10 mg/m3 (as Uranium) exists, use a NIOSH cases of fires or spills, are usually much lower than those approved self-contained breathing apparatus with a full found in the workplace. However, people in the facepiece operated in a pressure-demand or other positive- community may be exposed to contaminated water as pressure mode. well as to chemicals in the air over long periods. This may be a problem for children or people who are already ill. HANDLING AND STORAGE Q: Can men as well as women be affected by chemicals that * Prior to working with Uranium Hexafluoride you should cause reproductive system damage? be trained on its proper handling and storage. A: Yes. Some chemicals reduce potency or fertility in both men and women. Some damage sperm and eggs, possibly leading to birth defects. URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE page 4 of 6
------Q: Who is at the greatest risk from reproductive hazards? The following information is available from: A: Pregnant women are at greatest risk from chemicals that harm the developing fetus. However, chemicals may New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services affect the ability to have children, so both men and Occupational Health Service women of childbearing age are at high risk. PO Box 360 Trenton, NJ 08625-0360 Q: What acute health effects will I get from radiation (609) 984-1863 exposure? (609) 292-5677 (fax) A: Exposure over a short period of time to high doses of ionizing radiation (500 rads) can cause severe tissue Web address: http://www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/odisweb/ necrosis and death. Industrial Hygiene Information Q: Can I get long-term effects without even having short- Industrial hygienists are available to answer your questions term effects? regarding the control of chemical exposures using exhaust A: Yes. The long-term effect of acute radiation exposure ventilation, special work practices, good housekeeping, good includes an increased risk of cancer. hygiene practices, and personal protective equipment including respirators. In addition, they can help to interpret the results of Q: What are my chances of getting sick when I have been industrial hygiene survey data. exposed to radioactive chemicals? A: The likelihood of becoming sick from radioactive Medical Evaluation chemicals increases as the amount of exposure increases. If you think you are becoming sick because of exposure to This is determined by the length of time and the amount chemicals at your workplace, you may call personnel at the of radiation to which someone is exposed. Department of Health and Senior Services, Occupational Health Service, who can help you find the information you Q: When are higher exposures more likely? need. A: Higher radiation exposures are limited to workers in the nuclear industry but could become a major hazard to the Public Presentations population immediately affected by a major nuclear Presentations and educational programs on occupational health disaster. or the Right to Know Act can be organized for labor unions, trade associations and other groups. Q: Do all radioactive chemicals cause cancer? A: Yes. Ionizing radiation is carcinogenic to all tissues Right to Know Information Resources under appropriate conditions. The Right to Know Infoline (609) 984-2202 can answer questions about the identity and potential health effects of chemicals, list of educational materials in occupational health, references used to prepare the Fact Sheets, preparation of the Right to Know Survey, education and training programs, labeling requirements, and general information regarding the Right to Know Act. Violations of the law should be reported to (609) 984-2202. ------URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE page 5 of 6
DEFINITIONS
ACGIH is the American Conference of Governmental NAERG is the North American Emergency Response Industrial Hygienists. It recommends upper limits (called Guidebook. It was jointly developed by Transport Canada, the TLVs) for exposure to workplace chemicals. United States Department of Transportation and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico. It is a A carcinogen is a substance that causes cancer. guide for first responders to quickly identify the specific or generic hazards of material involved in a transportation The CAS number is assigned by the Chemical Abstracts incident, and to protect themselves and the general public Service to identify a specific chemical. during the initial response phase of the incident.
A combustible substance is a solid, liquid or gas that will burn. NCI is the National Cancer Institute, a federal agency that determines the cancer-causing potential of chemicals. A corrosive substance is a gas, liquid or solid that causes irreversible damage to human tissue or containers. NFPA is the National Fire Protection Association. It classifies substances according to their fire and explosion hazard. DEP is the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. NIOSH is the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. It tests equipment, evaluates and approves respirators, DOT is the Department of Transportation, the federal agency conducts studies of workplace hazards, and proposes standards that regulates the transportation of chemicals. to OSHA.
EPA is the Environmental Protection Agency, the federal NTP is the National Toxicology Program which tests agency responsible for regulating environmental hazards. chemicals and reviews evidence for cancer.
A fetus is an unborn human or animal. OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which adopts and enforces health and safety standards. A flammable substance is a solid, liquid, vapor or gas that will ignite easily and burn rapidly. PEL is the Permissible Exposure Limit which is enforceable by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The flash point is the temperature at which a liquid or solid gives off vapor that can form a flammable mixture with air. PIH is a DOT designation for chemicals which are Poison Inhalation Hazards. HHAG is the Human Health Assessment Group of the federal EPA. ppm means parts of a substance per million parts of air. It is a measure of concentration by volume in air. IARC is the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a scientific group that classifies chemicals according to their A reactive substance is a solid, liquid or gas that releases cancer-causing potential. energy under certain conditions.
A miscible substance is a liquid or gas that will evenly dissolve A teratogen is a substance that causes birth defects by in another. damaging the fetus. mg/m3 means milligrams of a chemical in a cubic meter of air. TLV is the Threshold Limit Value, the workplace exposure It is a measure of concentration (weight/volume). limit recommended by ACGIH.
A mutagen is a substance that causes mutations. A mutation is The vapor pressure is a measure of how readily a liquid or a a change in the genetic material in a body cell. Mutations can solid mixes with air at its surface. A higher vapor pressure lead to birth defects, miscarriages, or cancer. indicates a higher concentration of the substance in air and therefore increases the likelihood of breathing it in.
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Common Name: URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE ======DOT Number: UN 2977 (greater than 1% U-235) FOR LARGE SPILLS AND FIRES immediately call your fire UN 2978 (low specific activity) department. You can request emergency information from the NAERG Code: 166 following: CAS Number: 7783-81-5 CHEMTREC: (800) 424-9300 NJDEP HOTLINE: 1-877-WARN-DEP Hazard rating NJDHSS NFPA ======FLAMMABILITY 0 - (See page 3) 2 - HANDLING AND STORAGE REACTIVITY RADIOACTIVE FIRST AID REACTIVE AND CORROSIVE POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE For POISON INFORMATION call 1-800-222-1222 CONTAINERS MAY EXPLODE IN FIRE Eye Contact Hazard Rating Key: 0=minimal; 1=slight; 2=moderate; * Immediately flush with large amounts of water. Continue 3=serious; 4=severe without stopping for at least 30 minutes, occasionally lifting upper and lower lids. Seek medical attention FIRE HAZARDS immediately.
* Uranium Hexafluoride does not burn. Skin Contact * Use foam, dry chemical or CO2 extinguishers. Do not use * Quickly remove contaminated clothing. Immediately wash WATER directly on Uranium Hexafluoride. contaminated skin with large amounts of soap and water. * POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE, including Hydrogen Fluoride. Breathing * CONTAINERS MAY EXPLODE IN FIRE. * Remove the person from exposure. * Use water spray only to keep fire-exposed containers cool. * Begin rescue breathing (using universal precautions) if * If employees are expected to fight fires, they must be breathing has stopped and CPR if heart action has stopped. trained and equipped as stated in OSHA 1910.156. * Transfer promptly to a medical facility.
SPILLS AND EMERGENCIES PHYSICAL DATA
If Uranium Hexafluoride is spilled, take the following steps: Vapor Pressure: 100 mm Hg at 64.4oF (18.2oC)
* Evacuate persons not wearing protective equipment from Water Solubility: Soluble and Reactive area of spill until clean-up is complete. * Collect powdered material in the most convenient and safe OTHER COMMONLY USED NAMES manner and deposit in sealed containers. * DO NOT USE WATER directly on spill. Chemical Name: * Ventilate area after clean-up is complete. Uranium Fluoride * Use damp methods to control dust. Test for trace levels of radioactivity after clean-up. ------* It may be necessary to contain and dispose of Uranium Not intended to be copied and sold for commercial Hexafluoride as HAZARDOUS RADIOACTIVE purposes. WASTE. Contact your Department of Environmental ------Protection (DEP), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND or your regional office of the federal Environmental SENIOR SERVICES Protection Agency (EPA) for specific recommendations.. Right to Know Program * If employees are required to clean-up spills, they must be PO Box 368, Trenton, NJ 08625-0368 properly trained and equipped. OSHA 1910.120(q) may be (609) 984-2202 applicable. ------
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