Potassium Nitrate
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Common Name: POTASSIUM NITRATE CAS Number: 7757-79-1 RTK Substance number: 1574 DOT Number: UN 1486 Date: March 1998 Revision: November 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- HAZARD SUMMARY WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS * Potassium Nitrate can affect you when breathed in. No occupational exposure limits have been established for * Contact can cause eye and skin irritation. Potassium Nitrate. This does not mean that this substance is * Breathing Potassium Nitrate can irritate the nose and not harmful. Safe work practices should always be followed. throat causing sneezing and coughing. * High levels can interfere with the ability of the blood to WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE carry Oxygen causing headache, fatigue, dizziness, and a * Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust blue color to the skin and lips (methemoglobinemia). ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust Higher levels can cause trouble breathing, collapse and ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be even death. worn. * Potassium Nitrate may affect the kidneys and cause * Wear protective work clothing. anemia. * Wash thoroughly immediately after exposure to Potassium Nitrate. IDENTIFICATION * Post hazard and warning information in the work area. In Potassium Nitrate is a transparent, white or colorless, addition, as part of an ongoing education and training crystalline (sand-like) powder or solid with a sharp, salty effort, communicate all information on the health and taste. It is used to make explosives, matches, fertilizer, safety hazards of Potassium Nitrate to potentially fireworks, glass and rocket fuel. exposed workers. REASON FOR CITATION * Potassium Nitrate is on the Hazardous Substance List because it is cited by DOT. * Definitions are provided on page 5. HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING EXPOSED The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most employers to label chemicals in the workplace and requires public employers to provide their employees with information and training concerning chemical hazards and controls. The federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, 1910.1200, requires private employers to provide similar training and information to their employees. * Exposure to hazardous substances should be routinely evaluated. This may include collecting personal and area air samples. You can obtain copies of sampling results from your employer. You have a legal right to this information under OSHA 1910.1020. * If you think you are experiencing any work-related health problems, see a doctor trained to recognize occupational diseases. Take this Fact Sheet with you. POTASSIUM NITRATE page 2 of 6 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 Potassium Nitrate: In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: (1) how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the * Contact can cause eye and skin irritation. substance is released into the workplace and (3) whether * Breathing Potassium Nitrate can irritate the nose and harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls throat causing sneezing and coughing. should be in place for highly toxic chemicals or when * High levels can interfere with the ability of the blood to significant skin, eye, or breathing exposures are possible. carry Oxygen causing headache, fatigue, dizziness, and a blue color to the skin and lips (methemoglobinemia). In addition, the following control is recommended: Higher levels can cause trouble breathing, collapse and even death. * Where possible, automatically transfer Potassium Nitrate from drums or other storage containers to process Chronic Health Effects containers. The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at some time after exposure to Potassium Nitrate and can last for Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous months or years: exposures. The following work practices are recommended: Cancer Hazard * Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by * According to the information presently available to the New Potassium Nitrate should change into clean clothing Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, promptly. Potassium Nitrate has not been tested for its ability to * Do not take contaminated work clothes home. Family cause cancer in animals. members could be exposed. * Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by Reproductive Hazard individuals who have been informed of the hazards of * There is limited evidence that Potassium Nitrate is a exposure to Potassium Nitrate. teratogen in animals. Until further testing has been done, it * Eye wash fountains should be provided in the immediate should be treated as a possible teratogen in humans. work area for emergency use. * If there is the possibility of skin exposure, emergency Other Long-Term Effects shower facilities should be provided. * Potassium Nitrate may affect the kidneys and cause * On skin contact with Potassium Nitrate, immediately wash anemia. or shower to remove the chemical. * Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Potassium Nitrate is MEDICAL handled, processed, or stored, since the chemical can be swallowed. Wash hands carefully before eating, drinking, smoking, or using the toilet. Medical Testing * Use a vacuum or a wet method to reduce dust during clean- If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the up. DO NOT DRY SWEEP. following are recommended: PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT * Blood test for methemoglobin. * Kidney function tests. WORKPLACE CONTROLS ARE BETTER THAN * Complete blood count. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. However, for some jobs (such as outside work, confined space entry, jobs Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and done only once in a while, or jobs done while workplace present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for controls are being installed), personal protective equipment damage already done are not a substitute for controlling may be appropriate. exposure. OSHA 1910.132 requires employers to determine the Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right appropriate personal protective equipment for each hazard and to this information under OSHA 1910.1020. to train employees on how and when to use protective equipment. POTASSIUM NITRATE page 3 of 6 The following recommendations are only guidelines and may QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS not apply to every situation. Q: If I have acute health effects, will I later get chronic Clothing health effects? * Avoid skin contact with Potassium Nitrate. Wear A: Not always. Most chronic (long-term) effects result from protective gloves and clothing. Safety equipment repeated exposures to a chemical. suppliers/manufacturers can provide recommendations on the most protective glove/clothing material for your Q: Can I get long-term effects without ever having short- operation. term effects? * All protective clothing (suits, gloves, footwear, headgear) A: Yes, because long-term effects can occur from repeated should be clean, available each day, and put on before exposures to a chemical at levels not high enough to make work. you immediately sick. Eye Protection Q: What are my chances of getting sick when I have been * Wear eye protection with side shields or goggles. exposed to chemicals? * Wear a face shield along with goggles when working with A: The likelihood of becoming sick from chemicals is corrosive, highly irritating or toxic substances. increased as the amount of exposure increases. This is determined by the length of time and the amount of Respiratory Protection material to which someone is exposed. IMPROPER USE OF RESPIRATORS IS DANGEROUS. Such equipment should only be used if the employer has a Q: When are higher exposures more likely? written program that takes into account workplace conditions, A: Conditions which increase risk of exposure include dust requirements for worker training, respirator fit testing and releasing operations (grinding, mixing, blasting, dumping, medical exams, as described in OSHA 1910.134. etc.), other physical and mechanical processes (heating, pouring, spraying, spills and evaporation from large * NIOSH has established new testing and certification surface areas such as open containers), and "confined requirements for negative pressure, air purifying, particulate space" exposures (working inside vats, reactors, boilers, filter and filtering facepiece respirators. The filter small rooms, etc.). classifications of dust/mist/fume, paint spray or pesticide prefilters, and filters for radon daughters, have been Q: Is the risk of getting sick higher for