Sodium Cyanide Hazard Summary Identification Reason for Citation How to Determine If You Are Being Exposed Workplace Exposure Li
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Common Name: SODIUM CYANIDE CAS Number: 143-33-9 DOT Number: UN 1689 RTK Substance number: 1693 DOT Hazard Class: 6 (Poison) Date: June 1998 Revision: August 2006 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- HAZARD SUMMARY * Sodium Cyanide can affect you when breathed in and information under the OSHA Access to Employee may be absorbed through the skin. Exposure and Medical Records Standard (29 CFR * Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. 1910.1020). * Breathing Sodium Cyanide can irritate the nose, throat * If you think you are experiencing any work-related health and lungs causing coughing, wheezing and/or shortness of problems, see a doctor trained to recognize occupational breath. diseases. Take this Fact Sheet with you. * High exposure can cause headache, dizziness, fast heartbeat, and even unconsciousness and death. WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS * Sodium Cyanide may cause the thyroid gland to enlarge. The following exposure limits are for Cyanide salts (measured * Exposure can damage the nervous system and cause as Cyanide): changes in the blood cell count. * Repeated lower exposures can cause nose discharge, OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit 3 nosebleeds, and sores in the nose. (PEL) is 5 mg/m averaged over an 8-hour workshift. IDENTIFICATION NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is Sodium Cyanide is a white powder (like salt) with a faint 3 almond-like odor. It is used as a solid or in solution to extract 5 mg/m , which should not be exceeded during metal ores, in electroplating and metal cleaning baths, metal any 10-minute work period. hardening, and in insecticides. ACGIH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is 3 REASON FOR CITATION 5 mg/m , which should not be exceeded at any time. * Sodium Cyanide is on the Hazardous Substance List because it is regulated by OSHA and cited by ACGIH, * The above exposure limits are for air levels only. When DOT, NIOSH, DEP, IRIS, NFPA and EPA. skin contact also occurs, you may be overexposed, even * Definitions are provided on page 5. though air levels are less than the limits listed above. HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE EXPOSED * Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most employers ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust to label chemicals in the workplace and requires public ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be employers to provide their employees with information and worn. training concerning chemical hazards and controls. The * Wear protective work clothing. federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR * Wash thoroughly immediately after exposure to Sodium 1910.1200) requires private employers to provide similar Cyanide and at the end of the workshift. training and information to their employees. * Post hazard and warning information in the work area. In addition, as part of an ongoing education and training * Exposure to hazardous substances should be routinely effort, communicate all information on the health and evaluated. This may include collecting personal and area safety hazards of Sodium Cyanide to potentially exposed air samples. You can obtain copies of sampling workers. results from your employer. You have a legal right to this SODIUM CYANIDE page 2 of 6 This Fact Sheet is a summary source of information of all * Thyroid function tests potential and most severe health hazards that may result from * Exam of the nervous system exposure. Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance and other factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and potential effects described below. present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- damage already done are not a substitute for controlling - exposure. HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right to this information under the OSHA Access to Employee Acute Health Effects Exposure and Medical Records Standard (29 CFR 1910.1020). The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur immediately or shortly after exposure to Sodium Cyanide: Mixed Exposures * Since cigarette smoke also contains some Cyanide, smokers * Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. may have somewhat higher blood Cyanide and urine * Breathing Sodium Cyanide can irritate the nose, throat and thiocyanate levels. lungs causing coughing, wheezing and/or shortness of breath. WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES * High exposure can cause headache, dizziness, fast heartbeat, and even unconsciousness and death. Unless a less toxic chemical can be substituted for a hazardous substance, ENGINEERING CONTROLS are the most Chronic Health Effects effective way of reducing exposure. The best protection is to The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at enclose operations and/or provide local exhaust ventilation at some time after exposure to Sodium Cyanide and can last for the site of chemical release. Isolating operations can also months or years: reduce exposure. Using respirators or protective equipment is less effective than the controls mentioned above, but is Cancer Hazard sometimes necessary. * According to the information presently available to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Sodium In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: Cyanide has not been tested for its ability to cause cancer (1) how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the in animals. substance is released into the workplace and (3) whether harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls Reproductive Hazard should be in place for highly toxic chemicals or when * There is limited evidence that Sodium Cyanide is a significant skin, eye, or breathing exposures are possible. teratogen in animals. Until further testing has been done, it should be treated as a possible teratogen in humans. In addition, the following control is recommended: Other Long-Term Effects * Where possible, automatically transfer Sodium Cyanide * Sodium Cyanide may cause the thyroid gland to enlarge from drums or other storage containers to process and interfere with normal thyroid function. containers. * Exposure can damage the nervous system and cause changes in the blood cell count. Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous * Repeated lower exposures can cause nose discharge, exposures. The following work practices are recommended: nosebleeds, and sores in the nose. * Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by Sodium MEDICAL Cyanide should change into clean clothing promptly. * Do not take contaminated work clothes home. Family members could be exposed. Medical Testing * Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by Before beginning employment and at regular times after that, individuals who have been informed of the hazards of the following is recommended: exposure to Sodium Cyanide. * Eye wash fountains should be provided in the immediate * Urine thiocyanate levels work area for emergency use. * If there is the possibility of skin exposure, emergency If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the shower facilities should be provided. following are recommended: * On skin contact with Sodium Cyanide, immediately wash or shower to remove the chemical. At the end of the * Blood Cyanide level workshift, wash any areas of the body that may have * Complete blood count contacted Sodium Cyanide, whether or not known skin contact has occurred. SODIUM CYANIDE page 3 of 6 * Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Sodium Cyanide is * Exposure to 25 mg/m3 (as Cyanide) is immediately handled, processed, or stored, since the chemical can be dangerous to life and health. If the possibility of exposure swallowed. Wash hands carefully before eating, drinking, above 25 mg/m3 exists, use a NIOSH approved self- applying cosmetics, smoking, or using the toilet. contained breathing apparatus with a full facepiece operated * Use a vacuum or a wet method to reduce dust during clean- in a pressure-demand or other positive-pressure mode. up. DO NOT DRY SWEEP. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT Q: If I have acute health effects, will I later get chronic WORKPLACE CONTROLS ARE BETTER THAN health effects? PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. However, for A: Not always. Most chronic (long-term) effects result from some jobs (such as outside work, confined space entry, jobs repeated exposures to a chemical. done only once in a while, or jobs done while workplace controls are being installed), personal protective equipment Q: Can I get long-term effects without ever having short- may be appropriate. term effects? A: Yes, because long-term effects can occur from repeated The OSHA Personal Protective Equipment Standard (29 CFR exposures to a chemical at levels not high enough to make 1910.132) requires employers to determine the appropriate you immediately sick. personal protective equipment for each hazard and to train employees on how and when to use protective equipment. Q: What are my chances of getting sick when I have been exposed to chemicals? The following recommendations are only guidelines and may A: The likelihood of becoming sick from chemicals is not apply to every situation. increased as the amount of exposure increases. This is determined by the length of time and the amount