Ethyl Mercaptan Hazard Summary Identification
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Common Name: ETHYL MERCAPTAN CAS Number: 75-08-1 RTK Substance number: 0894 DOT Number: UN 2363 Date: March 1999 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- HAZARD SUMMARY * Ethyl Mercaptan can affect you when breathed in and requires private employers to provide similar training and may be absorbed through the skin. information to their employees. * Contact can cause skin and eye irritation. * Breathing Ethyl Mercaptan can irritate the nose and * Exposure to hazardous substances should be routinely throat. evaluated. This may include collecting personal and area * Breathing Ethyl Mercaptan can irritate the lungs causing air samples. You can obtain copies of sampling results coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher exposures from your employer. You have a legal right to this can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary information under OSHA 1910.1020. edema), a medical emergency, with severe shortness of * If you think you are experiencing any work-related health breath. problems, see a doctor trained to recognize occupational * Breathing Ethyl Mercaptan can cause headache, nausea, diseases. Take this Fact Sheet with you. vomiting, diarrhea, muscle weakness, convulsions, and * ODOR THRESHOLD = 0.00035 ppm. tiredness. Higher levels can cause dizziness, * The range of accepted odor threshold values is quite lightheadedness, coma and death. broad. Caution should be used in relying on odor alone as * Ethyl Mercaptan may damage the liver and kidneys. a warning of potentially hazardous exposures. * Repeated or long term exposure to Ethyl Mercaptan may damage the red blood cells causing anemia. WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS * Ethyl Mercaptan is a HIGHLY FLAMMABLE LIQUID OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit or GAS and a DANGEROUS FIRE HAZARD. (PEL) is 10 ppm, not to be exceeded at any time. NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is IDENTIFICATION 0.5 ppm, which should not be exceeded at any Ethyl Mercaptan is a colorless or yellowish liquid or a gas time. with a pungent, garlic or skunk-like odor. It is used as an ACGIH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is additive to odorless gases like butane, propane, and petroleum 10 ppm averaged over an 8-hour workshift. to give them a warning odor. It is also used in the manufacture of fungicides, pharmaceuticals, insecticides, * The above exposure limits are for air levels only. When resins, and other chemicals. skin contact also occurs, you may be overexposed, even though air levels are less than the limits listed above. REASON FOR CITATION * Ethyl Mercaptan is on the Hazardous Substance List WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE because it is regulated by OSHA and cited by ACGIH, * Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust DOT, NIOSH and NFPA. ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust * This chemical is on the Special Health Hazard Substance ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be List because it is FLAMMABLE. worn. * Definitions are provided on page 5. * Wear protective work clothing. * Wash thoroughly immediately after exposure to Ethyl HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING Mercaptan and at the end of the workshift. EXPOSED * Post hazard and warning information in the work area. In The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most employers addition, as part of an ongoing education and training to label chemicals in the workplace and requires public effort, communicate all information on the health and employers to provide their employees with information safety hazards of Ethyl Mercaptan to potentially exposed and training concerning chemical hazards and controls. The workers. federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, 1910.1200, ETHYL MERCAPTAN page 2 of 6 This Fact Sheet is a summary source of information of all * Liver and kidney function tests. potential and most severe health hazards that may result from If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the exposure. Duration of exposure, concentration of the following is recommended: substance and other factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the potential effects described below. * Consider chest x-ray after acute overexposure. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for damage already done are not a substitute for controlling Acute Health Effects exposure. The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur immediately or shortly after exposure to Ethyl Mercaptan: Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right to this information under OSHA 1910.1020. * Contact can cause skin and eye irritation. * Breathing Ethyl Mercaptan can irritate the nose and Mixed Exposures throat. * Because smoking can cause heart disease, as well as lung * Breathing Ethyl Mercaptan can irritate the lungs causing cancer, emphysema, and other respiratory problems, it may coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher exposures worsen respiratory conditions caused by chemical can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary exposure. Even if you have smoked for a long time, edema), a medical emergency, with severe shortness of stopping now will reduce your risk of developing health breath. problems. * Breathing Ethyl Mercaptan can cause headache, nausea, * Because more than light alcohol consumption can cause vomiting, diarrhea, muscle weakness, convulsions, and liver damage, drinking alcohol may increase the liver tiredness. Higher levels may cause dizziness, damage caused by Ethyl Mercaptan. lightheadedness, coma and death. WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES Chronic Health Effects The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at Unless a less toxic chemical can be substituted for a hazardous some time after exposure to Ethyl Mercaptan and can last for substance, ENGINEERING CONTROLS are the most months or years: effective way of reducing exposure. The best protection is to enclose operations and/or provide local exhaust ventilation at Cancer Hazard the site of chemical release. Isolating operations can also * According to the information presently available to the reduce exposure. Using respirators or protective equipment is New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, less effective than the controls mentioned above, but is Ethyl Mercaptan has not been tested for its ability to sometimes necessary. cause cancer in animals. In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: Reproductive Hazard (1) how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the * According to the information presently available to the substance is released into the workplace and (3) whether New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls Ethyl Mercaptan has not been tested for its ability to should be in place for highly toxic chemicals or when affect reproduction. significant skin, eye, or breathing exposures are possible. Other Long-Term Effects In addition, the following controls are recommended: * Ethyl Mercaptan can irritate the lungs. Repeated * Where possible, automatically transfer gaseous Ethyl exposure may cause bronchitis to develop with cough, Mercaptan or pump liquid Ethyl Mercaptan from phlegm, and/or shortness of breath. cylinders or other storage containers to process containers. * Ethyl Mercaptan may damage the liver and kidneys. * Before entering a confined space where Ethyl Mercaptan * Repeated or long term exposure to Ethyl Mercaptan may may be present, check to make sure that an explosive damage the red blood cells causing anemia. concentration does not exist. MEDICAL Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous exposures. The following work practices are recommended: Medical Testing For those with frequent or potentially high exposure (half the * Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by Ethyl TLV or greater), the following are recommended before Mercaptan should change into clean clothing promptly. beginning work and at regular times after that: * Do not take contaminated work clothes home. Family members could be exposed. * Complete blood cell count. ETHYL MERCAPTAN page 3 of 6 * Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by Respiratory Protection individuals who have been informed of the hazards of IMPROPER USE OF RESPIRATORS IS DANGEROUS. exposure to Ethyl Mercaptan. Such equipment should only be used if the employer has a * Eye wash fountains should be provided in the immediate written program that takes into account workplace conditions, work area for emergency use. requirements for worker training, respirator fit testing and * If there is the possibility of skin exposure, emergency medical exams, as described in OSHA 1910.134. shower facilities should be provided. * On skin contact with Ethyl Mercaptan, immediately wash * Where the potential exists for exposure over 0.5 ppm, use or shower to remove the chemical. At the end of the a MSHA/NIOSH approved full facepiece respirator with workshift, wash any areas of the body that may have an organic vapor cartridge. Increased protection is contacted Ethyl Mercaptan, whether or not known skin obtained from full facepiece powered-air purifying contact has occurred. respirators. * Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Ethyl Mercaptan is * If while wearing a filter or cartridge respirator you can handled, processed, or stored,