Sodium Selenate Hazard Summary Identification
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Common Name: SODIUM SELENATE CAS Number: 13410-01-0 RTK Substance number: 1726 DOT Number: UN 2630 Date: November 2001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- HAZARD SUMMARY WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS * Sodium Selenate can affect you when breathed in and The following exposure limits are for Selenium compounds may be absorbed through the skin. (measured as Selenium): * Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. * Breathing Sodium Selenate can irritate the nose, throat OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit 3 and lungs causing coughing, wheezing and/or shortness of (PEL) is 0.2 mg/m averaged over an 8-hour breath. workshift. * High exposure can cause headache, nausea, vomiting, NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is coated tongue, metallic taste and garlic odor on the breath. 3 * Repeated exposure can cause pallor, nervousness and 0.2 mg/m averaged over a 10-hour workshift. mood changes. ACGIH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is * Sodium Selenate may damage the liver and kidneys and 3 affect the heart. 0.2 mg/m averaged over an 8-hour workshift. * The above exposure limits are for air levels only. When IDENTIFICATION skin contact also occurs, you may be overexposed, even Sodium Selenate is a white, sand-like solid. It is used as a though air levels are less than the limits listed above. medication and an insecticide. WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE REASON FOR CITATION * Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust * Sodium Selenate is on the Hazardous Substance List ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust because it is regulated by OSHA and cited by ACGIH, ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be DOT, NIOSH, DEP and EPA. worn. * Definitions are provided on page 5. * Wear protective work clothing. * Wash thoroughly immediately after exposure to Sodium HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING Selenate 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 and safety hazards of Sodium Selenate to potentially exposed training concerning chemical hazards and controls. The workers. 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. SODIUM SELENATE page 2 of 6 This Fact Sheet is a summary source of information of all Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and potential and most severe health hazards that may result from present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for exposure. Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance damage already done are not a substitute for controlling and other factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the exposure. potential effects described below. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right to this information under OSHA 1910.1020. HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION Mixed Exposures Acute Health Effects * Because more than light alcohol consumption can cause The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur liver damage, drinking alcohol can increase the liver immediately or shortly after exposure to Sodium Selenate: damage caused by Sodium Selenate. * Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES * Breathing Sodium Selenate can irritate the nose, throat and lungs causing coughing, wheezing and/or shortness of Unless a less toxic chemical can be substituted for a hazardous breath. substance, ENGINEERING CONTROLS are the most effective way of reducing exposure. The best protection is to Chronic Health Effects enclose operations and/or provide local exhaust ventilation at The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at the site of chemical release. Isolating operations can also some time after exposure to Sodium Selenate and can last for reduce exposure. Using respirators or protective equipment is months or years: less effective than the controls mentioned above, but is sometimes necessary. Cancer Hazard * Sodium Selenate may cause mutations (genetic changes). In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: * There is no evidence that Sodium Selenate causes cancer in (1) how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the animals. This is based on test results presently available to substance is released into the workplace and (3) whether the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls from published studies. should be in place for highly toxic chemicals or when significant skin, eye, or breathing exposures are possible. Reproductive Hazard * There is no evidence that Sodium Selenate affects In addition, the following control is recommended: reproduction. This is based on test results presently available to the New Jersey Department of Health and * Where possible, automatically transfer Sodium Selenate Senior Services from published studies. from drums or other storage containers to process containers. Other Long-Term Effects * High exposure can cause headache, nausea, vomiting, Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous exposures. The following work practices are recommended: coated tongue, metallic taste and garlic odor on the breath. * Repeated exposure can cause pallor, nervousness and mood * Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by Sodium changes. Selenate should change into clean clothing promptly. * Sodium Selenate may damage the liver and kidneys and * Do not take contaminated work clothes home. Family affect the heart. members could be exposed. * Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by MEDICAL individuals who have been informed of the hazards of exposure to Sodium Selenate. Medical Testing * Eye wash fountains should be provided in the immediate If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the work area for emergency use. following are recommended: * If there is the possibility of skin exposure, emergency shower facilities should be provided. * Urine test for Selenium (should be less than * On skin contact with Sodium Selenate, immediately wash 100 micrograms per liter of urine). or shower to remove the chemical. At the end of the * EKG. workshift, wash any areas of the body that may have * Liver and kidney function tests. contacted Sodium Selenate, whether or not known skin contact has occurred. SODIUM SELENATE page 3 of 6 * Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Sodium Selenate is * If while wearing a filter or cartridge respirator you can handled, processed, or stored, since the chemical can be smell, taste, or otherwise detect Sodium Selenate, or if swallowed. Wash hands carefully before eating, drinking, while wearing particulate filters abnormal resistance to applying cosmetics, smoking, or using the toilet. breathing is experienced, or eye irritation occurs while * Use a vacuum or a wet method to reduce dust during clean- wearing a full facepiece respirator, leave the area up. DO NOT DRY SWEEP. immediately. Check to make sure the respirator-to-face seal is still good. If it is, replace the filter or cartridge. If the PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT seal is no longer good, you may need a new respirator. * Be sure to consider all potential exposures in your WORKPLACE CONTROLS ARE BETTER THAN workplace. You may need a combination of filters, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. However, for prefilters or cartridges to protect against different forms of a some jobs (such as outside work, confined space entry, jobs chemical (such as vapor and mist) or against a mixture of done only once in a while, or jobs done while workplace chemicals. controls are being installed), personal protective equipment * Where the potential for overexposure exists, use a NIOSH may be appropriate. approved supplied-air respirator with a full facepiece operated in a pressure-demand or other positive-pressure OSHA 1910.132 requires employers to determine the mode. For increased protection use in combination with an appropriate personal protective equipment for each hazard and auxiliary self-contained breathing apparatus operated in a to train employees on how and when to use protective pressure-demand or other positive-pressure mode. equipment. * Exposure to 1 mg/m3 (as Selenium) is immediately dangerous to life and health. If the possibility of exposure The following recommendations are only guidelines and may above 1 mg/m3 (as Selenium) exists, use a NIOSH not apply to every situation. approved self-contained breathing apparatus with a full facepiece operated in a pressure-demand or other positive- Clothing pressure mode. * Avoid skin contact with Sodium Selenate. Wear protective gloves and clothing. Safety equipment suppliers/ manufacturers can provide recommendations