Common Name: POTASSIUM CHLORATE HAZARD SUMMARY IDENTIFICATION REASON for CITATION HOW to DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING EXPOSED WORK
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Common Name: POTASSIUM CHLORATE CAS Number: 3811-04-9 DOT Number: UN 1485 RTK Substance number: 1560 UN 2427 (Aqueous solution) Date: March 1998 Revision: October 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- HAZARD SUMMARY WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS * Potassium Chlorate can affect you when breathed in. No occupational exposure limits have been established for * Contact can cause eye and skin irritation and burns. Potassium Chlorate. This does not mean that this substance * Breathing Potassium Chlorate can irritate the nose, throat is not harmful. Safe work practices should always be and lungs causing sneezing, coughing and sore throat. followed. * High levels can interfere with the ability of the blood to carry oxygen causing headache, weakness, dizziness and a WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE blue color to the skin (methemoglobinemia). Higher levels * Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust can cause trouble breathing, collapse and even death. ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust * Repeated exposure may affect the kidneys and nervous ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be system. worn. * Wear protective work clothing. IDENTIFICATION * Wash thoroughly immediately after exposure to Potassium Chlorate is a transparent, colorless crystal or Potassium Chlorate and at the end of the workshift. white powder. It is used as an oxidizing agent, and in * Post hazard and warning information in the work area. In explosives, matches, textile printing, disinfectants and addition, as part of an ongoing education and training bleaches. effort, communicate all information on the health and safety hazards of Potassium Chlorate to potentially REASON FOR CITATION exposed workers. * Potassium Chlorate 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 CHLORATE 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 smoking can cause heart disease, as well as lung The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur cancer, emphysema, and other respiratory problems, it may immediately or shortly after exposure to Potassium Chlorate: worsen respiratory conditions caused by chemical exposure. Even if you have smoked for a long time, stopping now will * Contact can cause eye and skin irritation and burns. reduce your risk of developing health problems. * Breathing Potassium Chlorate can irritate the nose, throat and lungs causing sneezing, coughing and sore throat. WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES * High levels can interfere with the ability of the blood to carry oxygen causing headache, weakness, dizziness and a Unless a less toxic chemical can be substituted for a hazardous blue color to the skin (methemoglobinemia). Higher levels substance, ENGINEERING CONTROLS are the most can cause trouble breathing, collapse and even death. effective way of reducing exposure. The best protection is to enclose operations and/or provide local exhaust ventilation at Chronic Health Effects the site of chemical release. Isolating operations can also The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at reduce exposure. Using respirators or protective equipment is some time after exposure to Potassium Chlorate and can last less effective than the controls mentioned above, but is for months or years: sometimes necessary. Cancer Hazard In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: * According to the information presently available to the New (1) how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, substance is released into the workplace and (3) whether Potassium Chlorate has not been tested for its ability to harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls cause cancer in animals. should be in place for highly toxic chemicals or when significant skin, eye, or breathing exposures are possible. Reproductive Hazard * According to the information presently available to the New In addition, the following control is recommended: Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Potassium Chlorate has not been tested for its ability to * Where possible, automatically transfer Potassium Chlorate affect reproduction. from drums or other storage containers to process containers. Other Long-Term Effects * Potassium Chlorate can irritate the lungs. Repeated Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous exposures may cause bronchitis to develop with cough, exposures. The following work practices are recommended: phlegm, and/or shortness of breath. * Repeated exposure may affect the kidneys and nervous * Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by system. Potassium Chlorate should change into clean clothing promptly. MEDICAL * Do not take contaminated work clothes home. Family members could be exposed. * Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by Medical Testing individuals who have been informed of the hazards of If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the exposure to Potassium Chlorate. following are recommended: * Eye wash fountains should be provided in the immediate work area for emergency use. * Lung function tests. * If there is the possibility of skin exposure, emergency * Blood test for methemoglobin level. shower facilities should be provided. * Kidney function tests. * On skin contact with Potassium Chlorate, immediately * Exam of the nervous system. wash or shower to remove the chemical. At the end of the workshift, wash any areas of the body that may have contacted Potassium Chlorate, whether or not known skin contact has occurred. POTASSIUM CHLORATE page 3 of 6 * Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Potassium Chlorate 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 Potassium Chlorate, or if swallowed. Wash hands carefully before eating, drinking, while wearing particulate filters abnormal resistance to 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 high exposure exists, use a may be appropriate. MSHA/NIOSH approved supplied-air respirator with a full facepiece operated in a pressure-demand or other positive- OSHA 1910.132 requires employers to determine the pressure mode. For increased protection use in combination appropriate personal protective equipment for each hazard and with an auxiliary self-contained breathing apparatus to train employees on how and when to use protective operated in a pressure-demand or other positive-pressure equipment. mode. 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 Chlorate. 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