Common Name: ZINC PHOSPHIDE HAZARD SUMMARY
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Common Name: ZINC PHOSPHIDE CAS Number: 1314-84-7 DOT Number: UN 1714 RTK Substance number: 2041 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: May 2000 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- HAZARD SUMMARY * Zinc Phosphide can affect you when breathed in. * Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. * If you think you are experiencing any work-related health * Breathing Zinc Phosphide can irritate the nose and throat. problems, see a doctor trained to recognize occupational * Breathing Zinc Phosphide can irritate the lungs causing diseases. Take this Fact Sheet with you. coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher exposures can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS edema), a medical emergency, with severe shortness of No occupational exposure limits have been established for breath. Zinc Phosphide. This does not mean that this substance is * Exposure to Zinc Phosphide can cause nausea, vomiting, not harmful. Safe work practices should always be followed. diarrhea and abdominal pain. * Zinc Phosphide can cause headache, fatigue, dizziness, WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE tremor, seizures and coma. * Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust * Zinc Phosphide can cause irregular heartbeat. ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust * Zinc Phosphide may damage the liver and kidneys. ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be * Zinc Phosphide is a FLAMMABLE chemical and a worn. DANGEROUS FIRE HAZARD. * Wear protective work clothing. * Wash thoroughly immediately after exposure to Zinc IDENTIFICATION Phosphide and at the end of the workshift. Zinc Phosphide is a dark grey solid with a “decaying fish” * Post hazard and warning information in the work area. In odor. It is used as rat and mice poison and in baits for the addition, as part of an ongoing education and training control of ground squirrels and prairie dogs. effort, communicate all information on the health and safety hazards of Zinc Phosphide to potentially exposed REASON FOR CITATION workers. * Zinc Phosphide is on the Hazardous Substance List because it is cited by DOT, DEP, HHAG, NFPA and EPA. * This chemical is on the Special Health Hazard Substance List because it is FLAMMABLE. * 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. ZINC PHOSPHIDE 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 damage already done are not a substitute for controlling substance and other factors will affect your susceptibility to exposure. any of the 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 Zinc Phosphide: worsen respiratory conditions caused by chemical exposure. Even if you have smoked for a long time, * Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. stopping now will reduce your risk of developing health * Breathing Zinc Phosphide can irritate the nose and throat. problems. * Breathing Zinc Phosphide can irritate the lungs causing * Because more than light alcohol consumption can cause coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher exposures liver damage, drinking alcohol can increase the liver can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary damage caused by Zinc Phosphide. edema), a medical emergency, with severe shortness of breath. WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES * Exposure to Zinc Phosphide can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Unless a less toxic chemical can be substituted for a hazardous * Zinc Phosphide can cause headache, fatigue, dizziness, substance, ENGINEERING CONTROLS are the most tremor, seizures and coma. 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 Zinc Phosphide and can last for less effective than the controls mentioned above, but is months or years: sometimes necessary. Cancer Hazard In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: * According to the information presently available to the (1) how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, substance is released into the workplace and (3) whether Zinc Phosphide has not been tested for its ability to cause harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls 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 In addition, the following controls are recommended: New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Zinc Phosphide has not been tested for its ability to affect * Where possible, automatically transfer Zinc Phosphide reproduction. from drums or other storage containers to process containers. Other Long-Term Effects * Before entering a confined space where Zinc Phosphide * Zinc Phosphide can cause irregular heartbeat. may be present, check to make sure that an explosive * Zinc Phosphide may damage the liver and kidneys. concentration does not exist. MEDICAL Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous exposures. The following work practices are recommended: Medical Testing * Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by Zinc If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the Phosphide should change into clean clothing promptly. following are recommended: * Do not take contaminated work clothes home. Family members could be exposed. * Consider chest x-ray after acute overexposure. * Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by * Liver and kidney function tests. individuals who have been informed of the hazards of * EKG. exposure to Zinc Phosphide. * Eye wash fountains should be provided in the immediate work area for emergency use. ZINC PHOSPHIDE page 3 of 6 * If there is the possibility of skin exposure, emergency * NIOSH has established new testing and certification shower facilities should be provided. requirements for negative pressure, air purifying, * On skin contact with Zinc Phosphide, immediately wash particulate filter and filtering facepiece respirators. The or shower to remove the chemical. At the end of the filter classifications of dust/mist/fume, paint spray or workshift, wash any areas of the body that may have pesticide prefilters, and filters for radon daughters, have contacted Zinc Phosphide, whether or not known skin been replaced with the N, R, and P series. Each series has contact has occurred. three levels of filtering efficiency: 95%, 99%, and 99.9%. * Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Zinc Phosphide is Check with your safety equipment supplier or your handled, processed, or stored, since the chemical can be respirator manufacturer to determine which respirator is swallowed. Wash hands carefully before eating, drinking, appropriate for your facility. smoking, or using the toilet. * If while wearing a filter or cartridge respirator you can * Use a vacuum to reduce dust during clean-up. smell, taste, or otherwise detect Zinc Phosphide, or if while wearing particulate filters abnormal resistance to PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT breathing is experienced, or eye irritation occurs while wearing a full facepiece respirator, leave the area WORKPLACE CONTROLS ARE BETTER THAN immediately. Check to make sure the respirator-to-face PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. However, for seal is still good. If it is, replace the filter or cartridge. If some jobs (such as outside work, confined space entry, jobs the seal is no longer good, you may need a new respirator. done only once in a while, or jobs done while workplace * Be sure to consider all potential exposures in your controls are being installed), personal protective equipment workplace. You may need a combination of filters, may be appropriate. prefilters or cartridges to protect against different forms of a chemical (such as vapor and mist) or against a mixture of OSHA 1910.132 requires employers to determine the chemicals. appropriate personal protective equipment for each hazard and * Where