Phosphorus Oxychloride Hazard Summary
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Common Name: PHOSPHORUS OXYCHLORIDE CAS Number: 10025-87-3 RTK Substance number: 1523 DOT Number: UN 1810 (PIH) Date: May 1989 Revised: September 2001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- HAZARD SUMMARY * Phosphorus Oxychloride can affect you when breathed in training concerning chemical hazards and controls. The and by passing through your skin. federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, 1910.1200, * Phosphorus Oxychloride is a CORROSIVE CHEMICAL requires private employers to provide similar training and and contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes information to their employees. with possible eye damage. * Breathing Phosphorus Oxychloride can irritate the nose * Exposure to hazardous substances should be routinely and throat. evaluated. This may include collecting personal and area * Breathing Phosphorus Oxychloride can irritate the lungs air samples. You can obtain copies of sampling results causing coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher from your employer. You have a legal right to this exposures can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs information under OSHA 1910.1020. (pulmonary edema), a medical emergency, with severe * If you think you are experiencing any work-related health shortness of breath. problems, see a doctor trained to recognize occupational * High exposure to Phosphorus Oxychloride can cause diseases. Take this Fact Sheet with you. nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, weakness and loss of appetite. WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS * Phosphorus Oxychloride may cause kidney damage. NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is * Phosphorus Oxychloride is a REACTIVE CHEMICAL 0.1 ppm averaged over a 10-hour workshift and and an EXPLOSION HAZARD. 0.5 ppm, not to be exceeded during any 15 * Phosphorus Oxychloride is a DOT Poison Inhalation minute work period. Hazard (PIH). ACGIH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is IDENTIFICATION 0.1 ppm averaged over an 8-hour workshift. Phosphorus Oxychloride is a colorless to pale yellow, fuming, oily liquid with a strong odor. It is used as a * The above exposure limits are for air levels only. When chlorinating agent, and in making semiconductors, gasoline skin contact also occurs, you may be overexposed, even additives, plasticizers, hydraulic fluids, and organophosphorus though air levels are less than the limits listed above. compounds such as pesticides. WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE REASON FOR CITATION * Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust * Phosphorus Oxychloride is on the Hazardous Substance ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust List because it is cited by ACGIH, DOT, NIOSH, DEP, ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be NFPA and EPA. worn. * This chemical is on the Special Health Hazard Substance * Wear protective work clothing. List because it is CORROSIVE and REACTIVE. * Wash thoroughly immediately after exposure to * Definitions are provided on page 5. Phosphorus Oxychloride and at the end of the workshift. * Post hazard and warning information in the work area. In HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING addition, as part of an ongoing education and training EXPOSED effort, communicate all information on the health and The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most employers safety hazards of Phosphorus Oxychloride to potentially to label chemicals in the workplace and requires public exposed workers. employers to provide their employees with information and PHOSPHORUS OXYCHLORIDE page 2 of 6 This Fact Sheet is a summary source of information of all If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the potential and most severe health hazards that may result from following is recommended: exposure. Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance and other factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the * Consider chest x-ray after acute overexposure. potential effects described below. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION damage already done are not a substitute for controlling exposure. Acute Health Effects The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right immediately or shortly after exposure to Phosphorus to this information under OSHA 1910.1020. Oxychloride: Mixed Exposures * Contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes * Because smoking can cause heart disease, as well as lung with possible eye damage. cancer, emphysema, and other respiratory problems, it may * Breathing Phosphorus Oxychloride can irritate the nose worsen respiratory conditions caused by chemical exposure. and throat. Even if you have smoked for a long time, stopping now will * Breathing Phosphorus Oxychloride can irritate the lungs reduce your risk of developing health problems. causing coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher exposures can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES (pulmonary edema), a medical emergency, with severe shortness of breath. Unless a less toxic chemical can be substituted for a hazardous * High exposure to Phosphorus Oxychloride can cause substance, ENGINEERING CONTROLS are the most nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, weakness and loss effective way of reducing exposure. The best protection is to of appetite. enclose operations and/or provide local exhaust ventilation at the site of chemical release. Isolating operations can also Chronic Health Effects reduce exposure. Using respirators or protective equipment is The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at less effective than the controls mentioned above, but is some time after exposure to Phosphorus Oxychloride and can sometimes necessary. last for months or years: In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: Cancer Hazard (1) how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the * According to the information presently available to the New substance is released into the workplace and (3) whether Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls Phosphorus Oxychloride has not been tested for its ability should be in place for highly toxic chemicals or when to cause cancer in animals. significant skin, eye, or breathing exposures are possible. Reproductive Hazard In addition, the following controls are recommended: * According to the information presently available to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, * Where possible, automatically pump liquid Phosphorus Phosphorus Oxychloride has not been tested for its ability Oxychloride from drums or other storage containers to to affect reproduction. process containers. * Before entering a confined space where Phosphorus Other Long-Term Effects Oxychloride may be present, check to make sure that an * Phosphorus Oxychloride may cause kidney damage. explosive concentration does not exist. Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous MEDICAL exposures. The following work practices are recommended: Medical Testing * Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by For those with frequent or potentially high exposure (half the Phosphorus Oxychloride should change into clean TLV or greater), the following are recommended before clothing promptly. beginning work and at regular times after that: * Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by individuals who have been informed of the hazards of * Lung function tests. exposure to Phosphorus Oxychloride. * Kidney function tests. PHOSPHORUS OXYCHLORIDE page 3 of 6 * Eye wash fountains should be provided in the immediate * Where the potential exists for exposure over 0.1 ppm, use a work area for emergency use. MSHA/NIOSH approved supplied-air respirator with a full * If there is the possibility of skin exposure, emergency facepiece operated in a pressure-demand or other positive- shower facilities should be provided. pressure mode. For increased protection use in combination * On skin contact with Phosphorus Oxychloride, with an auxiliary self-contained breathing apparatus immediately wash or shower to remove the chemical. At operated in a pressure-demand or other positive-pressure the end of the workshift, wash any areas of the body that mode. may have contacted Phosphorus Oxychloride, whether or not known skin contact has occurred. HANDLING AND STORAGE * Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Phosphorus Oxychloride is handled, processed, or stored, since the * Prior to working with Phosphorus Oxychloride you chemical can be swallowed. Wash hands carefully before should be trained on its proper handling and storage. eating, drinking, smoking, or using the toilet. * Phosphorus Oxychloride will react violently with WATER, MOISTURE or STEAM to form Hydrogen PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT Chloride and Phosphoric Acid. * Phosphorus Oxychloride is not compatible with WORKPLACE CONTROLS ARE BETTER THAN CARBON DISULFIDE; DIMETHYL FORMAMIDE; PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. However, for METALS; ALCOHOLS; STRONG BASES (such as some jobs (such as outside work, confined space entry, jobs SODIUM HYDROXIDE and POTASSIUM done only once in a while, or jobs done while workplace HYDROXIDE); and STRONG ACIDS (such as controls are being installed), personal protective equipment HYDROCHLORIC, SULFURIC and NITRIC). may be appropriate. * Store