Methyl Isothiocyanate Hazard Summary
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Common Name: METHYL ISOTHIOCYANATE CAS Number: 556-61-6 RTK Substance number: 1272 DOT Number: UN 2477 Date: June 1986 Revision: November 1999 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- HAZARD SUMMARY * Methyl Isothiocyanate can affect you when breathed in * Exposure to hazardous substances should be routinely and by passing through your skin. evaluated. This may include collecting personal and area * Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. air samples. You can obtain copies of sampling results * Breathing Methyl Isothiocyanate can irritate the nose, from your employer. You have a legal right to this throat and lungs causing coughing, wheezing and/or information under OSHA 1910.1020. shortness of breath. * If you think you are experiencing any work-related health * Methyl Isothiocyanate can cause nausea, vomiting, and problems, see a doctor trained to recognize occupational abdominal pain. diseases. Take this Fact Sheet with you. * Exposure to Methyl Isothiocyanate can cause headache, dizziness, depression, irritability, seizures and even loss of WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS consciousness. No occupational exposure limits have been established for * Methyl Isothiocyanate may cause a skin allergy. If Methyl Isothiocyanate. This does not mean that this allergy develops, very low future exposure can cause substance is not harmful. Safe work practices should always itching and a skin rash. be followed. * Methyl Isothiocyanate is a FLAMMABLE SOLID and a FIRE HAZARD. * It should be recognized that Methyl Isothiocyanate can be absorbed through your skin, thereby increasing your IDENTIFICATION exposure. Methyl Isothiocyanate is a white crystal line (sugar or sand- like) solid. It is used as a pesticide. WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE * Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust REASON FOR CITATION ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust * Methyl Isothiocyanate is on the Hazardous Substance ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be List because it is cited by DOT and EPA. worn. * This chemical is on the Special Health Hazard Substance * Wear protective work clothing. List because it is FLAMMABLE. * Wash thoroughly immediately after exposure to Methyl * Definitions are provided on page 5. Isothiocyanate 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 Methyl Isothiocyanate to potentially to label chemicals in the workplace and requires public exposed workers. 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. METHYL ISOTHIOCYANATE 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 Methyl worsen respiratory conditions caused by chemical Isothiocyanate: exposure. Even if you have smoked for a long time, stopping now will reduce your risk of developing health * Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. problems. * Breathing Methyl Isothiocyanate can irritate the nose, throat and lungs causing coughing, wheezing and/or WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES shortness of breath. * Methyl Isothiocyanate can cause nausea, vomiting, and Unless a less toxic chemical can be substituted for a hazardous abdominal pain. substance, ENGINEERING CONTROLS are the most * Exposure to Methyl Isothiocyanate can cause headache, effective way of reducing exposure. The best protection is to dizziness, depression, irritability, seizures and even loss of enclose operations and/or provide local exhaust ventilation at consciousness. the site of chemical release. Isolating operations can also reduce exposure. Using respirators or protective equipment is Chronic Health Effects less effective than the controls mentioned above, but is The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at sometimes necessary. some time after exposure to Methyl Isothiocyanate and can last for months or years: In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: (1) how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the Cancer Hazard substance is released into the workplace and (3) whether * According to the information presently available to the harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, should be in place for highly toxic chemicals or when Methyl Isothiocyanate has not been tested for its ability significant skin, eye, or breathing exposures are possible. to cause cancer in animals. In addition, the following controls are recommended: Reproductive Hazard * According to the information presently available to the * Where possible, automatically transfer Methyl New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Isothiocyanate from drums or other storage containers to Methyl Isothiocyanate has not been tested for its ability process containers. to affect reproduction. * Before entering a confined space where Methyl Isothiocyanate may be present, check to make sure that an Other Long-Term Effects explosive concentration does not exist. * Methyl Isothiocyanate may cause a skin allergy. If allergy develops, very low future exposure can cause Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous itching and a skin rash. exposures. The following work practices are recommended: * Methyl Isothiocyanate can irritate the lungs. Repeated * Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by exposure may cause bronchitis to develop with cough, Methyl Isothiocyanate should change into clean clothing phlegm, and/or shortness of breath. promptly. MEDICAL * Do not take contaminated work clothes home. Family members could be exposed. Medical Testing * Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the individuals who have been informed of the hazards of following may be useful: exposure to Methyl Isothiocyanate. * Eye wash fountains should be provided in the immediate * Evaluation by a qualified allergist, including careful work area for emergency use. exposure history and special testing, may help diagnose * If there is the possibility of skin exposure, emergency skin allergy. shower facilities should be provided. * Lung function tests. METHYL ISOTHIOCYANATE page 3 of 6 * On skin contact with Methyl Isothiocyanate, immediately * NIOSH has established new testing and certification wash or shower to remove the chemical. At the end of the requirements for negative pressure, air purifying, workshift, wash any areas of the body that may have particulate filter and filtering facepiece respirators. The contacted Methyl Isothiocyanate, whether or not known filter classifications of dust/mist/fume, paint spray or skin contact has occurred. pesticide prefilters, and filters for radon daughters, have * Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Methyl Isothiocyanate been replaced with the N, R, and P series. Each series has is handled, processed, or stored, since the chemical can be three levels of filtering efficiency: 95%, 99%, and 99.9%. swallowed. Wash hands carefully before eating, drinking, Check with your safety equipment supplier or your smoking, or using the toilet. respirator manufacturer to determine which respirator is * Use a vacuum or a wet method to reduce dust during appropriate for your facility. clean-up. DO NOT DRY SWEEP. * If while wearing a filter or cartridge respirator you can smell, taste, or otherwise detect Methyl Isothiocyanate, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT or if while wearing particulate filters abnormal resistance to breathing is experienced, or eye irritation occurs while WORKPLACE CONTROLS ARE BETTER THAN wearing a full facepiece respirator, leave the area PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. However, for immediately. Check to make sure the respirator-to-face some jobs (such as outside work, confined space entry, jobs seal is still good. If it is, replace the filter or cartridge. If done only once in a while, or jobs done while workplace the seal is no longer good, you may need a new respirator. controls are being installed), personal protective equipment * Be sure to consider all potential exposures in your may be appropriate. workplace. You may need a combination of filters, prefilters or cartridges to protect against different forms of OSHA 1910.132 requires employers to determine the