Acetone Cyanohydrin Hazard Summary Identification Reason for Citation How to Determine If You Are Being Exposed
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Common Name: ACETONE CYANOHYDRIN CAS Number: 75-86-5 RTK Substance number: 0007 DOT Number: UN 1541 (PIH) Date: September 1996 Revision: June 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- HAZARD SUMMARY * Acetone Cyanohydrin can affect you when breathed in * If you think you are experiencing any work-related health and by passing through your skin. problems, see a doctor trained to recognize occupational * Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. diseases. Take this Fact Sheet with you. * Breathing Acetone Cyanohydrin can irritate the nose and throat causing coughing and wheezing. WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS * High exposure can cause sudden death. Symptoms of NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is exposure include weakness, headache, confusion, nausea, 4 mg/m3 (as Cyanide), which should not be vomiting, and pounding of the heart. exceeded at any time. * Acetone Cyanohydrin may cause the thyroid gland to enlarge. ACGIH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is * Acetone Cyanohydrin is a DOT Poison Inhalation 5 mg/m3 (as Cyanide), which should not be Hazard (PIH). exceeded at any time. * Acetone Cyanohydrin is a REACTIVE CHEMICAL and a EXPLOSION HAZARD. * The above exposure limits are for air levels only. When skin contact also occurs, you may be overexposed, even IDENTIFICATION though air levels are less than the limits listed above. Acetone Cyanohydrin is a colorless to light yellow liquid. It is used to manufacture insecticides and certain other WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE chemicals such as Methyl Methacrylate. * Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust REASON FOR CITATION ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be * Acetone Cyanohydrin is on the Hazardous Substance List worn. because it is cited by ACGIH, DOT, NIOSH, DEP, NFPA * Wear protective work clothing. and EPA. * Wash thoroughly immediately after exposure to Acetone * This chemical is on the Special Health Hazard Substance Cyanohydrin and at the end of the workshift. List because it is REACTIVE. * Post hazard and warning information in the work area. In * Definitions are provided on page 5. addition, as part of an ongoing education and training effort, communicate all information on the health and HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING safety hazards of Acetone Cyanohydrin to potentially EXPOSED exposed workers. 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. ACETONE CYANOHYDRIN page 2 of 6 This Fact Sheet is a summary source of information of all WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES potential and most severe health hazards that may result from exposure. Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance Unless a less toxic chemical can be substituted for a hazardous and other factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the substance, ENGINEERING CONTROLS are the most potential effects described below. effective way of reducing exposure. The best protection is to --------------------------------------------------------------------------- enclose operations and/or provide local exhaust ventilation at the site of chemical release. Isolating operations can also HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION reduce exposure. Using respirators or protective equipment is less effective than the controls mentioned above, but is Acute Health Effects sometimes necessary. The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur immediately or shortly after exposure to Acetone In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: Cyanohydrin: (1) how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the substance is released into the workplace and (3) whether * Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls * Breathing Acetone Cyanohydrin can irritate the nose and should be in place for highly toxic chemicals or when throat causing coughing and wheezing. significant skin, eye, or breathing exposures are possible. * High exposure can cause sudden death. Symptoms of In addition, the following controls are recommended: exposure include weakness, headache, confusion, nausea, vomiting, and pounding of the heart. * Where possible, automatically pump liquid Acetone Chronic Health Effects Cyanohydrin from drums or other storage containers to process containers. The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at * Before entering a confined space where Acetone some time after exposure to Acetone Cyanohydrin and can Cyanohydrin may be present, check to make sure that an last for months or years: explosive concentration does not exist. Cancer Hazard * According to the information presently available to the New Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous exposures. The following work practices are recommended: Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Acetone Cyanohydrin has not been tested for its ability to cause * Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by Acetone cancer in animals. Cyanohydrin should change into clean clothing promptly. Reproductive Hazard * Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by individuals who have been informed of the hazards of * According to the information presently available to the New exposure to Acetone Cyanohydrin. Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Acetone * Eye wash fountains should be provided in the immediate Cyanohydrin has not been tested for its ability to affect work area for emergency use. reproduction. * If there is the possibility of skin exposure, emergency shower facilities should be provided. Other Long-Term Effects * On skin contact with Acetone Cyanohydrin, immediately * Acetone Cyanohydrin may cause the thyroid gland to wash or shower to remove the chemical. At the end of the enlarge and interfere with normal thyroid function. workshift, wash any areas of the body that may have contacted Acetone Cyanohydrin, whether or not known MEDICAL skin contact has occurred. * Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Acetone Cyanohydrin Medical Testing is handled, processed, or stored, since the chemical can be Before beginning employment and at regular times after that, swallowed. Wash hands carefully before eating, drinking, the following are recommended: applying cosmetics, smoking, or using the toilet. * Urine Thiocyanate levels. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT * Blood Cyanide level. * Thyroid function tests. WORKPLACE CONTROLS ARE BETTER THAN PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. However, for Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and some jobs (such as outside work, confined space entry, jobs present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for done only once in a while, or jobs done while workplace damage already done are not a substitute for controlling controls are being installed), personal protective equipment exposure. may be appropriate. Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right to this information under OSHA 1910.1020. ACETONE CYANOHYDRIN page 3 of 6 OSHA 1910.132 requires employers to determine the or stored in a manner that could create a potential fire or appropriate personal protective equipment for each hazard and explosion hazard. to train employees on how and when to use protective equipment. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS The following recommendations are only guidelines and may Q: If I have acute health effects, will I later get chronic not apply to every situation. health effects? A: Not always. Most chronic (long-term) effects result from Clothing repeated exposures to a chemical. * Avoid skin contact with Acetone Cyanohydrin. Wear protective gloves and clothing. Safety equipment Q: Can I get long-term effects without ever having short- suppliers/manufacturers can provide recommendations on term effects? the most protective glove/clothing material for your A: Yes, because long-term effects can occur from repeated operation. exposures to a chemical at levels not high enough to make * All protective clothing (suits, gloves, footwear, headgear) you immediately sick. should be clean, available each day, and put on before work. Q: What are my chances of getting sick when I have been Eye Protection exposed to chemicals? A: The likelihood of becoming sick from chemicals is * Wear indirect-vent, impact and splash resistant goggles increased as the amount of exposure increases. This is when working with liquids. determined by the length of time and the amount of * Wear a face shield along with goggles when working with material to which someone is exposed. corrosive, highly irritating or toxic substances. Respiratory Protection Q: When are higher exposures more likely? A: Conditions which increase risk of exposure include IMPROPER USE OF RESPIRATORS IS DANGEROUS. physical and mechanical processes (heating, pouring, Such equipment should only be used if the employer has a spraying, spills and evaporation from large surface areas written program that takes into