Right to Know
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Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet Common Name: ZINC CHLORIDE Synonyms: Butter of Zinc; Tinning Flux; Zinc Dichloride CAS Number: 7646-85-7 Chemical Name: Zinc Chloride (ZnCl2) RTK Substance Number: 2030 Date: December 2000 Revision: January 2010 DOT Number: UN 2331 Description and Use EMERGENCY RESPONDERS >>>> SEE LAST PAGE Zinc Chloride is an odorless, white, crystalline (sand-like) Hazard Summary granule or powder. It is used in soldering flux and iron Hazard Rating NJDOH NFPA galvanizing, as a screening smoke for crowd control and wood HEALTH 3 - preservative, and in making agricultural chemicals, FLAMMABILITY 0 - pharmaceuticals, and textiles. REACTIVITY 0 - CORROSIVE POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE Reasons for Citation f Zinc Chloride is on the Right to Know Hazardous Substance List because it is cited by OSHA, ACGIH, DOT, Hazard Rating Key: 0=minimal; 1=slight; 2=moderate; 3=serious; 4=severe NIOSH, IRIS and EPA. f This chemical is on the Special Health Hazard Substance f Zinc Chloride can affect you when inhaled. List. f Zinc Chloride is a CORROSIVE CHEMICAL and contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes with possible eye damage. f Exposure to Zinc Chloride can irritate the nose and throat. f Inhaling Zinc Chloride can irritate the lungs causing SEE GLOSSARY ON PAGE 5. coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher exposures may cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), a FIRST AID medical emergency, with severe shortness of breath. f Zinc Chloride can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and Eye Contact abdominal pain. f Immediately flush with large amounts of water for at least 30 minutes, lifting upper and lower lids. Remove contact lenses, if worn, while flushing. Seek medical attention immediately. Workplace Exposure Limits Skin Contact The following exposure limits are for Zinc Chloride fume: f Quickly remove contaminated clothing. Immediately wash OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit (PEL) is contaminated skin with large amounts of soap and water. 3 Seek medical attention immediately. 1 mg/m averaged over an 8-hour workshift. NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit (REL) is Inhalation 1 mg/m3 averaged over a 10-hour workshift and f Remove the person from exposure. 3 2 mg/m , not to be exceeded during any 15-minute f Begin rescue breathing (using universal precautions) if work period. breathing has stopped and CPR if heart action has stopped. f Transfer promptly to a medical facility. ACGIH: The threshold limit value (TLV) is 1 mg/m3 averaged f Medical observation is recommended for 24 to 48 hours after over an 8-hour workshift and 2 mg/m3 as a STEL overexposure, as pulmonary edema may be delayed. (short-term exposure limit). EMERGENCY NUMBERS Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222 CHEMTREC: 1-800-424-9300 NJDEP Hotline: 1-877-927-6337 National Response Center: 1-800-424-8802 ZINC CHLORIDE Page 2 of 6 Determining Your Exposure Other Effects f Prolonged contact can cause skin burn, and ulcers. f Read the product manufacturer’s Material Safety Data f Repeated exposure to Zinc Chloride can cause scarring of Sheet (MSDS) and the label to determine product the lungs ingredients and important safety and health information about the product mixture. f For each individual hazardous ingredient, read the New Medical Jersey Department of Health Hazardous Substance Fact Medical Testing Sheet, available on the RTK website For frequent or potentially high exposure (half the PEL or (www.nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb) or in your facility’s RTK greater), the following are recommended before beginning Central File or Hazard Communication Standard file. work and at regular times after that: f You have a right to this information under the New Jersey f Lung function tests Worker and Community Right to Know Act and the Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH) Act If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the if you are a public worker in New Jersey, and under the following is recommended: federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) if you are a private worker. f Consider chest x-ray after acute overexposure f The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and employers to label chemicals in the workplace and present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for requires public employers to provide their employees with damage already done are not a substitute for controlling information concerning chemical hazards and controls. exposure. The federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right CFR 1910.1200) and the PEOSH Hazard Communication to this information under the OSHA Access to Employee Standard (N.J.A.C. 12:100-7) require employers to provide Exposure and Medical Records Standard (29 CFR 1910.1020). similar information and training to their employees. Mixed Exposures This Fact Sheet is a summary of available information f Smoking can cause heart disease, lung cancer, regarding the health hazards that may result from exposure. emphysema, and other respiratory problems. It may worsen Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance and other respiratory conditions caused by chemical exposure. Even if factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the potential you have smoked for a long time, stopping now will reduce effects described below. your risk of developing health problems. Health Hazard Information Acute Health Effects The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur immediately or shortly after exposure to Zinc Chloride: f Contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes with possible eye damage. f Exposure to Zinc Chloride can irritate the nose and throat. f Inhaling Zinc Chloride can irritate the lungs. Higher exposures may cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), a medical emergency. f Zinc Chloride can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Chronic Health Effects The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at some time after exposure to Zinc Chloride and can last for months or years: Cancer Hazard f While Zinc Chloride has been tested, it is not classifiable as to its potential to cause cancer. Reproductive Hazard f Zinc Chloride may damage the developing fetus. ZINC CHLORIDE Page 3 of 6 Workplace Controls and Practices Eye Protection Very toxic chemicals, or those that are reproductive hazards or f Wear eye protection with side shields or goggles. sensitizers, require expert advice on control measures if a less f Wear a face shield along with goggles when working with toxic chemical cannot be substituted. Control measures corrosive, highly irritating or toxic substances. include: (1) enclosing chemical processes for severely irritating and corrosive chemicals, (2) using local exhaust Respiratory Protection ventilation for chemicals that may be harmful with a single Improper use of respirators is dangerous. Respirators exposure, and (3) using general ventilation to control should only be used if the employer has implemented a written exposures to skin and eye irritants. For further information on program that takes into account workplace conditions, workplace controls, consult the NIOSH document on Control requirements for worker training, respirator fit testing, and Banding at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ctrlbanding/. medical exams, as described in the OSHA Respiratory The following work practices are also recommended: Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134). 3 f Label process containers. f Where the potential exists for exposure over 1 mg/m , use a f Provide employees with hazard information and training. NIOSH approved negative pressure, air-purifying, particulate f Monitor airborne chemical concentrations. filter respirator with an N, R or P95 filter. More protection is f Use engineering controls if concentrations exceed provided by a full facepiece respirator than by a half-mask recommended exposure levels. respirator, and even greater protection is provided by a f Provide eye wash fountains and emergency showers. powered-air purifying respirator. f Wash or shower if skin comes in contact with a hazardous f Leave the area immediately if (1) while wearing a filter or material. cartridge respirator you can smell, taste, or otherwise detect f Always wash at the end of the workshift. Zinc Chloride, (2) while wearing particulate filters abnormal f Change into clean clothing if clothing becomes resistance to breathing is experienced, or (3) eye irritation contaminated. occurs while wearing a full facepiece respirator. Check to f Do not take contaminated clothing home. make sure the respirator-to-face seal is still good. If it is, f Get special training to wash contaminated clothing. replace the filter or cartridge. If the seal is no longer good, f Do not eat, smoke, or drink in areas where chemicals are you may need a new respirator. being handled, processed or stored. f Consider all potential sources of exposure in your workplace. f Wash hands carefully before eating, smoking, drinking, You may need a combination of filters, prefilters or cartridges applying cosmetics or using the toilet. to protect against different forms of a chemical (such as vapor and mist) or against a mixture of chemicals. 3 In addition, the following may be useful or required: f Where the potential exists for exposure over 10 mg/m , use a NIOSH approved supplied-air respirator with a full f Use a vacuum or a wet method to reduce dust during clean- facepiece operated in a pressure-demand or other positive- up. DO NOT DRY SWEEP. pressure mode. For increased protection use in combination with an auxiliary self-contained breathing apparatus or an emergency escape air cylinder. f Exposure to 50 mg/m3 is immediately dangerous to life and Personal Protective Equipment health. If the possibility of exposure above 50 mg/m3 exists, use a NIOSH approved self-contained breathing apparatus The OSHA Personal Protective Equipment Standard (29 CFR with a full facepiece operated in a pressure-demand or other 1910.132) requires employers to determine the appropriate positive-pressure mode equipped with an emergency escape personal protective equipment for each hazard and to train air cylinder.