Common Name: HYDROGEN SELENIDE CAS Number: 7783-07-5 RTK Substance number: 1016 DOT Number: UN 2202 Date: May 1999 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- HAZARD SUMMARY HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING * Hydrogen Selenide can affect you when breathed in and EXPOSED may be absorbed through the skin. The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most employers * Hydrogen Selenide can irritate the skin causing a rash or to label chemicals in the workplace and requires public burning feeling on contact. employers to provide their employees with information and * Exposure to Hydrogen Selenide can irritate the eyes, training concerning chemical hazards and controls. The nose, and throat. federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, 1910.1200, * Exposure to the liquified compressed gas can cause requires private employers to provide similar training and frostbite. information to their employees. * Breathing Hydrogen Selenide can irritate the lungs causing coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher * Exposure to hazardous substances should be routinely exposures can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs evaluated. This may include collecting personal and area (pulmonary edema), a medical emergency, with severe air samples. You can obtain copies of sampling results shortness of breath. from your employer. You have a legal right to this * Exposure to Hydrogen Selenide can cause dizziness, information under OSHA 1910.1020. fatigue, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. * If you think you are experiencing any work-related health * Repeated exposure can cause garlic breath, metallic taste, problems, see a doctor trained to recognize occupational nail or deformities, mood changes, loss of sense of smell, diseases. Take this Fact Sheet with you. and tremor. It may also cause low red blood cell count (anemia). WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS * Hydrogen Selenide may damage the liver. OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit * Hydrogen Selenide is a HIGHLY FLAMMABLE GAS (PEL) is 0.05 ppm averaged over an 8-hour and a DANGEROUS FIRE HAZARD. workshift. IDENTIFICATION NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is Hydrogen Selenide is a colorless gas with an odor like 0.05 ppm averaged over a 10-hour workshift. decayed horseradish. It is used in the manufacture of organoselenium compounds and in semiconductors. ACGIH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is 0.05 ppm averaged over an 8-hour workshift. REASON FOR CITATION * Hydrogen Selenide is on the Hazardous Substance List * The above exposure limits are for air levels only. When because it is regulated by OSHA and cited by ACGIH, skin contact also occurs, you may be overexposed, even DOT, NIOSH and EPA. though air levels are less than the limits listed above. * This chemical is on the Special Health Hazard Substance List because it is FLAMMABLE. WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE * Definitions are provided on page 5. * Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be worn. HYDROGEN SELENIDE page 2 of 6 * Wear protective work clothing. Other Long-Term Effects * Wash thoroughly immediately after exposure to Hydrogen * Repeated exposure can cause garlic breath, metallic taste, Selenide and at the end of the workshift. nail deformities, mood changes, loss of sense of smell, and * On skin contact with liquified Hydrogen Selenide, tremor. It may also cause low blood cell count (anemia). immediately submerse the affected body part in warm * Hydrogen Selenide can irritate the lungs. Repeated water. exposure may cause bronchitis to develop with cough, * Post hazard and warning information in the work area. In phlegm, and/or shortness of breath. addition, as part of an ongoing education and training * Hydrogen Selenide may damage the liver. effort, communicate all information on the health and safety hazards of Hydrogen Selenide to potentially MEDICAL exposed workers. Medical Testing This Fact Sheet is a summary source of information of all For those with frequent or potentially high exposure (half the potential and most severe health hazards that may result from TLV or greater), the following are recommended before exposure. Duration of exposure, concentration of the beginning work and at regular times after that: substance and other factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the potential effects described below. * Urine test for Selenium (normal is less than 100 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- micrograms per liter of urine). * Liver function tests. HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION * Complete blood cell count. Acute Health Effects If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur following is recommended: immediately or shortly after exposure to Hydrogen Selenide: * Consider chest x-ray after acute overexposure. * Hydrogen Selenide can irritate the skin causing a rash or burning feeling on contact. Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and * Exposure to Hydrogen Selenide can irritate the eyes, present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for nose, and throat. damage already done are not a substitute for controlling * Exposure to the liquified compressed gas can cause exposure. frostbite. * Breathing Hydrogen Selenide can irritate the lungs Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal causing coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher right to this information under OSHA 1910.1020. exposures can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), a medical emergency, with severe shortness of breath. Mixed Exposures * Exposure to Hydrogen Selenide can cause dizziness, * Because smoking can cause heart disease, as well as lung cancer, emphysema, and other respiratory problems, it may fatigue, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. worsen respiratory conditions caused by chemical Chronic Health Effects exposure. Even if you have smoked for a long time, stopping now will reduce your risk of developing health The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at problems. some time after exposure to Hydrogen Selenide and can last for months or years: WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES Cancer Hazard * There is no evidence that Hydrogen Selenide causes Unless a less toxic chemical can be substituted for a hazardous cancer in animals. This is based on test results presently substance, ENGINEERING CONTROLS are the most available to the New Jersey Department of Health and effective way of reducing exposure. The best protection is to Senior Services from published studies. enclose operations and/or provide local exhaust ventilation at the site of chemical release. Isolating operations can also Reproductive Hazard reduce exposure. Using respirators or protective equipment is * There is no evidence that Hydrogen Selenide affects less effective than the controls mentioned above, but is reproduction. This is based on test results presently sometimes necessary. available to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services from published studies. In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: (1) how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the substance is released into the workplace and (3) whether harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls should be in place for highly toxic chemicals or when significant skin, eye, or breathing exposures are possible. In addition, the following controls are recommended: * All protective clothing (suits, gloves, footwear, headgear) should be clean, available each day, and put on before * Where possible, automatically transfer Hydrogen work. Selenide from cylinders to process containers. * Before entering a confined space where Hydrogen Eye Protection Selenide may be present, check to make sure that an * Wear non-vented, impact resistant goggles when working explosive concentration does not exist. with fumes, gases, or vapors. * Wear a face shield along with goggles when working with Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous corrosive, highly irritating or toxic substances. exposures. The following work practices are recommended: Respiratory Protection * Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by IMPROPER USE OF RESPIRATORS IS DANGEROUS. Hydrogen Selenide should change into clean clothing Such equipment should only be used if the employer has a promptly. written program that takes into account workplace conditions, * Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by requirements for worker training, respirator fit testing and individuals who have been informed of the hazards of medical exams, as described in OSHA 1910.134. exposure to Hydrogen Selenide. * Eye wash fountains should be provided in the immediate * Where the potential exists for exposure over 0.05 ppm, work area for emergency use. use a MSHA/NIOSH approved supplied-air respirator with * If there is the possibility of skin exposure, emergency a full facepiece operated in a pressure-demand or other shower facilities should be provided. positive-pressure mode. For increased protection use in * On skin contact with Hydrogen Selenide, immediately combination with an auxiliary self-contained breathing wash or shower to remove the chemical. At the end of the apparatus operated in a pressure-demand or other positive- workshift, wash any areas of the body that may have pressure mode. contacted Hydrogen