Common Name: PLATINUM TETRACHLORIDE CAS Number: 13454-96-1 RTK Substance number: 2689 DOT Number: None Date: May 2002 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- HAZARD SUMMARY WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS * Platinum Tetrachloride can affect you when breathed in. The following exposure limits are for soluble Platinum salts * Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. (measured as Platinum): * Breathing Platinum Tetrachloride can irritate the nose, throat and lungs causing coughing, wheezing and/or OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit 3 shortness of breath. (PEL) is 0.002 mg/m averaged over an 8-hour * High exposure may cause seizures, coma, and death. workshift. * Platinum Tetrachloride may cause a skin allergy. If allergy develops, very low future exposure can cause NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is 3 itching and a skin rash. 0.002 mg/m averaged over a 10-hour workshift. * Platinum Tetrachloride may cause an asthma-like allergy. Future exposure can cause asthma attacks with ACGIH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is 3 shortness of breath, wheezing, cough, and/or chest 0.002 mg/m averaged over an 8-hour workshift. tightness. WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE IDENTIFICATION * Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust Platinum Tetrachloride is a brown-red, sand-like solid. It is ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust used as a catalyst for other chemicals. ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be worn. REASON FOR CITATION * Wear protective work clothing. * Platinum Tetrachloride is on the Hazardous Substance * Wash thoroughly immediately after exposure to Platinum List because it is regulated by OSHA and cited by ACGIH Tetrachloride and at the end of the workshift. NIOSH and EPA. * 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 Platinum Tetrachloride to potentially exposed workers. EXPOSED 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. * If you think you are experiencing any work-related health problems, see a doctor trained to recognize occupational diseases. Take this Fact Sheet with you. PLATINUM TETRACHLORIDE 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 substance damage already done are not a substitute for controlling and other factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the exposure. 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 Platinum worsen respiratory conditions caused by chemical exposure. Tetrachloride: Even if you have smoked for a long time, stopping now will reduce your risk of developing health problems. * Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. * Breathing Platinum Tetrachloride can irritate the nose, WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES throat and lungs causing coughing, wheezing and/or shortness of breath. Unless a less toxic chemical can be substituted for a hazardous * High exposure may cause seizures, coma, and death. substance, ENGINEERING CONTROLS are the most effective way of reducing exposure. The best protection is to Chronic Health Effects enclose operations and/or provide local exhaust ventilation at The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at the site of chemical release. Isolating operations can also some time after exposure to Platinum Tetrachloride and can reduce exposure. Using respirators or protective equipment is last for months or years: less effective than the controls mentioned above, but is sometimes necessary. Cancer Hazard * According to the information presently available to the New In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Platinum (1) how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the Tetrachloride has not been tested for its ability to cause substance is released into the workplace and (3) whether cancer in animals. harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls should be in place for highly toxic chemicals or when Reproductive Hazard significant skin, eye, or breathing exposures are possible. * According to the information presently available to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Platinum In addition, the following control is recommended: Tetrachloride has not been tested for its ability to affect reproduction. * Where possible, automatically transfer Platinum Tetrachloride from drums or other storage containers to Other Long-Term Effects process containers. * Platinum Tetrachloride 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: * Platinum Tetrachloride may cause an asthma-like allergy. Future exposure can cause asthma attacks with shortness of * Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by breath, wheezing, cough, and/or chest tightness. Platinum Tetrachloride should change into clean clothing promptly. MEDICAL * Do not take contaminated work clothes home. Family members could be exposed. * Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by Medical Testing individuals who have been informed of the hazards of If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the exposure to Platinum Tetrachloride. following are recommended: * Eye wash fountains should be provided in the immediate work area for emergency use. * Evaluation by a qualified allergist, including careful * If there is the possibility of skin exposure, emergency exposure history and special testing, may help diagnose shower facilities should be provided. skin allergy. * On skin contact with Platinum Tetrachloride, immediately * Lung function tests. These may be normal if the person is wash or shower to remove the chemical. At the end of the not having an attack at the time of the test. workshift, wash any areas of the body that may have contacted Platinum Tetrachloride, whether or not known skin contact has occurred. * Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Platinum Tetrachloride is handled, processed, or stored, since the chemical can be PLATINUM TETRACHLORIDE page 3 of 6 swallowed. Wash hands carefully before eating, drinking, * Exposure to 4 mg/m3 (as Platinum) is immediately applying cosmetics, smoking, or using the toilet. dangerous to life and health. If the possibility of exposure * Use a vacuum or a wet method to reduce dust during clean- above 4 mg/m3 (as Platinum) exists, use a NIOSH up. DO NOT DRY SWEEP. approved self-contained breathing apparatus with a full facepiece operated in a pressure-demand or other positive- PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT pressure mode. WORKPLACE CONTROLS ARE BETTER THAN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. However, for some jobs (such as outside work, confined space entry, jobs Q: If I have acute health effects, will I later get chronic done only once in a while, or jobs done while workplace health effects? controls are being installed), personal protective equipment A: Not always. Most chronic (long-term) effects result from may be appropriate. repeated exposures to a chemical. OSHA 1910.132 requires employers to determine the appropriate personal protective equipment for each hazard and Q: Can I get long-term effects without ever having short- to train employees on how and when to use protective term effects? equipment. A: Yes, because long-term effects can occur from repeated The following recommendations are only guidelines and may exposures to a chemical at levels not high enough to make not apply to every situation. you immediately sick. Clothing Q: What are my chances of getting sick when I have been * Avoid skin contact with Platinum Tetrachloride. Wear exposed to chemicals? protective gloves and clothing. Safety equipment A: The likelihood of becoming sick from chemicals is suppliers/manufacturers can provide recommendations on increased as the amount of exposure increases. This is the most protective glove/clothing material for your determined by the length of time and the amount of operation. material to which someone is