Common Name: NITROGLYCERIN CAS Number: 55-63-0 DOT Number: UN 0143 UN 3064 UN 0144 UN 3319 RTK Substance number: 1383 UN 1204 Date: January 1986 Revision: July 2001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- HAZARD SUMMARY HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING * Nitroglycerin can affect you when breathed in and by EXPOSED passing through your skin. The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most employers * Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. to label chemicals in the workplace and requires public * High levels can interfere with the ability of the blood to employers to provide their employees with information and carry Oxygen causing headache, fatigue, dizziness, and a training concerning chemical hazards and controls. The blue color to the skin and lips (methemoglobinemia). federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, 1910.1200, Higher levels can cause trouble breathing, collapse and requires private employers to provide similar training and even death. information to their employees. * Nitroglycerin can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. * Exposure to hazardous substances should be routinely * Higher exposure can cause headache, dizziness, evaluated. This may include collecting personal and area lightheadedness, tremors, convulsions, mental confusion air samples. You can obtain copies of sampling results and even death. from your employer. You have a legal right to this * Nitroglycerin may cause a skin allergy. If allergy information under OSHA 1910.1020. develops, very low future exposure can cause itching and a * If you think you are experiencing any work-related health skin rash. problems, see a doctor trained to recognize occupational * Angina (chest pain) or heart attack can occur if exposure diseases. Take this Fact Sheet with you. stops suddenly. * Nitroglycerin is a HIGHLY REACTIVE CHEMICAL WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS and a DANGEROUS EXPLOSION HAZARD. OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit * Nitroglycerin is often mixed with Ethylene Glycol (PEL) is 2 mg/m3, not to be exceeded at any Dinitrate. CONSULT THE NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT time. OF HEALTH AND SENIOR SERVICES HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE FACT SHEET ON ETHYLENE GLYCOL NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is DINITRATE. 0.1 mg/m3, which should not be exceeded in any 15 minute work period. IDENTIFICATION Nitroglycerin is a pale yellow liquid or crystalline solid. It is ACGIH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is used in making explosives, rocket propellants and medicine. 0.46 mg/m3 averaged over an 8-hour workshift. It is often mixed with Ethylene Glycol Dinitrate to make dynamite. * The above exposure limits are for air levels only. When skin contact also occurs, you may be overexposed, even REASON FOR CITATION though air levels are less than the limits listed above. * Nitroglycerin is on the Hazardous Substance List because it is regulated by OSHA and cited by ACGIH, DOT, WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE NIOSH, DEP, NFPA and EPA. * Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust * This chemical is on the Special Health Hazard Substance ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust List because it is REACTIVE. ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be * Definitions are provided on page 5. worn. * Wear protective work clothing. NITROGLYCERIN page 2 of 6 * Wash thoroughly immediately after exposure to MEDICAL Nitroglycerin and at the end of the workshift * Post hazard and warning information in the work area. In Medical Testing addition, as part of an ongoing education and training If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the effort, communicate all information on the health and safety following are recommended: hazards of Nitroglycerin to potentially exposed workers. * Evaluation by a qualified allergist, including careful -------------------------------------------------------------------------- exposure history and special testing, may help diagnose This Fact Sheet is a summary source of information of all skin allergy. potential and most severe health hazards that may result from * EKG (immediately, if any chest discomfort is felt). exposure. Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance * Blood methemoglobin level. and other factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the potential effects described below. Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and --------------------------------------------------------------------------- present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for damage already done are not a substitute for controlling HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION exposure. Acute Health Effects Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur to this information under OSHA 1910.1020. immediately or shortly after exposure to Nitroglycerin: Conditions Made Worse By Exposure * Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. * Nitroglycerin has a very strong effect on the heart and * High levels can interfere with the ability of the blood to blood vessels. If you have any condition affecting you carry Oxygen causing headache, fatigue, dizziness, and a heart or circulation, see a doctor before working with blue color to the skin and lips (methemoglobinemia). Nitroglycerin. Higher levels can cause trouble breathing, collapse and even death. WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES * Nitroglycerin can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Unless a less toxic chemical can be substituted for a hazardous * Higher exposure can cause headache, dizziness, substance, ENGINEERING CONTROLS are the most lightheadedness, tremors, convulsions, mental confusion effective way of reducing exposure. The best protection is to and even death. enclose operations and/or provide local exhaust ventilation at the site of chemical release. Isolating operations can also Chronic Health Effects reduce exposure. Using respirators or protective equipment is The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at less effective than the controls mentioned above, but is some time after exposure to Nitroglycerin and can last for sometimes necessary. months or years: In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: Cancer Hazard (1) how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the * According to the information presently available to the New substance is released into the workplace and (3) whether Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls Nitroglycerin has not been tested for its ability to cause should be in place for highly toxic chemicals or when cancer in animals. significant skin, eye, or breathing exposures are possible. Reproductive Hazard In addition, the following controls are recommended: * There is no evidence that Nitroglycerin affects reproduction. This is based on test results presently * Where possible, automatically transfer solid Nitroglycerin available to the New Jersey Department of Health and or pump liquid Nitroglycerin from drums or other storage Senior Services from published studies. containers to process containers. * Before entering a confined space where Nitroglycerin may Other Long-Term Effects be present, check to make sure that an explosive * Nitroglycerin may cause a skin allergy. If allergy develops, concentration does not exist. very low future exposure can cause itching and a skin rash. * Angina (chest pain) or heart attack can occur if exposure Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous stops suddenly. exposures. The following work practices are recommended: * Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by Nitroglycerin should change into clean clothing promptly. * Do not take contaminated work clothes home. Family members could be exposed. NITROGLYCERIN page 3 of 6 * Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by Respiratory Protection individuals who have been informed of the hazards of IMPROPER USE OF RESPIRATORS IS DANGEROUS. exposure to Nitroglycerin. Such equipment should only be used if the employer has a * Eye wash fountains should be provided in the immediate written program that takes into account workplace conditions, work area for emergency use. requirements for worker training, respirator fit testing and * If there is the possibility of skin exposure, emergency medical exams, as described in OSHA 1910.134. shower facilities should be provided. 3 * On skin contact with Nitroglycerin, immediately wash or * Where the potential exists for exposure over 0.1 mg/m , shower to remove the chemical. At the end of the use a MSHA/NIOSH approved supplied-air respirator with workshift, wash any areas of the body that may have a full facepiece operated in a pressure-demand or other contacted Nitroglycerin, whether or not known skin positive-pressure mode. For increased protection use in contact has occurred. combination with an auxiliary self-contained breathing * Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Nitroglycerin is apparatus operated in a pressure-demand or other positive- handled, processed, or stored, since the chemical can be pressure mode. 3 swallowed. Wash hands carefully before eating, drinking, * Exposure to 75 mg/m is immediately dangerous to life and 3 smoking, or using the toilet. health. If the possibility of exposure above 75 mg/m * Keep the work area as clean as possible and remove any exists, use a MSHA/NIOSH approved self-contained dust that may generate sparks. breathing