Common Name: PHOSPHORUS TRICHLORIDE CAS Number: 7719-12-2 RTK Substance number: 1530 DOT Number: UN 1809 Date: January 1988 Revision: March 2001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- HAZARD SUMMARY * Phosphorus Trichloride can affect you when breathed in. Hazard Communication Standard, 1910.1200, requires private * Phosphorus Trichloride is a CORROSIVE CHEMICAL employers to provide similar training and information to their and contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes employees. with possible eye damage. * Breathing Phosphorus Trichloride can irritate the nose * Exposure to hazardous substances should be routinely and throat. evaluated. This may include collecting personal and area air * Breathing Phosphorus Trichloride can irritate the lungs samples. You can obtain copies of sampling results from causing coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher your employer. You have a legal right to this information exposures can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs under OSHA 1910.1020. (pulmonary edema), a medical emergency, with severe * If you think you are experiencing any work-related health shortness of breath. problems, see a doctor trained to recognize occupational * High exposure to Phosphorus Trichloride can cause diseases. Take this Fact Sheet with you. nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness and loss of appetite. * Phosphorus Trichloride can irritate the lungs (asthma-like WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS bronchitis and emphysema). Repeated exposure may cause OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit bronchitis to develop with cough, phlegm, and/or shortness (PEL) is 0.5 ppm averaged over an 8-hour of breath. workshift. * Phosphorus Trichloride may damage the kidneys and may affect the liver. NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is * Phosphorus Trichloride is a REACTIVE CHEMICAL 0.2 ppm averaged over a 10-hour workshift and and an EXPLOSION HAZARD. 0.5 ppm, not to be exceeded during any 15 minute work period. IDENTIFICATION Phosphorus Trichloride is a colorless, clear, fuming liquid ACGIH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is with a strong odor. It is used in gasoline additives and textile 0.2 ppm averaged over an 8-hour workshift and finishing, and to make other chemicals, pesticides, dyestuffs, 0.5 ppm as a STEL (short term exposure limit). catalysts and plasticizers. WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE REASON FOR CITATION * Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust * Phosphorus Trichloride is on the Hazardous Substance ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust List because it is regulated by OSHA and cited by ACGIH, ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be DOT, NIOSH, DEP, NFPA and EPA. worn. * This chemical is on the Special Health Hazard Substance * Wear protective work clothing. List because it is CORROSIVE and REACTIVE. * Wash thoroughly immediately after exposure to * Definitions are provided on page 5. Phosphorus Trichloride and at the end of the workshift. * Post hazard and warning information in the work area. In HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING addition, as part of an ongoing education and training EXPOSED effort, communicate all information on the health and safety The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most employers to hazards of Phosphorus Trichloride to potentially exposed label chemicals in the workplace and requires public employers workers. to provide their employees with information and training concerning chemical hazards and controls. The federal OSHA PHOSPHORUS TRICHLORIDE page 2 of 6 This Fact Sheet is a summary source of information of all If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the potential and most severe health hazards that may result from following are recommended: exposure. Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance and other factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the * Consider chest x-ray after acute overexposure. potential effects described below. * Liver and kidney function tests. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for damage already done are not a substitute for controlling Acute Health Effects exposure. The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur immediately or shortly after exposure to Phosphorus Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right Trichloride: to this information under OSHA 1910.1020. * Contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes Mixed Exposures with possible eye damage. * Because smoking can cause heart disease, as well as lung * Breathing Phosphorus Trichloride can irritate the nose cancer, emphysema, and other respiratory problems, it may and throat. worsen respiratory conditions caused by chemical exposure. * Breathing Phosphorus Trichloride can irritate the lungs Even if you have smoked for a long time, stopping now will causing coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher reduce your risk of developing health problems. exposures can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs * Because more than light alcohol consumption can cause (pulmonary edema), a medical emergency, with severe liver damage, drinking alcohol may increase the liver shortness of breath. damage caused by Phosphorus Trichloride. * High exposure to Phosphorus Trichloride can cause nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness and loss of appetite. WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES Chronic Health Effects Unless a less toxic chemical can be substituted for a hazardous The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at substance, ENGINEERING CONTROLS are the most some time after exposure to Phosphorus Trichloride and can effective way of reducing exposure. The best protection is to last for months or years: enclose operations and/or provide local exhaust ventilation at the site of chemical release. Isolating operations can also Cancer Hazard reduce exposure. Using respirators or protective equipment is * According to the information presently available to the New less effective than the controls mentioned above, but is Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, sometimes necessary. Phosphorus Trichloride has not been tested for its ability to cause cancer in animals. In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: (1) how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the Reproductive Hazard substance is released into the workplace and (3) whether * According to the information presently available to the New harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls should be in place for highly toxic chemicals or when Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, significant skin, eye, or breathing exposures are possible. Phosphorus Trichloride has not been tested for its ability to affect reproduction. In addition, the following controls are recommended: Other Long-Term Effects * Where possible, automatically pump liquid Phosphorus * Phosphorus Trichloride can irritate the lungs (asthma-like Trichloride from drums or other storage containers to bronchitis and emphysema). Repeated exposure may cause process containers. bronchitis to develop with cough, phlegm, and/or shortness * Before entering a confined space where Phosphorus of breath. Trichloride may be present, check to make sure that an * Phosphorus Trichloride may damage the kidneys and may explosive concentration does not exist. affect the liver. Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous MEDICAL exposures. The following work practices are recommended: Medical Testing * Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by For those with frequent or potentially high exposure (half the Phosphorus Trichloride should change into clean clothing TLV or greater), the following are recommended before promptly. beginning work and at regular times after that: * Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by individuals who have been informed of the hazards of * Lung function tests. exposure to Phosphorus Trichloride. PHOSPHORUS TRICHLORIDE page 3 of 6 * Eye wash fountains should be provided in the immediate operated in a pressure-demand or other positive-pressure work area for emergency use. mode. * If there is the possibility of skin exposure, emergency * Exposure to 25 ppm is immediately dangerous to life and shower facilities should be provided. health. If the possibility of exposure above 25 ppm exists, * On skin contact with Phosphorus Trichloride, use a MSHA/NIOSH approved self-contained breathing immediately wash or shower to remove the chemical. At apparatus with a full facepiece operated in a pressure- the end of the workshift, wash any areas of the body that demand or other positive-pressure mode. may have contacted Phosphorus Trichloride, whether or not known skin contact has occurred. HANDLING AND STORAGE * Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Phosphorus Trichloride is handled, processed, or stored, since the chemical can be * Prior to working with Phosphorus Trichloride you should swallowed. Wash hands carefully before eating, drinking, be trained on its proper handling and storage. smoking, or using the toilet. * Phosphorus Trichloride reacts with WATER to produce flammable and/or explosive gas. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT * Phosphorus Trichloride must be stored to avoid contact with OXIDIZING AGENTS (such as PERCHLORATES, WORKPLACE CONTROLS ARE BETTER THAN PEROXIDES, PERMANGANATES,