CHEMICAL HAZARDS

AND SAFETY
CLASSIFICATION
SYSTEMS
WHAT IS A CHEMICAL HAZARD
 The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines a
hazardous chemical as any chemical which is a physical hazard or a
health hazard.

 Physical hazard means a chemical for which there is evidence that it

is a combustible liquid, a compressed gas, explosive, flammable,
an organic peroxide, an oxidizer, pyrophoric, unstable (reactive),
or water-reactive. 

 Health hazard means a chemical for which there is evidence that

acute (immediate) or chronic (delayed) health effects may occur in
over-exposed people. These include chemicals which
are carcinogens, toxic or highly toxic, reproductive
toxins, irritants, corrosives, sensitizers, hepatotoxins, nephrotoxins, 
neurotoxins, agents which act on the hematopoietic system,
and agents which damage the lungs, skin, eyes, or mucous
membranes 
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE
HAZARDOUS NATURE OF A CHEMICAL
Several factors can influence how a chemical will behave and
the hazards the chemical presents, including the severity of
the response:
 
 Concentration of the chemical. 

 Physical state of the chemical (solid, liquid, gas). 

 Physical processes involved in using the chemical (cutting, grinding,

heating, cooling, etc.). 

 Chemical processes involved in using the chemical (mixing with

other chemicals, purification, distillation, etc.). 

 Other processes (improper storage, addition of moisture, storage in

sunlight, refrigeration, etc.).
NFPA CHEMICAL HAZARD
SYMBOLS
 The National Fire Protection Association hazard
identification signal is a color-coded array of four
numbers or letters arranged in a diamond shape.
 Can be seen on trucks, storage tanks, bottles of
chemicals, and in various other places.
 The blue, red, and yellow fields (health,
flammability, and reactivity) all use a numbering
scale ranging from 0 to 4. A value of zero means
that the material poses essentially no hazard; a
rating of four indicates extreme danger. The fourth
value (associated with white) tends to be more
variable, both in meaning and in what letters or
numbers are written.
NFPA CHEMICAL HAZARD
SYMBOLS
NFPA CHEMICAL HAZARD
SYMBOLS
BLUE- HEALTH HAZARD

 0- Material that on exposure under fire conditions would

offer no hazard beyond that of ordinary combustible
material eg: peanut oil
 1-Material that on exposure would cause irritation but
only minor residual injury eg: turpentine
 2-Material that on intense or continued but not chronic
exposure could cause temporary incapacitation or possible
residual injury eg: ammonia gas
 3-Material that on short exposure could cause serious
temporary or residual injury eg: chlorine gas
 4-Material that on very short exposure could cause death
or major residual injury eg: hydrogen cyanide
NFPA CHEMICAL HAZARD
SYMBOLS
RED FLAMMABILITY

0-Material will not burn eg: water

1-Material must be pre-heated before ignition can occur eg:
corn oil
2-Material must be moderately heated or exposed to
relatively high ambient temperature before ignition can
occur eg: diesel fuel oil
3-Liquids and solids that can be ignited under almost all
ambient temperature conditions eg: gasoline
4-Materials that will rapidly or completely vaporize at
atmospheric pressure and normal ambient temperature,
or that are readily dispersed in air and that will burn
readily eg: propane gas
NFPA CHEMICAL HAZARD
SYMBOLS
YELLOW- REACTIVITY

0-Material that in itself is normally stable, even under fire exposure

conditions, and is not reactive with water eg: liquid nitrogen
1-Material that in itself is normally stable, but which can become
unstable at elevated temperatures and pressures eg: phosphorus (red
or white)
2-Material that readily undergoes violent chemical change at elevated
temperatures and pressures or which reacts violently with water or
which may form explosive mixtures with water eg: calcium metal
3-Material that in itself is capable of detonation or explosive
decomposition or reaction but requires a strong initiating source or
which must be heated under confinement before initiation or which
reacts explosively with water eg: fluorine gas
4-Material that in itself is readily capable of detonation or of explosive
decomposition or reaction at normal temperatures and pressures eg:
trinitrotoluene (TNT)
NFPA CHEMICAL HAZARD
SYMBOLS
WHITE- SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS. PROTECTIVE
GEAR REQUIRED

-Material shows unusual reactivity with water

(i.e. don't put water on it) eg: magnesium metal

OX- Material possesses oxidizing properties eg:

ammonium nitrate (fertilizer used in Oklahoma
City bomb)
WHMIS CHEMICAL HAZARD
SYMBOLS
 WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials
Information System) uses classifications to
group chemicals with similar properties or
hazards. The Controlled Products Regulations
specifies the criteria used to place materials
within each classification.
 There are six (6) classes although several
classes have divisions or subdivisions. Each
class has a specific symbol to help people
identify the hazard quickly. 
WHMIS CHEMICAL HAZARD
SYMBOLS
 Class A - Compressed Gas
 Class B - Flammable and Combustible
Material
Division 1: Flammable Gas
Division 2: Flammable Liquid
Division 3: Combustible Liquid
Division 4: Flammable Solid
Division 5: Flammable Aerosol
Division 6: Reactive Flammable Material
 Class C - Oxidizing Material
WHMIS CHEMICAL HAZARD
SYMBOLS
 Class D - Poisonous and Infectious Material
Division 1: Materials causing immediate and serious
toxic effects
Subdivision A: Very toxic material
Subdivision B: Toxic material
Division 2: Materials causing other toxic effects
Subdivision A: Very toxic material
Subdivision B: Toxic material
Division 3: Biohazardous Infection Material
 Class E - Corrosive material
 Class F - Dangerously reactive material
WHMIS CHEMICAL HAZARD
SYMBOLS
CLASS A- COMPRESSED GAS
 Any material that is normally a gas which is placed under pressure or
chilled, and contained by a cylinder is considered to be a compressed
gas.
 These materials are dangerous because they are under pressure. If the
cylinder is broken, the container can 'rocket' or 'torpedo' at great
speeds. If the cylinder is heated (by fire or rise in temperature), the
gas may try to expand and the cylinder will explode. Leaking cylinders
are also a danger because the gas that comes out is very cold and it
may cause frostbite if it touches your skin (eg: carbon dioxide or
propane).
 Common examples include: compressed air, carbon dioxide, propane,
oxygen,e thylene oxide, and welding gases. The hazard symbol is a
picture of a cylinder or container of compressed gas surrounded by a
circle.
 Additional dangers may be present if the gas has other hazardous
properties. For example: propane is both a compressed gas and it will
burn easily. Propane would have two hazard symbols - the one for a
compressed gas and another to show that it is a flammable material.
CLASS B- FLAMMABLE AND
COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL
 Flammable means that the material will burn or catch
fire easily at normal temperatures (below 37.8 degrees
C).
 Combustible materials must usually be heated before
they catch fire at temperatures above normal
(between 37.8 and 93.3 deg C). Reactive flammable
materials are those which may suddenly start burning
when it touches air or water, or may react with air or
water to make a flammable gas. The material may be
a solid, liquid or gas which makes up the different
divisions that fall under this class.
 Common examples include: propane, butane,
acetylene, ethanol, acetone, turpentine, toluene,
kerosene, spray paints and varnish
CLASS C- OXIDISING MATERIALS
 Oxidizers do not usually burn themselves but they will
either help the fire by providing more oxygen or they may
cause materials that normally do not burn to suddenly
catch on fire (spontaneous combustion). In some cases, a
spark or flame (source of ignition) is not necessary for the
material to catch on fire but only the presence of an
oxidizer.
 Oxidizers can also be in the form of gases (oxygen,
ozone), liquids (nitric acid, perchloric acid solutions) and
solids (potassium permanganate, sodium chlorite). Some
oxidizers such as the organic peroxide family are
extremely hazardous because they will burn (they are
combustible) as well as they have the ability to provide
oxygen for the fire. They can have strong reactions which
can result in an explosion.
CLASS D- POISONOUS AND
INFECTIOUS MATERIALS
 Class D materials are those which can cause harm to
your body. They are divided into three major divisions.
 Division 1: Materials Causing Immediate and Serious
Toxic Effects
 These are materials that are very poisonous and
immediately dangerous to life and health. Serious
health effects such as burns, loss of consciousness,
coma or death within just minutes or hours after
exposure are grouped in this category. Most D-1
materials will also cause longer term effects as well
(those effects that are not noticed for months or
years). Examples of some D-1 materials include carbon
monoxide, sodium cyanide, sulphuric acid
CLASS D- POISONOUS AND
INFECTIOUS MATERIALS
 Division 2: Materials Causing Other Toxic Effects
 The materials that do not have immediate effects, however, may
still have very serious consequences such as cancer, allergies,
reproductive problems or harm to the baby, changes to your genes,
or irritation / sensitization which have resulted from small
exposures over a long period of time (chronic effects).
 Division 2 of Class D has two subclasses called D2A (very toxic) and
D2B (toxic).
 Products are typically classified as D2A (very toxic) if the chemical
has been shown to be carcinogenic, embryo toxic, teratogenic,
mutagenic (to reproductive cells), reproductive toxic, sensitizer (to
respiratory tract) or chronic (long-term) toxicity (at low doses).
Subdivision D2B (toxic) covers mutagenic (to non-reproductive cells),
sensitization of the skin, skin or eye irritation, as well as chronic
toxic effects.
 Examples include: asbestos fibres, mercury, acetone, benzene, lead
and cadmium.
CLASS D- POISONOUS AND
INFECTIOUS MATERIALS
 Division 3: Biohazardous Infectious Materials
 These materials are organisms or the toxins they
produce that can cause diseases in people or animals.
Included in this division are bacteria, viruses, fungi
and parasites. As these organisms can live in body
tissues and fluids, they should be treated as toxic.
Urine and feces should be treated as toxic only if
they are visibly contaminated with blood.
Biohazardous infectious materials are usually found in
a hospital, health care facility, laboratories,
veterinary practices and research facilities. Examples
of biohazardous infectious materials include
the AIDS/HIV virus, Hepatitis B and salmonella.
CLASS E-
CORROSIVE MATERIALS
 Corrosive materials are those that can cause
severe burns to skin and other human tissues
such as the eye or lung, and can attack clothes
and other materials including metal.
 Corrosives are grouped in this special class
because their effects are permanent (irritants
whose effects may be similar but temporary
are grouped in Class D-2). Common corrosives
include acids such as sulphuric and nitric
acids, bases such as ammonium hydroxide and
caustic soda and other materials such
as ammonia, chlorine, and nitrogen dioxide.
CLASS F- DANGEROUSLY
REACTIVE MATERIALS
 A material is considered to be dangerously reactive if it shows
three different properties:
 1. it can react very strongly and quickly (called "vigorously")
with water to make a toxic gas
 2. it will react with itself when it gets shocked (bumped or
dropped) or if the temperature or pressure increases
 3. it can vigorously join to itself (polymerization), break down
(decomposition) or lose extra water such that it is a more dense
material (condensation). If a material is dangerously reactive, it
will most likely be described as "unstable". Most of these
materials can be extremely hazardous if they are not handled
properly because they can react in such a quick manner very
easily. Examples of these products are ethyl acrylate, vinyl
chloride, ethylene oxide, picric acid and anhydrous
 aluminum chloride.
DEFINITIONS- ACID
Acids produce H+ ions in aqueous solutions
Acids are proton donors
Acids are electron pair acceptors

Properties of Acids

 taste sour
 acids change litmus from blue to red
 their aqueous (water) solutions conduct electric current
(are electrolytes)
 react with bases to form salts and water
 evolve hydrogen gas (H2) upon reaction with an active metal
(such as alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, zinc,
aluminum)
OXIDIZERS
 Oxidizers are substances that increase the burning
of fuels by increasing available oxygen.
 Depending on the oxidizer, the substance may
spontaneously start the fire or it may increase the
burning of another substance, such as a
combustible.
 Examples of oxidizers include organic peroxides,
such as benzoyl peroxide, and other types of
oxidizers, such as concentrated nitric acid, sodium
hypochlorite (also known as bleach), oxygen,
concentrated or heated perchloric acid,
concentrated sulfuric acid, and concentrated
hydrogen peroxide.
HALIDES
 Halides are formed by combining a metal
with one of the five halogen elements,
chlorine, bromine, fluorine, iodine, and
astatine. Many of these compounds will
dissolve in water. Because of this solubility
they usually occur only under special
conditions.
REDUCERS
 A reducing agent, loses electrons and is
oxidized in a chemical reaction. A reducing
agent typically is in one of its lower possible
oxidation states and is known as the electron
donor. A reducing agent is oxidized because
it loses electrons in the redox reaction.
Examples of reducing agents include the
earth metals, formic acid, and sulfite
compounds.
SULPHIDES
 Organic sulfides are compounds in which a
sulfur atom is covalently bonded to two
organic groups. 

 Inorganic sulfides are ionic compounds

containing the negatively charged sulfide
ion, S2−; these compounds may be regarded
as salts of the very weak acid hydrogen
sulfide.
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET-
MSDS
 A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is a document that contains
information on the potential hazards (health, fire, reactivity and
environmental) and how to work safely with the chemical
product. It is an essential starting point for the development of a
complete health and safety program. It also contains information
on the use, storage, handling and emergency procedures all
related to the hazards of the material. The MSDS contains much
more information about the material than the label. MSDSs are
prepared by the supplier or manufacturer of the material. It is
intended to tell what the hazards of the product are, how to use
the product safely, what to expect if the recommendations are
not followed, what to do if accidents occur, how to recognize
symptoms of overexposure, and what to do if such incidents
occur.
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET-
MSDS- 16 SECTIONS
 Identification
 Hazard(s) identification
 Composition/information on ingredients
 First-aid measures
 Fire-fighting measures
 Accidental release measures
 Handling and storage
 Exposure controls/personal protection
 Physical and chemical properties
 Stability and reactivity
 Toxicological information
 Ecological information
 Disposal considerations
 Transport information
 Regulatory information
 Other information
CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE

 Controlled substances are drugs that have

some potential for abuse or dependence.
These drugs are regulated by the federal
Controlled Substances Act (CSA) – this law
helps the US Government fight against the
abuse of these drugs.

 The CSA divides controlled substance drugs

into five categories called schedules.
ILLEGAL CONTROLLED
SUBSTANCES

 Schedule I drugs have a high potential for

abuse and currently have no accepted
medical use. Examples include heroin,
methamphetamine, and lysergic acid
diethylamide (LSD).
CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES
THAT MAY BE PRESCRIBED
 Schedule II drugs have the highest potential for
abuse. Abuse of Schedule II drugs may lead to
severe psychological or physical dependence.
Examples include morphine, oxycodone, and
methadone.
 Schedule III drugs have less potential for abuse
than the drugs or other substances in schedules I
and II. Abuse of Schedule III drugs may lead to
moderate or low physical dependence or high
psychological dependence. Examples include
anabolic steroids, codeine and hydrocodone with
aspirin or Tylenol®, and certain barbiturates.
CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES
THAT MAY BE PRESCRIBED
 Schedule IV drugs have a low potential for abuse
relative to the drugs or other substances in
Schedule III. Abuse of Schedule IV drugs may lead
to limited physical dependence or psychological
dependence compared with Schedule III drugs.
Examples include Valium®and Xanax®.
 Schedule V drugs have a low potential for abuse
relative to the drugs or other substances in
Schedule IV. Abuse of Schedule V drugs may lead
to limited physical dependence or psychological
dependence compared with Schedule IV drugs.
Cough medicines with codeine are examples of
Schedule V drugs.