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SESSION 2HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND EVALUATION Upon completion of this session, you will understand how chemicals can affect you. We will describe the basic principles of toxicology and how hazards are evaluated at the
Laboratory. It should take you about 20 minutes to complete this session. When you have read through the material, you will be asked to answer 5 questions. Definition of a Hazardous ChemicalOSHA defines a hazardous chemical as any element, chemical compound, or
mixture of elements and/or compounds which is a physical hazard or a health hazard. A chemical is a physical hazard if it is a
combustible liquid, a compressed gas, an explosive, an organic peroxide, an oxidizer or pyrophoric, flammable, or reactive. A chemical is a health hazard if acute or chronic health effects may occur in
exposed employees. A chemical is considered hazardous if it is listed in any of the following:
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.1000 Table Z-l through Z-3
- Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents in the Work Environment ACGIH (latest edition)
- The Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances NIOSH (latest edition)
In most cases, the chemical container's original label will indicate if the chemical is hazardous. Look for key words like caution, hazardous, toxic, dangerous, corrosive, irritant, carcinogen, etc. If you are not sure a chemical you are using is hazardous, review the Material Safety Data Sheet
for the substance, contact your supervisor or contact an
EH&S Industrial Hygienist for further guidance.
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