Chapter 2 Hazardous Materials

CHAPTER 2 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS What are hazardous materials? They are substances which, depending on their concentration, chemical or physical characteristics, or quantity, pose a threat to human health or the environment. Any flammable material, compressed gas, aerosol, toxic material or corrosive is a hazardous material. Cleaning solvents, paints, batteries, and floor wax are all examples of hazardous materials. To do our job, and maintain equipment and areas, we must use hazardous materials. Whether we use hazardous materials daily or infrequently, we need to know how to identify them and to understand their use, storage, and disposal. RECOGNIZING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS All hazardous materials and hazardous material containers must be labeled. Manufacturers of hazard- ous materials must follow strict OSHA regulations on labeling. Each label must contain, at least: 1. The name of the material 2. The name and address of the manufacturer 3. The nature of the hazard Hazardous materials we receive from the stock system, and even open purchase materials, must meet these requirements. You are not authorized to relabel properly labeled hazardous materials. If you dispense a hazardous material into an unlabeled container, you must indicate on the new container the same label information shown on the original container. The Department of Defense (DOD) has a standard label for marking hazardous materials dispensed or produced by DOD agencies. You may also use this label to mark unlabeled containers. The label is called the Hazardous Chemical Warning Label, DD Form 2522, and is shown in figure 2-1. The information for this label is printed directly from the Hazardous Material Information System (HMIS) computer database. You may also see Department of Transportation (DOT) shipping symbols on the outside of some hazardous material containers. These symbols, shown in figure 2-2 depict the hazard category of the material. Theses symbols are used on outer packaging, and are also found on trucks and railway cars transporting those materials. Types of materials that are either Dangerous, Flammable or Combustible are indicated by a diamond with applicable nomenclature that is red in color. Materials that are Explosive by nature are indicated by a diamond with applicable nomenclature and red coloring. Types of materials that are either oxidizing agents, organic peroxide, or radioactive are indicated by a diamond with applicable nomenclature with yellow coloring. Materials that are either poisonous gas, poison, or corrosive are indicated by a diamond with applicable nomenclature and all black and white coloring. Non-flammable gases are indicated by a diamond with applicable nomenclature and green coloring. Flammable solid materials are indicated by a diamond with applicable nomenclature and red, blue, and white coloring. You must read the labels on the hazardous materials you use. The label may also contain some handling precautions or other warnings that help you use the product safely. HAZARDOUS MATERIAL INFORMATION Many hazardous materials, if not used properly, can be hazardous to your health. They can burn or irritate your skin, cause internal damage if you inhale them, or poison you if you ingest them. You must be aware of and follow safe handling, storage, and disposal procedures for the hazardous materials you work with. OSHA regulations require employers to provide every employee with safety information on the hazard- ous materials they deal with at work. This law also per- tains to federal civilian and military personnel. Manufacturers must provide hazardous material infor- mation for all hazardous materials they produce and must make a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) avail able to the user for each hazardous material. In the Navy, MSDSs are provided in a computer database on compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM) system 2-1