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105 Hazard Communication: Basic
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105 Hazard Communication: Basic

Chemical Effects

The effects chemicals have on the various organs of the human body depend on several important factors:

Effects of Hazardous Chemicals
  1. The form of the chemical: Is it a solid, liquid, or gas?
  2. The route of entry: How does the chemical contact the body? Is it ingested, inhaled, absorbed or injected?
  3. The dose: What amount of the chemical enters the body?
  4. The toxicity: How poisonous is the chemical?

Routes of Entry

Another important task when assessing the workplace for chemical hazards is to determine the route(s) of entry the chemicals may take. Knowing the route(s) of entry allows for the determination of appropriate engineering, administrative, and PPE controls to eliminate or reduce exposure. The four common routes of entry are:

  1. Ingestion: Do we eat or drink it?
  2. Inhalation: Do we breathe it in? This is the most common route of entry.
  3. Absorption: Does it pass through the skin, eyes or other membranes?
  4. Injection: Does it enter through a puncture or cut?

Real-life Accidents

At 10:30 a.m. on March 22, 2021, Employee #1 was inside an ISO tank pressure-washing the weld seam around the tank's heel when he was presumably exposed to hazardous chemicals. A coworker and Manager found Employee #1 incapacitated, but responsive and breathing on his own. Employee #1 died after being transferred to a hospital.
At 3:10 p.m. on February 2, 2022, an employee was performing maintenance on a Raven AccuFlow System Applicator. The employee, who was wearing safety glasses and rubber gloves, began the ammonia bleeding procedure. After approximately 20 to 30 minutes, the employee no longer heard a whistling sound and believed that the system was completely bled out. When the employee removed the filter cap, the remaining anhydrous ammonia in the system sprayed onto the employee. The employee was hospitalized for the treatment of chemical burns to face, mouth, neck, and right forearm.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

1-5. What is the most common route of entry for hazardous substances?

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