Reactive Chemicals

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Session Objectives You will be able to: Identify reactive chemical hazards Understand the nature of chemical reactions Detect and manage reactivity hazards Respond safely to reactive chemical emergencies

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc What You Need to Know What reactive chemicals are How they can endanger health and safety Potential for hazardous chemical reactions in the workplace Hazard management program Necessary precautions on the job Emergency reporting and response

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc What Is a Reactive Chemical? Solid or liquid Reactive to air, water, or other chemicals Sensitive to shock, heat, or friction Corrosive, poisonous, or flammable by-products

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Health Hazards Burn skin, eyes, nose, throat May be poisonous Irritate eyes, skin, and respiratory tract Cause dizziness and vomiting Cause asphyxiation and death Consult the MSDS for health hazard information

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Fire Hazard Friction Absorption of moisture Spontaneous chemical changes Retained heat Readily ignited

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Factors That Create Reactivity Hazards Intentional chemistry Physical processing Hazardous substance storage Processes that involve combustion Heat generating processes

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Factors That Create Reactivity Hazards (cont.) The presence of: Spontaneously combustible chemicals Peroxide-forming chemicals Water-reactive chemicals Oxidizing chemicals Self-reactive chemicals Materials that are incompatible

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Detecting Hazards Sight Smell Air monitoring

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Intentional Reactions Exothermic and endothermic reactions Heat generation Addition of heat Losing control of the intended reaction

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Spontaneously Combustible Substances React with oxygen to ignite or burn without ignition DOT Hazard Class 4.2 ‘4’ in red part of NFPA diamond label Avoid exposure to air Examples

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Peroxide Formers React with oxygen, may explode Inhibitor or stabilizer may be added Often labeled by another characteristic Avoid prolonged storage Examples

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Water Reactives Heat, toxic gases, ruptured containers DOT Hazard Class 4.3 ‘W’ in NFPA label Avoid inadvertent contact with water Examples

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Oxidizers Yield oxygen or promote combustion DOT Hazard Class 5.1 ‘OX’ in NFPA label Avoid contact with combustible materials Examples

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Self-Reactive Materials Polymerizing, decomposing, rearranging DOT Hazard Class 1 or 5.2 ‘1’ to ‘4’ in yellow part of NFPA label Avoid shock, friction, heat

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Incompatible Materials Results of uncontrolled reactions Potential mixing scenarios Consult a chemical compatibility chart Examples

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Reactivity Hazards Do you understand: What a reactive chemical is? The health and fire hazards? Factors that could cause chemical reactivity hazards in the workplace and the form those reactions could take?

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Hazard Management Program Active monitoring Audits of procedures and practices Management of change Keeping abreast of new technology Corrective action

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc PPE Gloves Goggles and face shield Chemical-resistant clothing Air-supplied respirator

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Investigating Incidents Report all incidents and near misses Investigate root causes Identify unrecognized hazards Identify measures to eliminate or reduce hazards Communicate findings

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc First Aid Skin—flush with water Eyes—flush with water for 15 minutes Inhalation—move to fresh air Ingestion—seek medical attention

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Emergency Procedures Leave the area Notify others Limit access to area Don’t return until it’s safe Don’t try to clean up large spills unless authorized

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Emergency Equipment First-aid kit Spill response supplies Safety showers Eyewash stations Fire extinguishers

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Hazard Management Do you understand: All information that has been presented in the previous slides? All the precautions we must take to effectively manage chemical reactivity risks and prevent accidents?

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc Key Points to Remember Know the hazards of reactive chemicals Be able to identify different types of reactive chemicals in the workplace Wear appropriate PPE Follow safe handling and storage procedures Learn emergency procedures