METHANOL

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

NOTES TO PYSICIAN:.................................. ACUTE EXPOSURE TO METHANOL, EITHER THOROUGH INGESTION OR BREATHING HIGH AIRBORNE CONCENTRATIONS CAN RESULT IN SYMPTOMS APPEARING BETWEEN 40 MINUTES AND 72 HOURS AFTER EXPOSURE. SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS ARE USUALLY LIMITED TO CNS, EYES AND GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT. BECAUSE OF THE INITIAL CNS'S EFFECTS OF HEADACHE, VERTIGO, LETHARGY AND CONFUSION, THERE MAY BE AN IMPRESSION OF ETHANOL INTOXICATION. BLURED VISION, DECREASED ACUITY AND PHOTOPHOBIA ARE COMMON COMPLAINTS. TREATMENT WITH IPECAC OR LAVAGE IS INDICATED IN ANY PATIENT PRESENTING WITHIN TWO HOURS OF INGESTION. A PROFOUND METABOLIC ACIDOSIS OCCURS IN SEVERE POISONING AND SERUM BICARBONATE LEVELS ARE A MORE ACCURATE MEASURE OF SEVERITY THAN SERUM METHANOL LEVELS. TREATMENT PROTOCOLS ARE AVAILABLE FROM MOST MAJOR HOSPITALS AND EARLY COLLABORATION WITH APPROPRIATE HOSPITALS IS RECOMMENDED.

Principle Routes of Exposure

SKIN CONTACT............................................ IRRITANT. SKIN ABSORPTION...................................... MAY BE ABSORBED THROUGH THE SKIN IN TOXIC OR LETHAL AMOUNTS. EYE CONTACT............................................. MODERATE IRRITANT. HIGH CONCENTRATION OR LIQUID CONTACT WITH EYES CAUSES IRRITATION, TEARING AND BURNING. INHALATION................................................. INHALATION OF HIGH AIRBORNE CONCENTRATIONS CAN ALSO IRRITATE MUCOUS MEMBRANES, CAUSE HEADACHES, SLEEPINESS, NAUSEA, CONFUSION, LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS, DIGESTIVE AND VISUAL DISTURBANCES AND DEATH. NOTE: THE ODOUR THRESHOLD OF METHANOL IS SEVERAL TIMES HIGHER THAN THE TLV-TWA. INGESTION................................................... SWALLOWING EVEN SMALL AMOUNTS OF METHANOL MAY CAUSE BLINDNESS OR DEATH. EFFECTS OF SUB LETHAL DOSES MAY BE NAUSEA, HEADACHE, ABDOMINAL PAIN, VOMITING AND VISUAL DISTURBANCES RANGING FROM BLURRED VISION TO LIGHT SENSITIVITY. EFFECTS OF ACUTE EXPOSURE.............. REFER TO ROUTE OF ENTRY. EFFECTS OF CHRONIC EXPOSURE.......... REPEATED EXPOSURE TO METHANOL BY INHALATION OR ABSORPTION MAY CAUSE SYSTEMIC POISONING, BRAIN DISORDERS, IMPAIRED VISION AND BLINDNESS. INHALATION MAY WORSEN CONDITIONS SUCH AS EMPHYSEMA OR BRONCHITIS. REPEATED SKIN CONTACT MAY CAUSE DERMAL IRRITATION, DRYNESS AND CRACKING.