All Dura-Mill brand solid carbide end mills

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

Emergency Overview: During normal operation and usage, cemented carbide products do not present inhalation, ingestion, or other chemical hazards. However, operations such as grinding, cutting, burning, and welding of such products may release dusts, fumes, or vapors which may present health hazards, if the exposure limits described in Section 2 are exceeded. The health hazards described below relate to these non-routine operations, as well as exposure to component materials.

Principle Routes of Exposure

Inhalation, ingestion, skin contact. Wet or dry grinding of cemented carbide products will produce dusts of potentially hazardous ingredients which can be inhaled, swallowed, or come in contact with the skin or eyes.

Potential Acute Health Effects

Dust from grinding can cause irritation of the nose, throat, lungs, eyes, and mucous membranes. Skin exposure can cause an allergic red rash (cobalt itch).

Potential chronic health

Chronic exposure to respirable dust containing cobalt and tungsten carry the potential to cause permanent respiratory diseases, including occupational asthma, interstitial pneumonitis and fibrosis (hard-metal disease), and emphysema. Symptoms include productive cough, wheezing, dyspnea (upon exertion), pleuritic chest pain, and weight loss. Skin sensitization is also noted in a small percentage of cases. Reports outside the industry suggest that ingestion of significant amounts of cobalt can cause blood, heart, and other organ effects. Carcinogenicity: Cobalt metal with tungsten carbide is listed by IARC as Category 2A – probably carcinogenic to humans. Cobalt is listed by ACGIH as an animal carcinogen (A3). Cobalt is known to the State of California to cause cancer.