provides basic information on a material or chemical product

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

The Hazards Identification section describes the ways you may be exposed to the material and the harmful health effects it can have. Effects observed in experimental animals may be included, if they are considered relevant to people. Emergency Overview The material’s appearance (e.g. colour, physical form, odour) and the most significant immediate concerns, including fire, reactivity and health and environmental hazards are described in this subsection. Regulatory Status Information on the regulatory status of the material under the Controlled Products Regulations and Hazard Communication Standards of South Africa may be included in this subsection.

Principle Routes of Exposure

The possible routes of exposure are skin contact, eye contact, inhalation (respiratory system), and ingestion (swallowing). How important each route of entry is for a particular material depends on many factors, such as the physical properties of the material and how it is used. When designing ways to minimize exposure, each Route of Entry needs to be considered. Chemicals can cause harm either at the point of contact, by absorption into the body, or both. Chemicals absorbed into the body can affect body systems and organs far away from the point of entry. For example, phenol absorbed through the skin can cause fatal nervous system and kidney injury. Effects of Acute Exposure to Product An acute exposure is one that takes place over a short period of time (minutes, hours or days). Health effects caused by an acute exposure are usually seen at the time of exposure. Sometimes, they may not appear for several hours or even days after an exposure. You need information on the typical effects of a short-term exposure (signs and symptoms) because they can alert you that you are being accidentally exposed. Any symptoms you experience which may be associated with use of a material should be reported so that your workplace can be investigated to find out the cause. Possible reasons for the symptoms can vary widely. For example, perhaps the material has passed through your gloves, or the ventilation system is not working effectively. Sometimes the symptoms may not be related to an exposure at work; they may be caused by a cold, for example. Effects of Chronic Exposure to Product A chronic exposure is a long-term exposure (months or years). Chronic exposures may be described as prolonged, meaning very long, or repeated, meaning many exposures. Any illness related to a chronic exposure may develop very slowly or may not appear until many years after the exposure has stopped. You should be aware that at the time of the exposure you may experience no warning symptoms, but an illness possibly related to the exposure may appear months or years later. If these types of effects are possible for the material you are handling, it is especially important to minimize your exposure by following established safe handling procedures. Irritancy of Product Some products can cause irritation (reversible reddening, swelling and pain) if they come into direct contact with the skin, eyes or respiratory tract (nose, breathing airways and lungs). If there is information available about irritancy of the product, for example from tests on experimental animals, it will be indicated in this section. Sensitization to Product Sensitization is the development, over time, of an allergic reaction to a chemical. Sensitizers may cause a mild response on the first few exposures but, as the sensitivity develops, the response becomes worse with subsequent exposures. Eventually, even short exposures to low concentrations can cause a very severe reaction. There are two different types of occupational sensitization: skin and respiratory. Typical symptoms of skin sensitivity are swelling, redness, itching, pain, and blistering. Sensitization of the respiratory system may result in symptoms similar to a severe asthmatic attack. These symptoms include wheezing, difficulty in breathing, chest tightness, coughing and shortness of breath. Carcinogenicity Materials are identified as carcinogens if they are recognized as carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The lists of carcinogens published by this and other organizations include known human carcinogens and some materials which cause cancer in animal experiments. Certain chemicals may be listed as suspect or possible carcinogens if the evidence is limited or inconclusive. Reproductive Toxicity Reproductive toxicity includes effects on the reproductive process of adult males and/or females. Possible reproductive effects include reduced fertility and menstrual changes. Teratogenicity and Embryo toxicity A teratogen is a substance that can cause birth defects. An embryo toxin is a substance which can cause toxic effect on the developing embryo. Both teratogenicity and embryo toxicity result from a harmful effect on the embryo or the developing fetus during pregnancy. Many chemicals can cause teratogenic / embryo toxic effects if there is an extremely high exposure. In these cases, the exposed person would experience other noticeable signs and symptoms caused by the exposure. Chemicals which cause teratogenic / embryo toxic effects in the absence of other significant harmful effects are regarded as true teratogens / embryo toxins. Pregnant women need to be particularly careful to minimize their exposure to these materials. Mutagenicity A mutagen is a substance that can cause changes (mutations) in the DNA of cells. DNA determines the characteristics that children inherit from their parents and also determines how cells in the body divide or reproduce. Mutagenicity is the ability of a substance to cause mutations. A number of laboratory tests are used to screen chemicals for possible mutagenic effects which may also be linked to carcinogenic, teratogenic or reproductive risks. In themselves, mutagenicity test results may not reliably predict the risk to humans since the human body can eliminate mutagens and repair many mutations. Mutagenicity information is included on the SDS because it is an early indicator of potential hazard. Toxicologically Synergistic Products Synergism means that exposure to more than one chemical over the same period of time can result in health effects greater than expected when the effects of exposure to each chemical are added together. Very simply, it is like saying 1 + 1 = 3. When chemicals are synergistic, the potential hazards of the chemicals should be re-evaluated, taking their synergistic properties into consideration. It is important to know whether certain combinations of chemicals may cause health effects that are more severe than might be anticipated by considering the effects of each chemical separately. The health effects information in the Hazards Identification section of the SDS should be considered general since a particular material will not affect everyone the same way. In addition, the way in which a material is used or handled in a particular workplace will influence the degree of the health hazard. If the product you are using contains skin or respiratory sensitizers, carcinogens or reproductive toxins, following safe handling practices and procedures is particularly important so that you minimize your exposure. As you read SDSs from different suppliers, you will see that they are not all written in the same way. Most provide information on health effects which would reasonably be anticipated under conditions of normal use, spills or emergencies. Others provide worst case information, describing any known health effect which may possibly occur at any dose, by any route of exposure. Because of these different approaches, one must be cautious in assuming that a certain product is more or less hazardous than another on the basis of information given in this section.

Environmental effects

This subsection describes the potential effects of the material if it is released into the environment, for example whether it will harm fish or wildlife or accumulate in the environment.