Non-Woven products - surfacing veils

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

Emergency Overview With regard to its composition, this product is not classified as hazardous according to European Directive 67/548/EEC and 99/45/EC and their latest amendments. This section identifies the potential hazards related to the article i.e . its shape , its dimensions and other physical characteristics. Mechanical irritation (itching) Exposure to airborne dusts and fibers (inhalation)

Potential Acute Health Effects

Acute toxicity not relevant; Local effects Dusts and fibers may cause mechanical irritation to eyes and skin. The irritation disappears when the exposure ceases. Mechanical irritation is not considered as a health hazard in the meaning of European directive 67/548/EC on hazardous substances. Continuous filament glass fibers do not require a classification as an irritant (Xi) under the European directive 97/69/EC . Inhalation may cause coughing, nose and throat irritation and sneezing. High exposures may cause difficult breathing, congestion and chest tightness.

Potential chronic health

Continuous filament glass fibers are not respirable according to the World Health Organization (WHO ) definition. Respirable fibers have a diameter (d) smaller than 3μm , a length (l) larger than 5μm and a l/d ra tio larger than or equal to 3. Fibres with diameters greater than 3 microns, which is the case for continuous filament glass fibre , do not reach the lower respiratory tract and, therefore have no possibility of causing serious pulmonary disease . Continuous filament glass fibres do not possess cleavage planes which would allow them to split lengthwise into fibres with smaller diameters, rather they break across the fibre , resulting in fibres which are of the same diameter as the original fibre with a shorter length and a small amount of dust. Microscopic examination of dust from highly chopped and pulverised glass demonstrated the presence of small amounts of respirable dust particles. Among these respirable particles, some were fibre -like in terms of l/d ratio (so-called “shards”). It can be clearly observed however that they are not regular shaped fibres but irregular shaped particles with fibre-like dimensions. To the best of our knowledge , the exposure levels of these fibre-like dust particles measured a tour manufacturing plants are of the order of magnitude between 50 to 1000 below existing applicable limits. Continuous filament glass fibers are not carcinogenic. (See section 15)