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Common Name: PHOSPHORUS
CAS Number: 7723-14- DOT Number: UN 1338 (amorphous, red) UN 1381 (white or yellow, dry or under water) UN 2447 (white, molten)
HAZARD SUMMARY
- Phosphorus can affect you when breathed in.
- Contact can irritate and burn the skin and eyes with possible eye damage.
- Breathing Phosphorus can irritate the nose and throat causing coughing and wheezing.
- Repeated high exposure may affect the liver and kidneys.
- White or yellow Phosphorus is HIGHLY FLAMMABLE and REACTIVE and a DANGEROUS FIRE and EXPLOSION HAZARD.
IDENTIFICATION
Phosphorus is a brick red, white or yellow, odorless, powder or solid. It is used in the manufacture of matches, Phosphorus compounds , fireworks, fertilizers, pesticides, electroluminescent coatings, and semiconductors.
REASON FOR CITATION
- Phosphorus is on the Hazardous Substance List because it is regulated by OSHA and cited by ACGIH, DOT, NIOSH, DEP, NFPA and EPA.
- White or yellow Phosphorus is on the Special Health Hazard Substance List because it is FLAMMABLE and REACTIVE.
- Definitions are provided on page 5.
HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING
EXPOSED
The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most employers to label chemicals in the workplace and requires public employers to provide their employees with information and training concerning chemical hazards and controls. The federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, 1910.1200, requires private employers to provide similar training and information to their employees.
RTK Substance number: 1520 Date: June 1986/Sept. 1988 Revision: October 2002
- Exposure to hazardous substances should be routinely evaluated. This may include collecting personal and area air samples. You can obtain copies of sampling results from your employer. You have a legal right to this information under OSHA 1910.1020.
- If you think you are experiencing any work-related health problems, see a doctor trained to recognize occupational diseases. Take this Fact Sheet with you.
WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS
OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit (PEL) is 0.1 mg / m^3 averaged over an 8-hour workshift.
NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is 0.1 mg / m^3 averaged over a 10-hour workshift.
ACGIH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is 0.01 mg / m^3 averaged over an 8-hour workshift.
WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE
- Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be worn.
- Wear protective work clothing.
- Wash thoroughly immediately after exposure to Phosphorus and at the end of the workshift.
- Post hazard and warning information in the work area. In addition, as part of an ongoing education and training effort, communicate all information on the health and safety hazards of Phosphorus to potentially exposed workers.
This Fact Sheet is a summary source of information of all potential and most severe health hazards that may result from exposure. Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance and other factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the potential effects described below.
HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION
Acute Health Effects
The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur immediately or shortly after exposure to Phosphorus :
- Contact can irritate and burn the skin and eyes with possible eye damage.
- Breathing Phosphorus can irritate the nose and throat causing coughing and wheezing.
Chronic Health Effects
The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at some time after exposure to Phosphorus and can last for months or years:
Cancer Hazard
- According to the information presently available to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Phosphorus has not been tested for its ability to cause cancer in animals.
Reproductive Hazard
- According to the information presently available to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Phosphorus has not been tested for its ability to affect reproduction.
Other Long-Term Effects
- Repeated high exposure may affect the liver and kidneys.
MEDICAL
Medical Testing
If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the following are recommended:
- Liver and kidney function tests.
Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for damage already done are not a substitute for controlling exposure.
Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right to this information under OSHA 1910.1020.
Mixed Exposures
- Because more than light alcohol consumption can cause liver damage, drinking alcohol may increase the liver damage caused by Phosphorus.
WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES
Unless a less toxic chemical can be substituted for a hazardous substance, ENGINEERING CONTROLS are the most effective way of reducing exposure. The best protection is to enclose operations and/or provide local exhaust ventilation at the site of chemical release. Isolating operations can also reduce exposure. Using respirators or protective equipment is less effective than the controls mentioned above, but is sometimes necessary.
In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: (1) how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the substance is released into the workplace and (3) whether harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls should be in place for highly toxic chemicals or when significant skin, eye, or breathing exposures are possible.
In addition, the following controls are recommended:
- Where possible, automatically transfer Phosphorus from drums or other storage containers to process containers.
- Before entering a confined space where white or yellow Phosphorus may be present, check to make sure that an explosive concentration does not exist.
Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous exposures. The following work practices are recommended:
- Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by Phosphorus should change into clean clothing promptly.
- Do not take contaminated work clothes home. Family members could be exposed.
- Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by individuals who have been informed of the hazards of exposure to Phosphorus.
- Eye wash fountains should be provided in the immediate work area for emergency use.
- If there is the possibility of skin exposure, emergency shower facilities should be provided.
- On skin contact with Phosphorus , immediately wash or shower to remove the chemical. At the end of the workshift, wash any areas of the body that may have contacted Phosphorus , whether or not known skin contact has occurred.
- Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Phosphorus is handled, processed, or stored, since the chemical can be swallowed. Wash hands carefully before eating, drinking, smoking, or using the toilet.
- Use a vacuum to reduce dust during clean-up. DO NOT DRY SWEEP.
Q: What are my chances of getting sick when I have been exposed to chemicals? A: The likelihood of becoming sick from chemicals is increased as the amount of exposure increases. This is determined by the length of time and the amount of material to which someone is exposed.
Q: When are higher exposures more likely? A: Conditions which increase risk of exposure include dust releasing operations (grinding, mixing, blasting, dumping, etc.), other physical and mechanical processes (heating, pouring, spraying, spills and evaporation from large surface areas such as open containers), and "confined space" exposures (working inside vats, reactors, boilers, small rooms, etc.).
Q: Is the risk of getting sick higher for workers than for community residents? A: Yes. Exposures in the community, except possibly in cases of fires or spills, are usually much lower than those found in the workplace. However, people in the community may be exposed to contaminated water as well as to chemicals in the air over long periods. This may be a problem for children or people who are already ill.
The following information is available from:
New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services Occupational Health Service PO Box 360 Trenton, NJ 08625- (609) 984- (609) 984-7407 (fax)
Web address: http://www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/odisweb/
Industrial Hygiene Information Industrial hygienists are available to answer your questions regarding the control of chemical exposures using exhaust ventilation, special work practices, good housekeeping, good hygiene practices, and personal protective equipment including respirators. In addition, they can help to interpret the results of industrial hygiene survey data.
Medical Evaluation If you think you are becoming sick because of exposure to chemicals at your workplace, you may call personnel at the Department of Health and Senior Services, Occupational Health Service, who can help you find the information you need.
Public Presentations Presentations and educational programs on occupational health or the Right to Know Act can be organized for labor unions, trade associations and other groups.
Right to Know Information Resources The Right to Know Infoline (609) 984-2202 can answer questions about the identity and potential health effects of chemicals, list of educational materials in occupational health, references used to prepare the Fact Sheets, preparation of the Right to Know Survey, education and training programs, labeling requirements, and general information regarding the Right to Know Act. Violations of the law should be reported to (609) 984-2202.
DEFINITIONS
ACGIH is the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. It recommends upper limits (called TLVs) for exposure to workplace chemicals.
A carcinogen is a substance that causes cancer.
The CAS number is assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service to identify a specific chemical.
A combustible substance is a solid, liquid or gas that will burn.
A corrosive substance is a gas, liquid or solid that causes irreversible damage to human tissue or containers.
DEP is the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
DOT is the Department of Transportation, the federal agency that regulates the transportation of chemicals.
EPA is the Environmental Protection Agency, the federal agency responsible for regulating environmental hazards.
A fetus is an unborn human or animal.
A flammable substance is a solid, liquid, vapor or gas that will ignite easily and burn rapidly.
The flash point is the temperature at which a liquid or solid gives off vapor that can form a flammable mixture with air.
HHAG is the Human Health Assessment Group of the federal EPA.
IARC is the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a scientific group that classifies chemicals according to their cancer-causing potential.
A miscible substance is a liquid or gas that will evenly dissolve in another.
mg/m^3 means milligrams of a chemical in a cubic meter of air. It is a measure of concentration (weight/volume).
A mutagen is a substance that causes mutations. A mutation is a change in the genetic material in a body cell. Mutations can lead to birth defects, miscarriages, or cancer.
NAERG is the North American Emergency Response Guidebook. It was jointly developed by Transport Canada, the United States Department of Transportation and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico. It is a guide for first responders to quickly identify the specific or generic hazards of material involved in a transportation incident, and to protect themselves and the general public during the initial response phase of the incident.
NCI is the National Cancer Institute, a federal agency that determines the cancer-causing potential of chemicals.
NFPA is the National Fire Protection Association. It classifies substances according to their fire and explosion hazard.
NIOSH is the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. It tests equipment, evaluates and approves respirators, conducts studies of workplace hazards, and proposes standards to OSHA.
NTP is the National Toxicology Program which tests chemicals and reviews evidence for cancer.
OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which adopts and enforces health and safety standards.
PEL is the Permissible Exposure Limit which is enforceable by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
PIH is a DOT designation for chemicals which are Poison Inhalation Hazards.
ppm means parts of a substance per million parts of air. It is a measure of concentration by volume in air.
A reactive substance is a solid, liquid or gas that releases energy under certain conditions.
A teratogen is a substance that causes birth defects by damaging the fetus.
TLV is the Threshold Limit Value, the workplace exposure limit recommended by ACGIH.
The vapor pressure is a measure of how readily a liquid or a solid mixes with air at its surface. A higher vapor pressure indicates a higher concentration of the substance in air and therefore increases the likelihood of breathing it in.
