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Common Name: SULFUR HEXAFLUORIDE
CAS Number: 2551-62- DOT Number: UN 1080
HAZARD SUMMARY
- Sulfur Hexafluoride can affect you when breathed in.
- Sulfur Hexafluoride can irritate the skin causing a rash or burning feeling on contact. Direct skin contact can cause frostbite.
- Sulfur Hexafluoride may cause severe eye burns leading to permanent damage.
- Breathing Sulfur Hexafluoride can irritate the nose and throat.
- Breathing Sulfur Hexafluoride may irritate the lungs causing coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher exposures can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), a medical emergency, with severe shortness of breath.
- High exposure can cause headache, confusion, dizziness, suffocation, fainting, seizures and coma.
- Sulfur Hexafluoride may damage the liver and kidneys.
- Repeated high exposure can cause deposits of Fluorides in the bones and teeth, a condition called “ Fluorosis .” This may cause pain, disability and mottling of the teeth.
- The above health effects do NOT occur at the level of Fluoride used in water for preventing cavities in teeth.
IDENTIFICATION
Sulfur Hexafluoride is a colorless, odorless gas. It is used in electrical circuit interrupters, electric piping, and as a gaseous insulator.
REASON FOR CITATION
- Sulfur Hexafluoride is on the Hazardous Substance List because it is regulated by OSHA and cited by ACGIH, DOT and NIOSH.
- 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: 1760 Date: April 2002
- 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.
- 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.
WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS
OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit (PEL) is 1,000 ppm averaged over an 8-hour workshift.
NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is 1,000 ppm averaged over a 10-hour workshift.
ACGIH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is 1,000 ppm 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.
- On skin contact with Sulfur Hexafluoride , immediately submerse the affected body part in warm water.
- 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 Sulfur Hexafluoride 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 Sulfur Hexafluoride :
- Sulfur Hexafluoride can irritate the skin causing a rash or burning feeling on contact. Direct skin contact can cause frostbite.
- Sulfur Hexafluoride may cause severe eye burns leading to permanent damage.
- Breathing Sulfur Hexafluoride can irritate the nose and throat.
- Breathing Sulfur Hexafluoride may irritate the lungs causing coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher exposures can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), a medical emergency, with severe shortness of breath.
- High exposure can cause headache, confusion, dizziness, suffocation, fainting, seizures and coma.
Chronic Health Effects
The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at some time after exposure to Sulfur Hexafluoride 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, Sulfur Hexafluoride 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, Sulfur Hexafluoride has not been tested for its ability to affect reproduction.
Other Long-Term Effects
- Sulfur Hexafluoride may damage the liver and kidneys.
- Repeated high exposure can cause deposits of Fluorides in the bones and teeth, a condition called “ Fluorosis .” This may cause pain, disability and mottling of the teeth.
MEDICAL
Medical Testing
If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the following are recommended:
Fluoride level in urine. Levels higher than 4 mg/liter indicate overexposure.
Consider chest x-ray after acute overexposure.
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 smoking can cause heart disease, as well as lung cancer, emphysema, and other respiratory problems, it may worsen respiratory conditions caused by chemical exposure. Even if you have smoked for a long time, stopping now will reduce your risk of developing health problems.
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 gaseous Sulfur Hexafluoride from cylinders or other storage containers to process containers.
- Specific engineering controls are required for this chemical by OSHA. Refer to the OSHA Standard: 29 CFR 1910.101.
Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous exposures. The following work practices are recommended:
- Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by Sulfur Hexafluoride should change into clean clothing promptly.
- Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by individuals who have been informed of the hazards of exposure to Sulfur Hexafluoride.
- 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.
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.
