Hazardous chemicals Hazardous chemicals are substances that can cause adverse health effects such as poisoning, breathing problems, skin rashes, allergic reactions, allergic sensitisation, cancer, and other health problems from exposure.
Examples of hazardous chemicals include: paints drugs cosmetics cleaning chemicals degreasers detergents gas cylinders refrigerant gases pesticides herbicides diesel fuel petrol liquefied petroleum gas welding fumes asbestos flammable liquids gases corrosives chemically reactive or acutely highly toxic substances.
Also consider Learn about safely managing hazardous chemicals in the workplace. Read more about specific hazardous chemicals. Find out more about keeping your workplace safe. Learn more about workplace hazardous chemicals. Radon in basements, lead in drinking water, exhausts from cars and chemicals released from landfills are just a few examples of toxic substances that can hurt you.
By understanding how, you can reduce your exposure to chemicals and reduce your risk of harmful health effects. A toxic substance is a substance that can be poisonous or cause health effects. People are generally concerned about chemicals like polychlorinated biphenyls PCBs and dioxin which can be found at some hazardous waste sites. Products that we use daily, such as household cleaners, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, gasoline, alcohol, pesticides, fuel oil and cosmetics, can also be toxic.
Any chemical can be toxic or harmful under certain conditions. Chemicals can be toxic because they can harm us when they enter or contact the body. Exposure to a toxic substance such as gasoline can affect your health. Since drinking gasoline can cause burns, vomiting, diarrhea and, in very large amounts, drowsiness or death, it is toxic. Some chemicals are hazardous because of their physical properties: they can explode, burn or react easily with other chemicals. Since gasoline can burn and its vapors can explode, gasoline is also hazardous.
A chemical can be toxic, or hazardous, or both. Since chemicals can be toxic, it is important to understand how they can affect health. To determine the risk of harmful health effects from a substance, you must first know how toxic the substance is; how much, and by what means, a person is exposed; and how sensitive that person is to the substance.
Some substances are more toxic than others. The toxicity of a substance is described by the types of effects it causes and its potency. The potency and, therefore, the toxicity of a chemical can be affected by its breakdown within the human body. When a substance is absorbed into the body, its chemical structure may be changed or metabolized to a substance that is more toxic or less toxic.
For example, carbon tetrachloride, once a commonly used solvent, is changed by the body into a more toxic chemical that causes liver damage. For some other chemicals, metabolism changes the chemical into a form that is more easily eliminated by the body.
Inhalation breathing of gases, vapors, dusts or mists is a common route of exposure. Chemicals can enter and irritate the nose, air passages and lungs.
They can become deposited in the airways or be absorbed by the lungs into the bloodstream. The blood can then carry these substances to the rest of the body.
Ingestion swallowing of food, drink or other substances is another route of exposure. Chemicals that get in or on food, cigarettes, utensils or hands can be swallowed. Children are at greater risk of ingesting substances found in dust or soil because they often put their fingers or other objects in their mouths. Lead in paint chips is a good example.
Substances can be absorbed into the blood and then transported to the rest of the body. Direct contact touching with the skin or eyes is also a route of exposure.
Some substances are absorbed through the skin and enter the bloodstream. Broken, cut or cracked skin will allow substances to enter the body more easily. The route of exposure can determine whether or not the toxic substance has an effect. Breathing or swallowing lead can result in health effects, but touching lead is not harmful because lead isn't absorbed through the skin. The greater the amount of a substance a person is exposed to, the more likely that health effects will occur.
Large amounts of a relatively harmless substance can be toxic. For example, two aspirin tablets can help to relieve a headache, but taking an entire bottle of aspirin can cause stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, headache, convulsions or death. A person's dose can be determined by multiplying the concentration of the chemical times the amount of the water, air, food or soil that a person takes in. For example, the average adult drinks about 2 liters roughly quarts of water and breathes about 20 cubic meters roughly cubic yards of air a day.
If drinking water contains 1 milligram of lead per liter, then the person would take in a total of 2 milligrams of lead in a day. Acute exposure is a short contact with a chemical. It may last a few seconds or a few hours. For example, it might take a few minutes to clean windows with ammonia, use nail polish remover or spray a can of paint. The fumes someone might inhale during these activities are examples of acute exposures. Manufacturers and importers of hazardous substances in Victoria are required by law to provide warning labels and Safety Data Sheets with their products.
Employers must ensure that the Safety Data Sheets for each hazardous substance used in the workplace is available to employees, and that a central register of hazardous substances is established.
The GHS classifies and communicates chemical hazards using internationally consistent hazard pictograms, terms and information displayed on chemical labels and Safety Data Sheets. The Safety Data Sheet lists important information on handling the product safely, including:.
Under the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, certain records have to be maintained if hazardous substances are used in the workplace, including:. Organisations such as WorkSafe Victoria can offer valuable information on how to reduce the risks of working with hazardous substances.
Publications include:. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. When returning to a flood-affected area, remember that wild animals, including rats, mice, snakes or spiders, may be trapped in your home, shed or garden.
When returning to your home after a flood, take precautions to reduce the possibility of injury, illness or disease. Children should always be closely supervised near animals and taught how to behave safely around pets. When asbestos fibres become airborne, people working with asbestos may inhale particles which remain in their lungs.
Asbestos fibres breathed into the lungs can cause a range of health problems including lung cancer and mesothelioma. Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.
The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website.
Those exposed for long periods of time are generally more at risk than those exposed for short periods or to less hazardous substances. Use the links below to find information and resources to help you identify the risk to employees and the precautions you can take.
The video below can be used and shared with your employees to help raise awareness and encourage discussion on the hazardous substances. Hazardous substances can have an effect when they come into contact with the human body. Many of these substances will carry WELs. Exposure to substances can occur through. Damage to the body also comes from inhalation, injection or ingestion of the substance which can result in. Workers can be exposed to hazardous substances depending on their work activity.
Examples are provided below. There are also specific regulations relating to lead and asbestos. To help identify if there could be a hazard, you need to consider if any products you use have danger labels or signs.
For example.
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