3 - Purchase, Handling, and Storage of Hazardous Materials

Abstract

The effects of the hazardous materials may range from relatively minor damage to the employee's health to extreme injury or death. For example, exposure to a particular hazardous chemical may result in a condition of dermatitis that is relatively minor. On the other hand, certain chemicals have been shown to be carcinogenic after prolonged exposure of the worker to them. Hazardous materials may take many forms. In some cases, the hazardous material may be in the form of a liquid—such as carbon tetrachloride or other similar solvents. In other cases, the hazardous material may be in the form of a solid—such as asbestos, silica, and radioactive material. Exposure to a solid hazardous material may be a result of the solid itself, as in the case of a radioactive source; or it may be a result of the particulate matter that is generated during the processing of a solid, as in the case of asbestos and silica. The hazardous material may be gaseous in nature, such as methane, carbon monoxide, and chlorine. Exposure to hazardous materials can occur at many points within an industrial operation. If the plant operation is divided into major functional areas, the significant operations involving potential exposure of workers to hazardous materials can be identified. The major functional areas are entry to the plant, handling and movement within the plant, storage within the plant, use in plant processes, and waste products generated from the process.