I
in the Chemical laboratory
XX.
Edited by NORMAN V . STEERE, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn. 55455
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The Literature of Chemical Safety-Part I HOWARD H. FAWCETT, Notionol Acodemy of Sciences-Nationol Reseorch Council, Washington, D. C.
Chemical safety is concerned with substances and reactions which are potentially hazardous to life or property. The literature of chemical safety is generally understood to include information concerning the flammability and explosive nature of molecules; the toxicity of the molecule and its decomposition products (toxicity being defined as the ability of an excess to produce injury in life); the effects of the molecule on the skin, eyes, and other ext,ernal parts of the body; and the control of chemical reactions and decompositions. Chemical safety information is frequently classified under related subjects, without cross references, which may create t,he erroneous impression that no information is available on a given subject. Chemical Abstracts endeavors to place an entry in its subject index whenever new information concerning chemical safety appears in the chemical literature. If the information is general, it is indexed under the head Sqfely. If i t is specific to a chemical or class of chemicals, it is indexed only under the heading for the materid. Specific headings where such information will be found include: flammahility, fires, combustions, explosibility, explosions, ex~losives,detonation, flames, heat of explosion, react,ians, safety, safety devices, health hazards, diseases, occupational, water, sewage and waste, nuclear technology, pesticides, toxicology and air pollution, and plastics technology. If specific safety information cannot be located in the open literature, a n inquiry should he directed to the manufaet,urer. If the manufacturer is ~ o known, t or cannot supply adequate information, the following secondary sources may be helpful: brade associations, or groups with specific specialized knowledge; technical organizations and professional societies; standards associations; and governmenral (state or Federal) regulatory agencies. The basic assumption should be that knowledge exists somewhere; the tenacity of the marcher should be proportional t o his concern for human life. "Fire prevention" is a wide spectrum of knowledge, from the fundamental fire properties oi chemicels to the hazardous chemical reactions which may result in fires m d explosions ( 1 ) . The technical investigator may feel sueh information is not his concern, and this attitude has been encouraged in some circles (S). However, whenever a fully-qualified chemist or engineer is seriously injured in an incident which could have been predicted, and therefore prevented, the request is
made for wider dissemination of p r e viausly-ignored knowledge. Specific areas where available knowledge was not recognized or applied have included: the instability of ether peroxides, failure to understand the unstable nature of alrohol-acid mixtures used as etching agents, and the violence of the explosion produced by ignition of propylene-air mixtures. Such incidents led t,o the formation of the ACS Committee on Chemical Safety, which, for the past two years, has a& tempted to publicize ehemical hazards. Under "t,oxicology," "industrial hygiene," and "occupetional medicine" are data on many substances, both alone and in combination. Although t,he chemist might be inclined to limit his thoughts about toxicity lo classic poisons such as arsenic, cyanide, and lead, all chemicals have some degree of toxicity. It should he noted that an accurate evaluat,ion of the hazard presented by a ehemical must include information shout the conditions of use, as well as the toxicity data d e rived from animal experiments (3). A movement is underway to establish a. clearing center for data based on effects of on-the-job exposures, to supplement data from animd experimentation. Such human data would have great value in establishing more accurate and realistic control measures far exposures hssed on human experience aver long periods of time, and reveal information not possible with animal evperiment,aiion alone. Effects of chemicals on skin, eyes, and other external parts of the body constitute a special class of hazards. I n addition to skin corrosion and erosion from strong acids and alkali, or substances which hydrolyze, the skin sensitization reaction may render a person extremely allergio to traces of another suhstance. These fields are called "dematology" and "allergy." Since industrial dermatitis remains one of the leading causes of time lost from work, the subject is an important economic factor. The special action of many gases, dusts, mists, and vapors on the eye should he noted; this is in the field of "ophthslmolagy." Physical agents, such as ultraviolet and infrared light ~s well as ionizing radiation, affect the skin and eyes unless they are adequately controlled, and these agents may be included in chemical snfetv literature. "Hazardous chemical reactions" include many more reactions than the texts or open literature will reveal. Interestingly, many sueh reactions are discovered and
Hawcrd H. Fowcett is Technical Secretary, NAS-USCG Advisory Committee on Hozordous Materials, Notional Acodemy of Sciences-Notional Research Council. He is also o member of the ACS Committee on Chemicol Sofety, member of the Rerearch Review Board of the American Society of Sofety Engineers, Chairman of the Notional Sofety Committee of Alpho Chi Sigma Profesional Chemical Fraternity, and a port chairman d the Executive Committee of the Chemicol Section of the Nationol Sofety Council. Mr. Fawcett received o BS degree from the Univer9ity of Maryland in 1 9 4 0 and has worked since then in production supervision and control of high exploriver for E. I. duPont d e Nemours and Company, in research and development for the Manhotton District Atomic Project, the Honford Atomic Products Operations, and for o m dye monufoclure a t duPont. From 1 9 4 8 until he took his present job on January 1, 1965, Mr. Fawcett worked for the General Electric Research Laboratory a t Schenectady, New York, with re~ponsibilitier for chemical and loborotory safety. Mr. Foucett has written extendveiy on chemicol and laboratory rofety, including more than 4 0 articles and parts of two books, ranging from the harordr of home chemistry to the hazards of toxic reseorch chemicol..
reported only after a highly irregular incident has occurred. A ease in point is the reaction between calcium hypochlorite and nitromethane, the delayed nature and extreme vigor of which has produced fstal effects (4). Although 8. modest start has been made in publieiaing incompatible chemicals ( 5 ) , chemical boobytraps (C), and hasardous chemical reactions (7), this field is woefully incomplete considering its great importance. The chemist should he encouraged on a continuing basis to report irregular or uncontrolled reactions, as well as the more predictable reactions, in the open literature. If open publication is not possible, a t least the technical details can be given on a confidential basis to the American Chemical Society Committee
Volume 42, Number 10, Odober 1965
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on Chemical Safety for the committee to consider as a privileged document, but one which would be useful in preventing future unwanted incidents. The pollution of public air and water, while oft,en chemical in nat,ure, is welldocumented but beyond the scope of this paper. The local and state authorities concerned with these prnblems should he 18 tl.ullvrl for iltlnild rrf+wnr.r.-. ('hmlir:il
