Week 5

30 August, 2011

This week we resumed class discussion on dangerous goods and how they should be handled. 

Dangerous goods, also called hazardous materials or HazMat, are solids, liquids, or gases that can harm people, other living organisms, property, or the environment. They are often subject to chemical regulations. "HazMat teams" are personnel specially trained to handle dangerous goods. 

Dangerous goods include materials that are radioactive, flammable, explosive, corrosive, oxidizing, asphyxiating, biohazardous, toxic, pathogenic, or allergenic. Also included are physical conditions such as compressed gases and liquids or hot materials, including all goods containing such materials or chemicals, or may have other characteristics that render them hazardous in specific circumstances.

We also learned about the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). An MSDS is a document containing important information about a hazardous chemical (which may be hazardous substance and/or dangerous goods) and must state:

• a hazardous substance's product name
• the chemical and generic name of certain ingredients
• the chemical and physical properties of the hazardous substance
• health hazard information
• precautions for safe use and handling
• the manufacturer's or importer's name, Australian address and telephone number. 

The MSDS provides employers, self-employed persons, workers and other health and safety representatives with the necessary information to safely manage the risk from hazardous substance exposure.

It is important that everyone in the workplace knows how to read and interpret a MSDS.

We learned that the "diamond" sign on the label shows to which of the nine classes the dangerous goods belong. This label, or diamond sign has a distinctive symbol and colour.

In addition, some labels also show the Packing Group (abbreviated as PG), which indicates the degree of danger:

PG I - Great Danger

PG II - Medium Danger

PG III - Minor Danger

CLASS 1 - Explosives 

Substances and articles used to produce explosions or pyrotechnic effects.

CLASS 2 - Gases

These are gases which have been compressed, liquefied or dissolved under pressure.

Class 2.1 - Flammable gases

Class 2.2 - Non-Flammable, non-toxic gases

Class 2.3 - Toxic gases

CLASS 3 - Flammable Liquids

These are liquids, mixtures of liquids or liquids containing solids in suspension, which in most instances can be ignited and will burn.

Class 3 PG I - Flammable liquids with a flashpoint less than 23C and an initial boiling point not greater than 35C
Class 3 PG II - Flammable liquids with a flashpoint less than 23C and an initial boiling point greater than 35C
Class 3 PG III - Flammable liquids with a flashpoint less than 23C or more, but less than or equal to 60.5C

 CLASS 4 - Flammable Solids

Class 4.1 - Flammable solids, self -reactive and related substances and desensitized explosives

Class 4.2 - Substances liable to spontaneous combustion

Class 4.3 - Substances which emit flammable gases when in contact with water

Class 5 - Oxidizers

Class 5.1 - Oxidizing agents

Class 5.2 - Organic peroxides

 Class 6 - Toxic and Infectious Substances

 These are poisonous (toxic) and infectious substances.

Class 6.1 - Toxic substances

Class 6.2 - Infectious substances

 Class 7 - Radioactive Substances

 These omit ionising radiation. 

 

 Class 8 - Corrosives

 These are substances (either solid or liquids) which will damage living tissue, goods or equipment on contact, by chemical action.

 Class 9 - Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods

These are substances and articles which have potentially dangerous properties that are relatively minor.