Hazardous Materials
- Can harm people, plants, animals and the environment.
- Long term exposure, even small quantities, may be harmful or cause permanent damage.
- Immediate exposure may cause acute symptoms.
- Controlled Products
Any product, material or substance that is included in any of the six WHMIS classes:
- Compressed gas; Flammable and Combustible Material; Oxidizing Material, Poisonous and Infectious Material; Corrosive Material; Dangerously Reactive Chemicals
- Routes of Entry
Toxic effects of the controlled product depend on how you come into contact with the hazardous material, which may enter the body through:
- inhalation - breathing in dust particles, fumes, mists or vapours can irritate or burn air passages, e.g. formaldehyde
- ingestion - eating, drinking, or smoking while handling controlled products
- eye or skin absorption - splashes or spills can cause dermatitis, inflammation, or irritation of the skin.
- Degree of Hazard
The amount or degree of hazard is determined by:
- Toxicity of a substance
- Dosage
- Duration of exposure.
- Acute Poisoning
- Hazardous products can cause immediate harm e.g. H2S.
- Chronic Poisoning
- May take hours, days, years, or even decades before you are aware of the damage that has been done, as some hazardous products slowly cause irreversible damage e.g. asbestos.
- Consumer Products
- Products purchased in a store for personal care or household use, not for use in the workplace. Even though it may be the same product, the intent is only to regulate controlled products in the workplace, not the home.
