Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

TALLOW ALCOHOLS

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Used for pharmaceutical dispensing in cosmetic creams; for emulsions; textile oils and
finishes; as an antifoam agent; a lubricant; and a chemical raw material. Surfactant

SYNONYMS

"tallow fatty alcohol", "tallow alcohols, branched and linear (CAS RN: 103819-02-9)",
"tallow alcohols, branched and linear (CAS RN: 103819-02-9)", octadecanol, n-octadecanol,
n-octadecanol, "octa decyl alcohol", "stearyl alcohols"

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

None

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

May form explosive peroxides.

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  The material has NOT been classified as "harmful by ingestion". This is because of the lack of corroborating animal or human evidence. The material may still be damaging to the health of the individual, following ingestion, especially where pre-existing organ (e.g. liver, kidney) damage is evident. Present definitions of harmful or toxic substances are generally based on doses producing mortality (death) rather than those producing morbidity (disease, ill-health). Gastrointestinal tract discomfort may produce nausea and vomiting. In an occupational setting however, unintentional ingestion is not thought to be cause for concern.  

EYE

  Although the material is not thought to be an irritant, direct contact with the eye may cause transient discomfort characterized by tearing or conjunctival redness (as with windburn). Slight abrasive damage may also result. The material may produce foreign body irritation in certain individuals.  

SKIN

  The material is not thought to produce adverse health effects or skin irritation following contact (as classified using animal models). Nevertheless, good hygiene practice requires that exposure be kept to a minimum and that suitable gloves be used in an occupational setting.  Molten material is capable of causing burns.  

INHALED

  The material is not thought to produce adverse health effects or irritation of the respiratory tract (as classified using animal models). Nevertheless, good hygiene practice requires that exposure be kept to a minimum and that suitable control measures be used in an occupational setting.  There is some evidence to suggest that the material can cause respiratory irritation in some persons. The body's response to such irritation can cause further lung damage.  Persons with impaired respiratory function, airway diseases and conditions such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis, may incur further disability if excessive concentrations of particulate are inhaled.  Fine mists generated from plant/ vegetable (or more rarely from animal) oils may be hazardous. Extreme heating for prolonged periods, at high temperatures, may generate breakdown products which include acrolein and acrolein-like substances.  Processing for an overly long time or processing at overly high temperatures may cause generation and release of highly irritating vapors, which irritate eyes, nose, throat, causing red itching eyes, coughing, sore throat.  Usually handled as molten liquid which requires worker thermal protection and increases hazard of vapor exposure.CAUTION: Vapors may be irritating.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Long-term exposure to the product is not thought to produce chronic effects adverse to the health (as classified using animal models); nevertheless exposure by all routes should be minimized as a matter of course.  Long term exposure to high dust concentrations may cause changes in lung function i.e. pneumoconiosis; caused by particles less than 0.5 micron penetrating and remaining in the lung. Prime symptom is breathlessness; lung shadows show on X-ray.