Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

UOP HC-H CATALYST******OBSOLETE*******

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Catalyst.

SYNONYMS

catalyst

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

Harmful by inhalation.
Danger of cumulative effects.
Causes severe burns.
Risk of serious damage to eyes.
May cause CANCER by inhalation.
May cause SENSITIZATION by skin contact.
Harmful: danger of serious damage to health by prolonged exposure through
inhalation and if swallowed.

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  The material can produce severe chemical burns within the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract following ingestion.  Considered an unlikely route of entry in commercial/industrial environments.  

EYE

  The material can produce severe chemical burns to the eye following direct contact. Vapors or mists may be extremely irritating.  If applied to the eyes, this material causes severe eye damage.  

SKIN

  The material can produce severe chemical burns following direct contactwith the skin.  if exposure is prolonged / repeated.  Nickel dusts, fumes and salts are potent contact allergens and sensitizers producing a dermatitis known as "nickel" rash.  In the absence of properly designed ventilation systems or where respiratory protective devises are inadequate, up to 10% of exposed workers are expected to be symptomatic.  

INHALED

  If inhaled, this material can irritate the throat andlungs of some persons.  Regular exposure to nickel fume, as the oxide, may result in "metal fume fever" a sometimes debilitating upper respiratory tract condition resembling influenza.  Symptoms include malaise, fever, weakness, nausea and may appear quickly if operations occur in closed or poorly ventilated areas. Pulmonary edema, pulmonary fibrosis and asthma has been reported in welders using nickel alloys; level of exposure are generally not available and case reports are often confounded by mixed exposures to other agents.  Inhalation of freshly formed metal oxide particles sized below 1.5 microns and generally between 0.02 to 0.05 microns may result in "metal fume fever". Symptoms may be delayed for up to 12 hours and begin with the sudden onset of thirst, and a sweet, metallic or foul taste in the mouth. Other symptoms include upper respiratory tract irritation accompanied by coughing and a dryness of the mucous membranes, lassitude and a generalized feeling of malaise. Mild to severe headache, nausea, occasional vomiting, fever or chills, exaggerated mental activity, profuse sweating, diarrhea, excessive urination and prostration may also occur. Tolerance to the fumes develops rapidly, but is quickly lost. All symptoms usually subside within 24-36 hours following removal from exposure.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Skin contact with the material is more likely to cause a sensitization reaction in some persons compared to the general population.  

  Principal routes of exposure are usually by.  skin contact/eye contact and inhalation of generated dust.  Nickel causes a skin sensitization which may produce a chronic eczema. At first an itch appears followed one week later by a red skin eruption with ulcers which discharge and become crusted. In the chronic stages, pigmented or depigmented plaques may be formed. Recovery from the skin inflammation may take weeks. Nickel dusts and some of its compounds may cause cancer; nickel workers show an increased risk of developing cancers of the lung and nasal cavity.