Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

WEST AUSTRALIAN THEVENARD CRUDE OIL

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Refinery feedstock, supplied in bulk.

SYNONYMS

"Petroleum Crude"

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

Irritating to respiratory system.
May cause CANCER.
May cause heritable genetic damage.
HARMFUL - May cause lung damage if swallowed.
Harmful: danger of serious damage to health by prolonged exposure through
inhalation, in contact with skin and if swallowed.
Highly flammable.
Vapors may cause dizziness or suffocation.
Very toxic to aquatic organisms.

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  Accidental ingestion of the material may be harmful; animal experiments indicate that ingestion of less than 150 gram may be fatal or may produce serious damage to the health of the individual.  Swallowing of the liquid may cause aspiration into the lungs with the risk of chemical pneumonitis; serious consequences may result. (ICSC13733).  Ingestion of petroleum hydrocarbons can irritate the pharynx, esophagus, stomach and small intestine, and cause swellings and ulcers of the mucous. Symptoms include a burning mouth and throat; larger amounts can cause nausea and vomiting, narcosis, weakness, dizziness, slow and shallow breathing, abdominal swelling, unconsciousness and convulsions. Damage to the heart muscle can produce heart beat irregularities, ventricular fibrillation (fatal) and ECG changes. The central nervous system can be depressed. Light species can cause a sharp tingling of the tongue and cause loss of sensation there. Aspiration can cause cough, gagging, pneumonia with swelling and bleeding.  Constant or exposure over long periods to mixed hydrocarbons may produce stupor with dizziness, weakness and visual disturbance, weight loss and anemia, and reduced liver and kidney function. Skin exposure may result in drying and cracking and redness of the skin. Chronic exposure to lighter hydrocarbons can cause nerve damage, peripheral neuropathy, bone marrow dysfunction and psychiatric disorders as well as damage the liver and kidneys.  

EYE

  Limited evidence or practical experience suggests, that the material may cause eye irritation in a substantial number of individuals. Prolonged eye contact may cause inflammation characterized by a temporary redness of the conjunctiva (similar to windburn).  Direct eye contact with petroleum hydrocarbons can be painful, and the corneal epithelium may be temporarily damaged. Aromatic species can cause irritation and excessive tear secretion.  The material may be irritating to the eye, with prolonged contact causing inflammation. Repeated or prolonged exposure to irritants may produce conjunctivitis.  

SKIN

  Skin contact with the material may damage the health of the individual; systemic effects may result following absorption.  Skin contact with the material may be harmful; systemic effects may resultfollowing absorption.  There is some evidence to suggest that the material may cause moderate inflammation of the skin either following direct contact or after a delay of some time. Repeated exposure can cause contact dermatitis which is characterized by redness, swelling and blistering.  Entry into the blood-stream, through, for example, cuts, abrasions or lesions, may produce systemic injury with harmful effects. Examine the skin prior to the use of the material and ensure that any external damage is suitably protected.  The material may cause skin irritation after prolonged or repeated exposure and may produce on contact skin redness, swelling, the production of vesicles, scaling and thickening of the skin.  

INHALED

  Inhalation may produce health damage*.  If inhaled, this material can irritate the throat andlungs of some persons.  The material may produce respiratory tract irritation, and result in damage to the lung including reduced lung function.  Inhalation of vapors, aerosols (mists, fumes) or dusts, generated by the material during the course of normal handling, may be harmful.  Inhalation of vapours may cause drowsiness and dizziness. This may be accompanied by narcosis, reduced alertness, loss of reflexes, lack of coordination and vertigo.  If exposure to highly concentrated solvent atmosphere is prolonged this may lead to narcosis, unconsciousness, even coma and possible death.  The symptoms of exposure to high vapour concentrations of benzene include confusion, dizziness, tightening of the leg muscles and pressure over the forehead followed by a period of excitement. If exposure continues, the casualty quickly becomes stupefied and lapses into a coma with narcosis. In non-fatal cases, recovery is usual. Effects of inhalation may include nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, weakness, sometimes preceded by brief periods of ataxia, staggering, weak and rapid pulse, chest pain and tightness with breathlessness, pallor, cyanosis of the lips and fingertips and tinnitus. Severe exposures may produce blurred vision, shallow rapid breathing, delirium, cardiac arrhythmias, unconsciousness, deep anaesthesia, paralysis and coma characterised by motor restlessness, tremors and hyperreflexia (occasionally preceded by convulsions). Polyneuritis and persistent nausea, anorexia, muscular weakness, headache, drowsiness, insomnia and agitation may also occur. Two to three weeks after exposure, nervous irritability, breathlessness and unsteady gait may still persist; cardiac distress and unusual discolouration of the skin may be evident for up to four weeks. Haemotoxicity is not usually a feature of acute exposures although anaemia, thrombocytopenia, petechial haemorrhage, and spontaneous internal bleeding have been reported. Fatal exposures may result in asphyxia, central nervous system depression, cardiac and respiratory failure and circulatory collapse; sudden ventricular fibrillation may also be fatal. Death may be sudden or may be delayed for 24 hours. Central nervous system, respiratory or haemorrhagic complications may occur up to five days after exposure and may be lethal; pathological findings include congestion, cerebral oedema, and lung haemorrhage, renal congestion, cerebral oedema and extensive petechial haemorrhage in the brain, pleurae, pericardium, urinary tract, mucous membrane and skin. Exposure to toxic levels has also produced chromosomal damage.  Hydrogen sulfide poisoning can cause increased secretion of saliva, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, giddiness, headache, vertigo, memory loss, palpitations, heartbeat irregularities, weakness, muscle cramps, confusion, sudden collapse, unconsciousness and death due to paralysis of breathing (at levels above 300 parts per million). The "rotten egg" odor is not a good indicator of exposure since odor fatigue occurs and odor is lost at over 200 ppm. The gas can enter the body through a punctured ear drum and even wearing some respiratory protection. Immediate supportive care is essential. Ensure medical help is addressed as part of the site emergency plan and that employees who may be accidentally exposed are made aware of the existence of such a plan.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Based on experiments and other information, there is ample evidence to presume that exposure to this material can cause genetic defects that can be inherited.  

  Limited evidence suggests that repeated or long-term occupational exposure may produce cumulative health effects involving organs or biochemical systems.  There is sufficient evidence to suggest that this materialdirectly causes cancer in humans.  This material can cause serious damage if one is exposed to it for long periods. It can be assumed that it contains a substance which can produce severe defects. This has been demonstrated via both short- and long-term experimentation.  Constant or exposure over long periods to mixed hydrocarbons may produce stupor with dizziness, weakness and visual disturbance, weight loss and anemia, and reduced liver and kidney function. Skin exposure may result in drying and cracking and redness of the skin. Chronic exposure to lighter hydrocarbons can cause nerve damage, peripheral neuropathy, bone marrow dysfunction and psychiatric disorders as well as damage the liver and kidneys.  Chronic exposure to benzene may cause headache, fatigue, loss of appetite and lassitude with incipient blood effects including anaemia and blood changes. Benzene is a myelotoxicant known to suppress bone- marrow cell proliferation and to induce haematologic disorders in humans and animals. Signs of benzene-induced aplastic anaemia include suppression of leukocytes (leukopenia), red cells (anaemia), platelets (thrombocytopenia) or all three cell types (pancytopenia). Classic symptoms include weakness, purpura, and haemorrhage. The most significant toxic effect is insidious and often reversible injury to the blood forming tissue. Leukaemia may develop. Occupational exposures have shown a relationship between exposure to benzene and production of myelogenous leukaemia. There may also be a relationship between benzene exposure and the production of lymphoma and multiple myeloma. In chronic exposure, workers exhibit signs of central nervous system lesions and impairment of hearing.Benzene haemotoxicity and leukaemogenicity involve metabolism, growth factor regulation, oxidative stress, DNA damage, cell regulation, and apoptosis. (Yoon et al Environmental Health Perspectives, 111, pp 1411-1420, 2003).  Long term low level exposure to hydrogen sulfide may produce headache, fatigue, dizziness,  irritability and loss of sexual desire. These symptoms may also result when exposed to hydrogen sulfide at high concentration for a short period of time.