Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

KARCHER RM-31 HIGH PRESSURE DEGREASER

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Highly active alkaline detergent - removes stubborn oil stains , grease and tar
contamination, when used in conjunction with pressure washing equipment.

SYNONYMS

"alkaline detergent pressure washer steam cleaning degreaser"

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

In use, may form flammable/ explosive vapor- air mixture.
May form explosive peroxides.
Causes severe burns.
Risk of serious damage to eyes.
Toxic to aquatic organisms.

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  The material can produce severe chemical burns within the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract following ingestion.  Ingestion of alkaline corrosives may produce burns around the mouth, ulcerations and swellings of the mucous membranes, profuse saliva production, with an inability to speak or swallow. Both the esophagus and stomach may experience burning pain; vomiting and diarrhea may follow. Epiglottal swelling may result in respiratory distress and asphyxia; shock can occur. Narrowing of the esophagus, stomach or stomach valve may occur immediately or after a long delay (weeks to years). Severe exposure can perforate the esophagus or stomach leading to infections of the chest or abdominal cavity, with low chest pain, abdominal stiffness and fever. All of the above can cause death.  As absorption of phosphates from the bowel is poor, poisoning this way is less likely. Effects can include vomiting, tiredness, fever, diarrhea, low blood pressure, slow pulse, cyanosis, spasms of the wrist, coma and severe body spasms.  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.  Ingestion of ethanol (ethyl alcohol, "alcohol") may produce nausea, vomiting, bleeding from the digestive tract, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Effects on the body:  
Blood concentration
Effects
<1.5 g/L
Mild: impaired vision, co-ordination and reaction time; emotional instability
1.5-3.0 g/L
Moderate: Slurred speech, confusion, inco-ordination, emotional instability, disturbances in perception and senses, possible blackouts, and impaired objective performance in standardized tests. Possible double vision, flushing, fast heart rate, sweating and incontinence. Slow breathing may occur rarely and fast breathing may develop in cases of metabolic acidosis, low blood sugar and low blood potassium. Central nervous system depression may progress to coma.
3-5 g/L
Severe: cold clammy skin, low body temperature and low blood pressure. Atrial fibrillation and heart block have been reported. Depression of breathing may occur, respiratory failure may follow serious poisoning, choking on vomit may result in lung inflammation and swelling. Convulsions due to severe low blood sugar may also occur. Acute liver inflammation may develop.
  
  .  

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.  Direct eye contact with corrosive bases can cause pain and burns. There may be swelling, epithelium destruction, clouding of the cornea and inflammation of the iris. Mild cases often resolve; severe cases can be prolonged with complications such as persistent swelling, scarring, permanent cloudiness, bulging of the eye, cataracts, eyelids glued to the eyeball and blindness.  Direct contact of the eye with ethanol may cause immediate stinging and burning with reflex closure of the lid and tearing, transient injury of the corneal epithelium and hyperaemia of the conjunctiva. Foreign-body type discomfort may persist for up to 2 days but healing is usually spontaneous and complete.  

SKIN

  The material can produce severe chemical burns following direct contactwith the skin.  Skin contact is not thought to have harmful health effects, however the material may still produce health damage following entry through wounds, lesions or abrasions.  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.  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.  Skin contact with alkaline corrosives may produce severe pain and burns; brownish stains may develop. The corroded area may be soft, gelatinous and necrotic; tissue destruction may be deep.  

INHALED

  The material can cause respiratory irritation in some persons. The body's response to such irritation can cause further lung damage.  Inhaling corrosive bases may irritate the respiratory tract. Symptoms include cough, choking, pain and damage to the mucous membrane. In severe cases, lung swelling may develop, sometimes after a delay of hours to days. There may be low blood pressure, a weak and rapid pulse, and crackling sounds.  The material is not thought to produce adverse health effects following inhalation (as classified using animal models). Nevertheless, adverse effects have been produced following exposure of animals by at least one other route and good hygiene practice requires that exposure be kept to a minimum and that suitable control measures be used in an occupational setting.  Inhalation of vapours may cause drowsiness and dizziness. This may be accompanied by narcosis, reduced alertness, loss of reflexes, lack of coordination and vertigo.  Inhalation of high concentrations of gas/vapor causes lung irritation with coughing and nausea, central nervous depression with headache and dizziness, slowing of reflexes, fatigue and inco-ordination.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Repeated or prolonged exposure to corrosives may result in the erosion of teeth, inflammatory and ulcerative changes in the mouth and necrosis (rarely) of the jaw. Bronchial irritation, with cough, and frequent attacks of bronchial pneumonia may ensue. Gastrointestinal disturbances may also occur. Chronic exposures may result in dermatitis and/or conjunctivitis.  There has been concern that this material can cause cancer or mutations, but there is not enough data to make an assessment.  Limited evidence suggests that repeated or long-term occupational exposure may produce cumulative health effects involving organs or biochemical systems.  There is some evidence that human exposure to the material may result in developmental toxicity. This evidence is based on animal studies where effects have been observed in the absence of marked maternal toxicity, or at around the same dose levels as other toxic effects but which are not secondary non-specific consequences of the other toxic effects.  Exposure to the material may cause concerns for human fertility, on the basis that similar materials provide some evidence of impaired fertility in the absence of toxic effects, or evidence of impaired fertility occurring at around the same dose levels as other toxic effects, but which are not a secondary non-specific consequence of other toxic effects..  Sodium phosphate dibasic can cause stones in the kidney, loss of mineral from the bones and loss of thyroid gland function.  Ethylene glycol esters and their ethers cause wasting of the testicles, reproductive changes, infertility and changes to kidney function. Shorter chain compounds are more dangerous. They are also associated with the formation of stones in the urine.