Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

UNOCAL OXYGEN

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Used according to manufacturer' s directions.

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

Contact with combustible material may cause fire.
Irritating to eyes.
Risk of explosion if heated under confinement.

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  Overexposure is unlikely in this form.  Not normally a hazard due to physical form of product.  Considered an unlikely route of entry in commercial/industrial environments.  

EYE

  This material can cause eye irritation and damage in some persons.  

SKIN

  There is some evidence to suggest that this material can cause inflammation of the skin on contact in some persons.  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.  

INHALED

  Inhalation of vapors or aerosols (mists, fumes), generated by the material during the course of normal handling, may be damaging to the health of the individual.  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.  Inhalation of non-toxic gases may cause:  ·  CNS effects: headache, confusion, dizziness, stupor, seizures and coma;  ·  respiratory: shortness of breath and rapid breathing;  ·  cardiovascular: collapse and irregular heart beats;  ·  gastrointestinal: mucous membrane irritation, nausea and vomiting.  In oxygen-enriched atmospheres both the respiratory and central nervous systems may be affected. No health effects have been observed in humans exposed to concentrations of up to 80 vol% oxygen for a few hours or up to 50 vol% for 24 hours. At pressures above one atmosphere, hyperoxia may appear after 2-6 hours. Symptoms of hyperoxia include cramps, nausea, dizziness, hypothermia, amblyopia (loss of vision), bradycardia, fainting spells and convulsions capable of causing death.  Irritation of the mucous membranes may occur after prolonged exposures to oxygen-rich atmospheres (above 60 vol%).  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Principal route of occupational exposure to the gas is by inhalation.  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.  A variety of central nervous system effects can occur following prolonged exposure to oxygen at partial pressures in excess of 200 kPa: these include dizziness, impaired coordination, visual and hearing disturbances, and seizures. Prolonged exposure at/ or normal elevated pressure may cause severe thickening and scarring of tissue.