Glossary of
Common MSDS Terms
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H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W Z
F
- FASCICULATION:
- Muscular twitching.
- FEDERAL REGISTER:
- Daily publication that lists and discusses the regulations of
Federal agencies.
- FIBER:
- Basic form of matter, usually crystalline, with a high ratio
of length to diameter.
- FIBROSIS:
- Formation of fibrous tissue, as in reparative or reactive
process to particulates, in excess of amounts normally present in lung tissue walls. This
reduces the oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange efficiency.
- FIFRA:
- Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act requires
that certain useful poisons, such as chemical pesticides, sold to the public contain
labels that carry health hazard warnings to protect users. It is administered by EPA.
- FINES:
- Finely crushed or powdered material or fibers; especially
those smaller than the average in a mix of various sizes.
- FIRE DIAMOND:
- Symbol designed by the NFPA to give a quick number rating for
the particular material's degree of health (blue), flammability (red), reactivity
(yellow), and specific (white) hazard.
- FIRE POINT:
- Lowest temperature at which liquid will produce sufficient
vapor to flash near its surface and continue to burn.
- FLAMMABLE:
- Defined by DOT and NFPA as a liquid with a flash point below
100 degrees F. Flammable liquids are:
- Class 1 Liquids and may be subdivided as follows:
- Class 1A
Flash point below 73 degrees F and boiling point below 100 degrees F.
- Class 1B
Flash point below 73 degrees F and boiling point at or above 100 degrees F.
- Class 1C
Flash point at or above 73 degrees F and below 100 degrees F.
- FLAMMABLE AEROSOL:
- Product packaged in an aerosol container and can release a
flammable material.
- FLAMMABLE GAS:
- Gas that at ambient temperature and pressure forms a flammable
mixture with air at a concentration of 13% by volume or less; or a gas that at ambient
temperature and pressure forms a range of flammable mixtures with air greater than 12% by
volume, regardless of the lower limit.
- FLAMMABLE LIMITS:
- Minimum and maximum concentrations of flammable gas or vapor
between which ignition occurs.
- FLAMMABLE LIQUID:
- Liquid that gives off vapors that can be ignited at room
temperature; liquid with flash point below 100F.
- FLAMMABLE SOLID:
- Solid that will ignite readily and continue to burn or is
liable to cause fires under ordinary conditions or during transportation through friction
or retained heat from manufacturing or processing and that burns so vigorously and
persistently as to create a serious transportation hazard.
- FLASH BACK:
- Occurs when a trail of flammable material is ignited by a
distant spark or ignition source. The flame then travels along the trail of the material
back to its source.
- FLASH POINT:
- Temperature at which a liquid will give off enough flammable
vapor to ignite. There are several flash point test methods, and flash points may vary for
the same material depending on the method used, so the test method is indicated when the
flash point is given.
- FOAM:
- Fire fighting material consisting of small bubbles of air,
water, and concentrating agents. Foam will put out a fire by blanketing it, excluding air
and blocking the escape of volatile vapor.
- FOG:
- Visible suspension of fine droplets in a gas.
- FORESEEABLE EMERGENCY:
- Potential occurrence such as equipment failure, rupture of
containers, or failure of control equipment which could result in an uncontrolled release
of a hazardous chemical.
- FORMULA:
- The scientific expression of the chemical composition of a
material (e.g.,water H2O, sulfuric acid H2SO4, sulfur dioxide is SO2).
- FREEZING POINT:
- Temperature at which a material changes its physical state
from liquid to solid. This information is important because a frozen material may burst
its container or the hazards could change.
- FROSTBITE:
- Damage to tissue from exposure to extreme cold or contact with
extremely cold liquids or solids.
- FUGITIVE EMISSION:
- Gas, liquid, solid, vapor, fume, mist, fog, or dust that
escapes from process equipment or a product.
- FULL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING:
- Fully protective gear that keeps gases, vapor, liquid, and
solids from any contact with skin and prevents them from being inhaled or ingested.
- FUME:
- Airborne suspension consisting of minute solid particles
arising from the heating of a solid. This heating is often accompanied by a chemical
reaction where the particles react with oxygen to form an oxide.
- g:
- Gram. Metric unit of weight.
- GANGRENE:
- Death of tissue combined with putrefaction.
- GAS:
- Formless fluid that occupies the space of its enclosure. Can
settle to the bottom or top of an enclosure when mixed with other materials. Can be
changed to its liquid or solid state only by increased pressure and decreased temperature.
- GASTRIC LAVAGE:
- Washing out of the stomach using a tube and fluids.
- GASTRITIS:
- Irritation of lining of stomach which may be evident as
stomach pains, vomiting, or diarrhea, etc.
- GASTROENTERITIS:
- Inflammation of the stomach and intestine.
- GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT:
- Stomach and intestine as a functional unit.
- GAVAGE:
- Feeding by means of a stomach tube.
- GENERAL VENTILATION:
- Removal of contaminated air and its replacement with clean air
from general workplace area as opposed to local ventilation, which is specific air
changing in immediate air of a contamination source.
- GENERIC NAME:
- Designation or identification to identify a chemical by other
than its chemical name.
- GENETIC:
- Pertaining to or carried by genes. Hereditary.
- GINGIVITIS:
- Inflammation of the gums.
- GRAM:
- Metric unit of mass weight. One U.S. ounce is about 28 grams
and one pound is 454 grams.
- GRAM/KILOGRAM:
- Expression of dose used in oral and dermal toxicology testing
to indicate the grams of substance dosed per kilogram of animal body weight.
- GROUNDING:
- Safety practice to conduct electrical charge to ground,
preventing igniting sparks of a material.
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- HAZARDOUS DECOMPOSITION:
- Breaking down or separation of a substance into its
constituent parts, elements, or into simpler compounds accompanied by the release of heat,
gas, or hazardous materials.
- HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL:
- Any chemical whose presence or use is a physical hazard or a
health hazard.
- HAZARDOUS INGREDIENTS:
- Hazardous substances that make up a mixture.
- HAZARDOUS MATERIAL:
- Any substance or mixture of substances having properties
capable of producing adverse effects on the health or safety of a human being.
- HAZARDOUS MATERIALS IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM (HMIS):
- Developed by the NPCA to provide information on health,
flammability, and reactivity hazards that are encountered in the workplace. A number is
assigned to a material indicating the degree of hazard, from 0 for the least up to 4 for
the most severe. Letters are used to designate personal protective equipment.
- HAZARDOUS WASTE NUMBER:
- Identification number assigned by the EPA, per RCRA law, to
identify and track hazardous wastes.
- HEALTH HAZARD:
- Chemical from which acute or chronic health effects may occur
in exposed individuals.
- HEMATOPOIETIC SYSTEM:
- The blood-forming mechanism of the human body.
- HEMATURIA:
- Presence of blood in the urine.
- HEMOLYSIS:
- Separation of the hemoglobin from red blood corpuscles.
- HEPATIC:
- Pertaining to the liver.
- HEPATOTOXIN:
- A substance that causes injury to the liver.
- HIGHLY TOXIC:
- A chemical in any of the following categories:
- A chemical with a median lethal dose (LD50) of 50 milligrams
or less per kilogram of body weight when administered orally to albino rats between 200
and 300 grams each.
- A chemical with a median lethal dose (LD50) of 200 milligrams
or less per kilogram of body weight when administered by continuous contact for 24 hours
(or less if death occurs within 24 hours) with the bare skin of albino rabbits weighing
between 2 and 3 kilograms each.
- A chemical that has a median lethal concentration (LC50) in
air of 200 parts per million by volume or less of gas or vapor, or 2 milligrams per liter
or less of mist, fume, or dust when administered by continuos inhalation for 1 hour (or
less if death occurs within 1 hour) to albino rats weighing between 200 and 300 grams
each.
- HYDROCARBON:
- Organic compound composed only of carbon and hydrogen.
Petroleum, natural gas, and coal are the main sources of hydrocarbons for industry.
- HYDROPHILIC:
- Materials having large molecules that absorb and retain water,
causing them to swell and frequently to gel.
- HYGROSCOPIC:
- Readily adsorbing available moisture in any form.
- HYPEREMIA:
- Congestion of blood in a body part.
- HYPERGOLIC:
- Self-igniting upon contact of its components without a spark
or external aid.
- HYPOCALCEMIA:
- Calcium deficiency of the blood.
- HYPOXIA:
- Insufficient oxygen, especially applied to body cells.
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- IGNITION TEMPERATURE:
- Lowest temperature at which a combustible material will catch
fire in air and will continue to burn independently of the source of heat when heated.
- INHALATION TOXICITY:
- Ratings corresponding to the following definitions are derived
from the test methods and categories of toxicity described in 16 CFR 1500.3.
- 1. NON-TOXIC:
- The probable lethal concentration of the undiluted product to
50% of the test animals (LC50) is greater than 200 milligrams per liter by volume when
inhaled continuously for one hour or less.
- 2. TOXIC:
- The probable lethal concentration of the undiluted product to
50% of the test animals (LC50) is greater than 2 milligrams and less than or equal to 200
milligrams per liter by volume when inhaled continuously for one hour or less.
- 3. HIGHLY TOXIC:
- The probable lethal concentration of the undiluted product to
50% of the test animals (LC50) is less than or equal to 2 milligrams per liter by volume
when inhaled continuously for one hour or less.
- IMMEDIATE USE:
- The hazardous chemical will be under the control of and used
only by the person who transfers it from a labeled container and only within the work
shift in which it is transferred.
- IMMEDIATELY DANGEROUS TO LIFE AND HEALTH (IDLH):
- Maximum concentration from which one could escape within 30
minutes without any escape-impairing symptoms or any irreversible health effects.
- IMPORTER:
- First business with employees within the Customs Territory of
U.S. which receives hazardous chemicals produced in other countries for the purpose of
supplying them to distributors or employers within U.S.
- IMPERVIOUS:
- Material that does not allow another substance to pass through
or penetrate it.
- INCOMPATIBLE:
- Materials which could cause dangerous reactions from direct
contact with one another.
- INERT INGREDIENTS:
- Anything other than the active ingredient in a product; not
having active properties.
- INFLAMMABLE:
- Capable of being easily set on fire and continuing to burn,
especially violently.
- INFLAMMATION:
- Series of reactions produced in tissue by an irritant, injury,
or infection. Characterized by swelling and redness caused by an influx of blood and
fluids.
- INGESTION:
- Taking in of a substance through the mouth.
- INHALATION:
- Breathing in of a substance in the form of a gas, vapor, fume,
mist, or dust.
- INHIBITOR:
- Chemical which is added to another substance to prevent an
unwanted chemical change from occurring.
- INORGANIC MATERIALS:
- Compounds derived from other than vegetable or animal sources;
generally do not contain carbon atoms.
- INSOLUBLE:
- Incapable of being dissolved in a liquid.
- INTERSTITIAL FIBROSIS:
- Scarring of the lungs.
- IRIDAL:
- Pertaining to the iris of the eye.
- IRIDOCYCLITIS:
- Inflammation of both the iris and the ciliary body of the eye.
- IRRITANT:
- Substance which, by contact in sufficient concentration for a
sufficient period of time, will cause an inflammatory response or reaction of the eye,
skin, or respiratory system.
- ISOMERS:
- Compounds that have same molecular weight and atomic
composition but differ in molecular structure.
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- JAUNDICE:
- Yellowish discoloration of tissue, whites of the eyes, and bodily
fluids with bile pigment caused by any of several pathological conditions that interrupt
the liver's normal production and discharge of bile.
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- KETOSIS:
- Condition marked by excessive production or accumulation of ketone
bodies in the body caused by disturbed carbohydrate metabolism.
- KILOGRAM:
- Metric unit of weight; about 2.2 pounds.
L
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- LABEL:
- Any written, printed, or graphic sign or symbol displayed on
or affixed to containers of hazardous chemicals. Should contain identity of the material,
appropriate hazard warnings, and name and address of the chemical manufacturer, importer,
or other responsible party.
- LABORATORY SCALE (ACTIVITY):
- The work involves containers of substances used for reactions
and transfers that are designed for easy and safe handling by one person. Workplaces that
produce commercial quantities of materials are excluded from the definition of
"Laboratory."
- LACRIMATION:
- Secretion and discharge of tears.
- LACRIMATOR:
- Material that produces tears.
- LANDFILL:
- Disposal of trash and waste products at controlled location
that is sealed and buried under earth.
- LATENCY PERIOD:
- Time that elapses between exposure and the first
manifestations of disease or illness.
- LAVAGE:
- Washing of a hollow organ, such as the stomach, using a tube
and fluids.
- LC50:
- Lethal concentration 50, median lethal concentration. The
concentration of a material in air that on the basis of laboratory tests (respiratory
route) is expected to kill 50% of a group of test animals when administered as a single
exposure in a specific time period, usually 1 hour LC50 is expressed as parts of material
per million parts of air, by volume (ppm) for gases and vapors, as micrograms of material
per liter of air (ug/l), or milligrams of material per cubic meter of air (mg/m3) for
dusts and mists, as well as for gases and vapors.
- LCLO:
- Lethal concentration low. The lowest concentration of a
substance in air reported to have caused death in humans or animals. The reported
concentrations may be entered for periods of exposure that are less than 24 hr (acute) or
greater than 24 hr (subacute and chronic).
- LD50:
- Lethal dose 50. The single dose of a substance that causes the
death of 50% of an animal population from exposure to the substance by any route other
than inhalation. LD50 is usually expressed as milligrams or grams of material per kilogram
of animal weight (mg/kg or g/kg). The animal species and means of administering the dose
(oral, intravenous, etc.) should also be stated.
- LDLO:
- Lethal dose low. The lowest dose of a substance introduced by
any route, other than inhalation, reported to have caused death in humans or animals.
- LESION:
- Abnormal change, injury, or damage to tissue or to an organ.
- LEUKEMIA:
- Progressive, malignant disease of the blood-forming organs.
- LIPID GRANULOMA:
- Mass of chronically inflamed tissue that is usually infective.
- LIPID PNEUMONIA:
- Chronic condition caused by the aspiration of oily substances
into the lungs.
- LOCAL EFFECTS:
- Toxic or irritation effects which occur at the site of contact
with a chemical or substance.
- LOCAL VENTILATION:
- Drawing off and replacement of contaminated air directly from
its source.
- LOWER EXPLOSIVE (FLAMMABLE) LIMIT (LEL):
- Lowest concentration (lowest percentage of the substance in
air) that will produce a flash of fire when an ignition source (heat, electric arc, or
flame) is present.
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- MALAISE:
- Feeling of general discomfort, distress, or uneasiness.
- MELTING POINT:
- Temperature at which a solid substance changes to a liquid
state. For mixtures, a melting range may be given.
- METABOLISM:
- Chemical and physical processes whereby the body functions.
- METASTASIS:
- Transmission of a disease from one part of the body to
another.
- METHEMOGLOBINEMIA:
- Presence of methemoglobin in the bloodstream caused by the
reaction of materials with the hemoglobin in red blood cells that reduces their
oxygen-carrying capacity.
- mg:
- Milligram (1/1000, 10-3, of a gram).
- mg/kg:
- Milligram per kilogram. Dosage used in toxicology testing to
indicate a dose administered per kg of body weight.
- mg/m3:
- Milligram per cubic meter of air. mg/m3 = ppm x MW/24.45 at 25
C.
- Microgram (ug):
- One-millionth (10-6) of a gram.
- Micrometer (um):
- One-millionth (10-6) of a meter; often referred to as a
micron.
- Millimeter (mm):
- 1/1000 of a meter.
- MISCIBLE:
- Extent to which liquids or gases can be mixed or blended.
- MIST:
- Suspended liquid droplets in the air generated by condensation
from the gaseous to the liquid state or by mechanically breaking up the liquid by
splashing or atomizing.
- MIXTURE:
- Heterogeneous association of materials that cannot be
represented by a chemical formula and that does not undergo chemical change as a result of
interaction among the mixed materials.
- ml:
- Milliliter. 1/1000 of a liter. A metric unit of capacity, for
all practical purposes equal to 1 cubic centimeter. One cubic inch is about 16 ml.
- mm Hg:
- A measure of pressure in millimeters of a mercury column above
a reservoir, or difference of level in a U-tube.
- MOLE:
- Quantity of a chemical substance that has a weight in a unit
numerically equal to the molecular weight.
- MOLECULAR WEIGHT:
- The sum of the atomic weights of the atoms in a molecule.
- mppcf:
- Millions of particles per cubic foot of air, based on impinger
samples counted by light-field techniques (OSHA).
- MUCOUS MEMBRANE:
- The mucous-secreting lining that lines the hollow organs of
the body.
- MUTAGEN:
- Substance or agent capable of altering the genetic material in
a living cell.
Glossary--continued |
