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Posted By B
Hello all,
Our IT dept have come to me regarding the data sheet for a product they use, which states that it is a category 3 carcinogen.
Now I am very much NOT an expert in this area, but I’m pretty sure that a category 3 is a ‘possibly but not definitely’ category and that it is not considered to be a carcinogen for the purposes of CoSHH, and I’m pretty sure it says this somewhere in the CHIP regs, but I can’t find it!
If anyone could either confirm or deny this, and point me in the direction of where the categories are defined, I’d be very grateful. Obviously I really don’t want to give the wrong advice on this!
Thank you in advance.
B
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Posted By jackdaw
I understand that Class 3 carcinogens are labelled as Harmful under CHIP and should be treated that way under COSHH.
It is the COSHH regs (Guidance L5) that says they should not be treated as a carcinogen.
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Posted By B
Many thanks for the info - very helpful!
B
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Posted By Chris Packham
Is this a single substance listed as a carcinogen or is the carcinogen just one constituent of a preparation? If the latter, then depending upon how this and the other constituents are combined, there may be no final carcinogenic element at all in the actual preparation.
This is one recurring problem with safety data sheets. They list those constituents that are hazardous, i.e. have a Risk phrase and are listed in the Approved Supply List. However, this does not necessarily describe the finished product.
For example, a preparation might list chlorine (toxic gas) and sodium (flammable). However, the mixture is only sodium chloride, i.e. common table salt! Stainless steel contains a high proportion of nickel, one of the most common skin sensitisers. Yet stainless steel is, itself, only rarely a sensitiser, and then only the very cheapest grades.
In fact, in many cases I find I have to go back to the supplier to find out what the actual preparation represents in terms of hazard. Of course, this may also vary depending upon how I am going to use it!
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Posted By Jane Blunt
Could I make a small correction. A preparation that contained common salt should under no circustances list chlorine gas and sodium as constituents. The difference here is that salt is a COMPOUND of sodium and chlorine and not a mixture. The distinction is crucial.
When you have mixtures you can get synergies between constituents so that the final toxic effect is greater than the individual components. However, you can also get a dilution so that the effect is less - it all depends!
Regards
Jane
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Posted By B
Chris
It appears from the MSDS that the finished product is labelled as a category 3 carcinogen (it contains methanol and dichloromethane).
They are using it in extremely small quantities (it is a plastic marking paste used to mark computer equipment), have done a risk assessment and are using the PPE recommended. The issue was that they saw the word carcinogen and were concerned about it, and I am really not an expert on chemicals (we only really have domestic-type cleaning products to worry about as a general rule) so couldn’t 100% tell them what a ‘category 3 carcinogen’ was and then couldn’t find the info in the regulations.
I have now given them a list of Risk Phrases for their own reference, and they are perfectly happy that using the substance in the way they are (as recommended by the manufacturer) there is very limited risk.
I do take your point about the differences between the risk phrases for the finished product and its constituent parts and will certainly ensure that any CoSHH assessments we have done are not over/under assessed.
Thanks again to all who’ve responded.
B
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Posted By Jane Blunt
You may find the iarc site helpful. This is the International Agency for Research on Cancer.Access to the databases and an explanation of the categories is on this page, along with the comprehensive lists of chemicals and other items that have been evaluated:
http://monographs.iarc.f...Classification/index.php
Jane
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Posted By B
Thanks Jane, very comprehensive!
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Posted By Chris Packham
Jane
I accept your point about mixtures etc. Unfortunately, what I find in practice is that where individual constituents have been incorporated into a preparation, these tend to get listed on the safety data sheet, irrespective of whether the result is a compound or a mixture. I could show you many examples, quite a few from large, multi-national chemical concerns.
In fact, many studies have shown that a significant proportion of safety data sheets contain inadequate data. For example, at the OEESC (major international skin conference) last year in Stockholm a poster presented research by a team of dermatologists where the conclusion was that around 42% of all the SDS they had reviewed did not contain sufficient information.
I have just been dealing with a case of allergic contact dermatitis to a metalworking fluid. The safety data sheet (from a major manufacturer) provides no information on the sensitisers among the constituents, although one such constituent must be the cause of the skin reaction. The SDS will probably comply with CHIP but does it provide the information required under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act?
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