Reactive Chemicals

Session Objectives
You will be able to:
Identify reactive chemical hazards
Understand the nature of chemical reactions
Detect and manage reactivity hazards
Respond safely to reactive chemical
emergencies

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What You Need to Know

What reactive chemicals are
How they can endanger health and safety
Potential for hazardous chemical reactions
in the workplace
Hazard management program
Necessary precautions on the job
Emergency reporting and response

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What Is a
Reactive Chemical?
Solid or liquid
Reactive to air, water,

or other chemicals
Sensitive to shock,
heat, or friction
Corrosive, poisonous,
or flammable
by-products

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Health Hazards
Burn skin, eyes,

nose, throat
May be poisonous
Irritate eyes, skin,
and respiratory tract
Cause dizziness
and vomiting
Cause asphyxiation and
death
Consult the MSDS
for health hazard
information

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Fire Hazard
Friction
Absorption of moisture
Spontaneous chemical
changes
Retained heat
Readily ignited

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Factors That Create

Reactivity Hazards
Intentional chemistry
Physical processing
Hazardous substance

storage
Processes that involve
combustion
Heat generating
processes

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Factors That Create

Reactivity Hazards (cont.)
The presence of:
Spontaneously
combustible chemicals
Peroxide-forming
chemicals
Water-reactive
chemicals
Oxidizing chemicals
Self-reactive chemicals
Materials that are
incompatible

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Detecting Hazards
Sight
Smell
Air monitoring

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Intentional Reactions
Exothermic and

endothermic reactions
Heat generation
Addition of heat
Losing control of the
intended reaction

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Spontaneously
Combustible Substances
React with oxygen to

ignite or burn without

ignition
DOT Hazard Class 4.2
4 in red part of NFPA
diamond label
Avoid exposure to air
Examples

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Peroxide Formers
React with oxygen,

may explode
Inhibitor or stabilizer
may be added
Often labeled by
another characteristic
Avoid prolonged
storage
Examples

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Water Reactives
Heat, toxic gases,

ruptured containers
DOT Hazard Class 4.3
W in NFPA label
Avoid inadvertent
contact with water
Examples

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Oxidizers
Yield oxygen or

promote combustion
DOT Hazard Class 5.1
OX in NFPA label
Avoid contact with
combustible materials
Examples

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Self-Reactive Materials
Polymerizing, decomposing, rearranging
DOT Hazard Class 1
or 5.2
1 to 4 in yellow part of NFPA label
Avoid shock, friction, heat

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Incompatible Materials
Results of uncontrolled reactions
Potential mixing scenarios
Consult a chemical compatibility chart
Examples

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Reactivity Hazards
Do you understand:
What a reactive
chemical is?
The health and fire
hazards?
Factors that could
cause chemical
reactivity hazards in
the workplace and the
form those reactions
could take?
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Hazard
Management Program
Active monitoring
Audits of procedures
and practices
Management of
change
Keeping abreast of
new technology
Corrective action

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PPE
Gloves
Goggles and face

shield
Chemical-resistant
clothing
Air-supplied respirator

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Investigating Incidents
Report all incidents and near misses
Investigate root causes
Identify unrecognized hazards
Identify measures to eliminate or reduce
hazards
Communicate findings

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First Aid
Skinflush with water
Eyesflush with water
for 15 minutes
Inhalationmove
to fresh air
Ingestionseek
medical attention

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Emergency Procedures
Leave the area
Notify others
Limit access to area
Dont return until its
safe
Dont try to clean up
large spills unless
authorized

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Emergency Equipment
First-aid kit
Spill response supplies
Safety showers
Eyewash stations
Fire extinguishers

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Hazard Management
Do you understand:
All information that has
been presented in the
previous slides?
All the precautions we
must take to effectively
manage chemical
reactivity risks and
prevent accidents?

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Key Points to Remember

Know the hazards of reactive chemicals
Be able to identify different types of reactive
chemicals in the workplace
Wear appropriate PPE
Follow safe handling and storage
procedures
Learn emergency procedures

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