Common Health Effects

Health hazards can be categorized as acute effects or chronic effects.

Acute health effects are short-term effects that appear, change, or worsen rapidly. They are usually seen after exposures to high concentrations of hazardous substances. For example, acute silicosis, caused by exposure to silica, occurs after a few months or as long as two years following exposures to extremely high concentrations of respirable crystalline silica. Symptoms include severe shortness of breath, weakness, and weight loss, which can lead to death.

Chronic health effects usually develop and worsen over an extended period of time. For example, moderate to low exposures to respirable silica may lead to symptoms that appear after 15 to 20 years. Symptoms may or may not be obvious. Workers need to have chest x-rays to determine if there is lung damage. As the lung disease progresses, the worker may experience shortness of breath while exercising and may have clinical signs of poor oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange. In later stages, the worker may experience fatigue, extreme shortness of breath, chest pain, or respiratory failure.

Health hazards can also be categorized by the area of contact, either local or systemic.

A local health effect refers to an adverse health effect that takes place at the point or area of contact. The site may be skin, mucous membranes, the respiratory tract, or the gastrointestinal system. Examples of local health effects are burns, skin and eye irritation, dermatitis, and tissue damage.

A systemic health effect refers to an adverse health effect that takes place at a location distant from the body's initial point of contact and can affect the entire body. For example, a chemical can be inhaled into the lungs or absorbed through the skin, but it affects the person's kidneys, liver, or other part of the body. Examples of systemic health effects include infections, nervous system failure, reproductive system damage, allergic reactions, and kidney damage.

To learn more about Shipyard Chemical Hazards visit our Shipyard Chemical Hazards & Toxic Substances Online Training web page.