Maritime Industry Chemicals & Toxic Substances

Chemical hazards can take the form of a gas, vapor, fume, dust or fiber, or mist. Before we learn more about each form of chemical hazard, we will review some related key terms:

A work environment that poses an immediate threat to an employee's life and health is referred to as immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH).

Respirable particles are dust, fibers, fumes, and other particles that can go past the nose and mouth and enter deep into the respiratory system. These particles are less than 10 microns (10 µm) in diameter. A micron is 1 millionth of a meter (1/96,000 of an inch). Toxic fumes, dusts, mists, and other particles that are less than 10 microns (10 µm) in diameter are invisible. Examples of respirable particles include:

• Silica
• Lead
• Arsenic
• Ammonia
• Hexavalent Chromium

Toxicity is represented by LD₅₀, which is an abbreviation for median lethal dose. LD₅₀ is the concentration of a material, which causes death in 50 percent of a group of test animals.

For more information regarding hazardous chemicals you could be exposed to while working in the maritime industry, please refer to the following resources:

• OSHA Occupational Chemical Database
• OSHA Chemical Sampling Information
• NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards
• EPA Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Substances Inventory
• EPA ChemView Database

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