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Subject: Re: Odor
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2011 09:33:46 -0400
Author: Bradley Harris
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Subject: Re: Lessons learned with NMR units.
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:51:46 -0700
Author: Michael Hurwitz
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Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:23:19 -0400
Reply-To: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: ILPI <info**At_Symbol_Here**ILPI.COM>
Subject: Phenol/cresol first aid question
We had an email inquiry in our
MSDS Questions mailbox today that I thought would be worth discussing on
the list.
This person was contemplating the
instructions for skin exposure on the MSDS's for phenol,
cresol and related materials. The MSDS's generally say to flush
immediately with water while removing affected clothing, but his concern
was that rinsing immediately with water would present more of a health
hazard because doing so would further spread phenol-laden water over a
larger area of the body, giving a wider/systemic exposure. He was
suggesting that spilled material should first be wiped off the skin
using a towel/tissue and then use water.
My
thoughts on this are
1. His
proposal adds an extra step, and with phenols any delay is
dangerous.
2. The person is either going to
have to stop and put on gloves (see item 1) or else risk further skin
exposure on the hands.
3. The phenol-laden rinse water
is going to be very quickly flushed away and have little chance to
absorb. It does not
seem likely
that rinsate could pose a serious systemic threat, and any threat it
does pose pales in comparison to a delay.
Does
anyone have any thoughts/comments to add for our reply to this
question?
Thanks,
Rob
Toreki