Hazardous substance
Hazardous Substance
A Hazardous Substance (pronunciation: /ˈhæzərdəs ˈsʌbstəns/) is a material that poses a risk to health, safety, or the environment due to its chemical, physical, or biological properties.
Etymology
The term "Hazardous Substance" is derived from the English words "hazard" and "substance". "Hazard" comes from the Old French 'hasard', which means 'chance, luck, accident', while "substance" is from the Latin 'substantia', meaning 'being, essence, material'.
Definition
A Hazardous Substance is defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as any substance or chemical which is a "health hazard" or "physical hazard", including: chemicals which are carcinogens, toxic agents, irritants, corrosives, sensitizers; agents which act on the hematopoietic system; agents which damage the lungs, skin, eyes, or mucous membranes; chemicals which are combustible, explosive, flammable, oxidizers, pyrophorics, unstable-reactive or water-reactive; and radioactive materials.
Related Terms
- Toxic Substance: A substance that can cause harm to living organisms.
- Carcinogen: A substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue.
- Corrosive Substance: A substance that has the ability to destroy or irreversibly damage another substance.
- Radioactive Material: Material that emits radiation.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): The agency responsible for the enforcement of safety and health legislation.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Hazardous substance
- Wikipedia's article - Hazardous substance
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