Glossary of terms related to hazardous materials

Posted on Posted in Engineering

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acute adj.
Severe, dangerous

biohazardous adj.
May carry germs or bacteria cause serious disease; could result in chronic illness or death

chronic adj.
Illness that is continual or lasting a long time

combustible adj.
Can catch fire or burn easily

compressed adj
Forced into a small space

container n.
Includes a bag, barrel, bottle, box, can, cylinder, drum, storage tank

contaminate v.
Make impure by contact or mixture; pollute; infect

controlled product
A product, material, or substance included in any of the classes listed in Schedule II of the Hazardous Products Act, i.e. Compressed Gas, Flammable and Combustible Material, Oxidizing Material, Corrosive Material, and Poisonous and Infectious Materials

corrosive adj.
To make impure Able to corrode, that is, to cause something to wear away or be slowly destroyed, especially by chemical action (e.g., Acid causes metal to corrode. Acid is corrosive.)

cylinder n.
A container (e.g., for liquefied gas) with straight sides and a circular section

explosive 
adj. likely to explode
n. a substance that can explode; Gunpowder is an explosive.

flammable adj.
Can be set on fire; the opposite of flammable is non-flammable

fugitive emission
Gas, solid, liquid, vapour, fume, mist, fog or dust that escapes – unplanned – from process equipment, emission control equipment or from a product.

fumes n.
Heavy, strong-smelling air given off from smoke, gas, fresh paint, etc., that causes a small sharp pain when you breathe it in

gas n.
A substance like air, which is not solid or liquid

hazard n.
A hazard can be defined as a physical situation with a potential for injury, damage to property or damage to the environment.

  • Physical Hazards: contact hazards that can cause injury, e.g., cuts, burns, abrasions
  • Chemical Hazards: e.g., fumes, gases, aerosols, corrosives, alkalis, chemicals, solvents, sprays, heavy metals, poisons, and pesticides
  • Environmental Hazards: e.g. noise, heat, cold
  • Biological Hazards: hazards that can cause illness, e.g., hantavirus, allergies
  • Psycho-social Hazards: E.g., stress, fatigue, boredom, long-term effects of shift work
  • Ergonomic Hazards: e.g., cramped workspaces, improperly adjusted equipment, repetitive tasks

hazardous waste
A controlled product that is intended for disposal or is sold for recycling or recovery

ignite v.
Catch fire

infectious adj.
Can be spread or transmitted by air, water, etc.

label n.
Includes a mark, sign, stamp, sticker, ticket, tag, or wrapper

liquid n.
A substance that is not solid or gas, which flows and has no fixed shape, e.g., water

mist n.
Cloudlike bodies made up of very small drops of water floating in the air

oxidizing adj.
Combining with oxygen, so as to produce a new chemical substance

personal protective equipment
The equipment or clothing worn by a worker to reduce the consequences of exposure to various hazards associated with working conditions or a work site. Includes burning goggles, chainsaw pants, chemical goggles, chemical suits and aprons, cold weather clothing, dust masks, face shields, fire-retardant clothing, gloves, hard hats, hearing protection, high visibility safety vests, safety goggles, safety helmets and safety-toed footwear.

poisonous adj.
Containing poison; may cause illness or death

product identifier
The brand name, code name or code number specified by a supplier or the chemical name, common name, generic name or trade name of a controlled substance

reactive adj.
A chemical substance that reacts or behaves differently in response to a change in situation or to another substance; e.g., may explode if the container is dropped or heated or if the material is mixed with other chemicals

risk n.
The chance of injury, damage or loss to people, materials, or the environment

solid n.
A substance that does not need a container to hold its shape; not liquid or gas

standard n.
The defined criterion of effective performance

toxic adj.
Poisonous

vapour n.
A gaslike form of a liquid (such as a mist or steam), often caused by a sudden change of temperature; gaseous phase of a substance that is liquid at normal temperature and pressure

well-ventilated adj..
Space (e.g. room) in which air circulates freely