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Right to Know

Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet

Common Name: SODIUM HYDROXIDE

Synonyms: Caustic Soda; Lye; Sodium Hydrate

Chemical Name: Sodium Hydroxide

Date: May 2001 Revision: April 2010

CAS Number: 1310-73-2

RTK Substance Number: 1706DOT Number: UN 1823 (solid)

UN 1824 (solution)

Description and Use

Sodium Hydroxideis an odorless, white solid that absorbs

moisture from the air. It is used to make textiles, cellophane,

and pulp and paper, in soaps and detergents, and for etching

and electroplating.

Reasons for CitationSodium Hydroxideis on the Right to Know Hazardous

Substance List because it is cited by OSHA, ACGIH, DOT,NIOSH, NFPA and EPA.

This chemical is on the Special Health Hazard SubstanceList.

SEE GLOSSARY ON PAGE 5.

FIRST AIDEye Contact

Quickly brush off excess chemical from the face.Immediately flush with large amounts of water for at least 30minutes, lifting upper and lower lids. Remove contactlenses, if worn, while flushing. Seek medical attentionimmediately.

Skin ContactQuickly remove contaminated clothing. Immediately blot or

brush off excess chemical and wash gently with largeamounts water for at least 30 minutes. Seek medicalattention immediately.

InhalationRemove the person from exposure.Begin rescue breathing (using universal precautions) if

breathing has stopped and CPR if heart action has stopped.Transfer promptly to a medical facility.Medical observation is recommended for 24 to 48 hours after

overexposure, as pulmonary edema may be delayed.

EMERGENCY NUMBERSPoison Control : 1-800-222-1222

CHEMTREC: 1-800-424-9300

NJDEP Hotl ine: 1-877-927-6337

National Response Center: 1-800-424-8802

EMERGENCY RESPONDERS >>>> SEE LAST PAGE

Hazard Summary

Hazard Rating NJDOH NFPA

HEALTH - 3

FLAMMABILITY - 0

REACTIVITY - 1

CORROSIVEDO NOT USE WATER

Hazard Rating Key: 0=minimal; 1=slight; 2=moderate; 3=serious;4=severe

Sodium Hydroxidecan affect you when inhaled and bypassing through the skin.

Sodium Hydroxideis a HIGHLY CORROSIVE CHEMICALand contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyeswith possible eye damage.

Contact can irritate the mouth, nose and throat.Inhaling Sodium Hydroxidecan irritate the lungs. Higher

exposures may cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs(pulmonary edema), a medical emergency.

Repeated exposure can lead to permanent lung damage.Sodium Hydroxidein contact with water or moisture may

generate enough heat to ignite combustibles.

Workplace Exposure LimitsOSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit (PEL) is

2 mg/m3averaged over an 8-hour workshift.

NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit (REL) is

2 mg/m3, which should not be exceeded at any time.

ACGIH: The threshold limit value (TLV) is 2 mg/m3, which

should not be exceeded at any time.

The above exposure limits are for air levels only. When skincontact also occurs, you may be overexposed, even thoughair levels are less than the limits listed above.


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SODIUM HYDROXIDE Page 2 of 6Determining Your Exposure

Read the product manufacturers Material Safety Data

Sheet (MSDS) and the label to determine product

ingredients and important safety and health information

about the product mixture.

For each individual hazardous ingredient, read the New

Jersey Department of Health Hazardous Substance FactSheet, available on the RTK website

(www.nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb) or in your facilitys RTK

Central File or Hazard Communication Standard file.

You have a right to this information under the New Jersey

Worker and Community Right to Know Act and the Public

Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH) Act

if you are a public worker in New Jersey, and under the

federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) if you

are a private worker.

The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most

employers to label chemicals in the workplace and

requires public employers to provide their employees withinformation concerning chemical hazards and controls.

The federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29

CFR 1910.1200) and the PEOSH Hazard Communication

Standard (N.J.A.C. 12:100-7) require employers to provide

similar information and training to their employees.

This Fact Sheet is a summary of available informationregarding the health hazards that may result from exposure.Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance and otherfactors will affect your susceptibility to any of the potentialeffects described below.

Health Hazard InformationAcute Health Effec tsThe following acute (short-term) health effects may occurimmediately or shortly after exposure to Sodium Hydroxide:

Contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes withpossible permanent eye damage (corneal opacities), causingblindness.

Contact can irritate the mouth, nose and throat.Inhaling Sodium Hydroxidecan irritate the lungs causing

coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher exposures maycause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), amedical emergency, with severe shortness of breath.

Chronic Health EffectsThe following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur atsome time after exposure to Sodium Hydroxideand can lastfor months or years:

Cancer HazardAccording to the information presently available to the New

Jersey Department of Health, Sodium Hydroxidehas notbeen tested for its ability to cause cancer in animals.

Reproduct ive HazardThere is no evidence that Sodium Hydroxideaffects

reproduction. This is based on test results presentlyavailable to the NJDOH from published studies.

Other EffectsSodium Hydroxidecan irritate the lungs. Repeated

exposure may cause bronchitis to develop with coughing,

phlegm, and/or shortness of breath.Repeated exposure can lead to permanent lung damage.

Medical

Medical Testing

For frequent or potentially high exposure (half the PEL orgreater), the following are recommended before beginningwork and at regular times after that:

Lung function tests

If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the

following are recommended:

Consider chest x-ray after acute overexposureExam of the eyes and vision

Any evaluation should include a careful history of past andpresent symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look fordamage already done are not a substitute for controllingexposure.

Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal rightto this information under the OSHA Access to EmployeeExposure and Medical Records Standard (29 CFR 1910.1020)

Mixed Exposures

Smoking can cause heart disease, lung cancer,emphysema, and other respiratory problems. It may worsenrespiratory conditions caused by chemical exposure. Even ifyou have smoked for a long time, stopping now will reduceyour risk of developing health problems.


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SODIUM HYDROXIDE Page 3 of 6Workplace Controls and Practices

Very toxic chemicals, or those that are reproductive hazards orsensitizers, require expert advice on control measures if a lesstoxic chemical cannot be substituted. Control measuresinclude: (1) enclosing chemical processes for severelyirritating and corrosive chemicals, (2) using local exhaustventilation for chemicals that may be harmful with a singleexposure, and (3) using general ventilation to controlexposures to skin and eye irritants. For further information onworkplace controls, consult the NIOSH document on ControlBanding at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ctrlbanding/.

The following work practices are also recommended:

Label process containers.Provide employees with hazard information and training.Monitor airborne chemical concentrations.Use engineering controls if concentrations exceed

recommended exposure levels.Provide eye wash fountains and emergency showers.Wash or shower if skin comes in contact with a hazardous

material.

Always wash at the end of the workshift.Change into clean clothing if clothing becomes

contaminated.Do not take contaminated clothing home.Get special training to wash contaminated clothing.Do not eat, smoke, or drink in areas where chemicals are

being handled, processed or stored.Wash hands carefully before eating, smoking, drinking,

applying cosmetics or using the toilet.

In addition, the following may be useful or required:

Use a vacuum to reduce dust during clean-up. DO NOTDRY SWEEP.

Personal Protective Equipment

The OSHA Personal Protective Equipment Standard (29 CFR

1910.132) requires employers to determine the appropriate

personal protective equipment for each hazard and to train

employees on how and when to use protective equipment.

The following recommendations are only guidelines and may

not apply to every situation.

Gloves and Clothing

Avoid skin contact with Sodium Hydroxide. Wear personal

protective equipment made from material which can not bepermeated or degraded by this substance. Safetyequipment suppliers and manufacturers can providerecommendations on the most protective glove and clothingmaterial for your operation.

Safety equipment manufacturers recommend Butyl, Nitrile,Neoprene, Polyvinyl Chloride, Silver Shield/4H, Viton andBarrier as glove materials for Sodium Hydroxideinsolution, and Tychem SL, and Responder, andTrellchem HPS and VPS, or the equivalent, as protectiveclothing materials for Sodium Hydroxidesolidor solution.

All protective clothing (suits, gloves, footwear, headgear)should be clean, available each day, and put on before work.

Eye ProtectionWear eye protection with side shields or goggles.Wear a face shield along with goggles when working with

corrosive, highly irritating or toxic substances.

Respiratory Protection

Improper use of respirators is dangerous. Respirators

should only be used if the employer has implemented a written

program that takes into account workplace conditions,

requirements for worker training, respirator fit testing, and

medical exams, as described in the OSHA Respiratory

Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134).

Where the potential exists for exposure over 2 mg/m3, use a

NIOSH approved negative pressure, air-purifying, particulatefilter respirator with an N, R or P100 filter. More protection isprovided by a full facepiece respirator than by a half-maskrespirator, and even greater protection is provided by apowered-air purifying respirator.

Leave the area immediately if (1) while wearing a filter orcartridge respirator you can smell, taste, or otherwise detect

Sodium Hydroxide, (2) while wearing particulate filtersabnormal resistance to breathing is experienced, or (3) eyeirritation occurs while wearing a full facepiece respirator.Check to make sure the respirator-to-face seal is still good.If it is, replace the filter or cartridge. If the seal is no longergood, you may need a new respirator.

Consider all potential sources of exposure in your workplaceYou may need a combination of filters, prefilters or cartridgesto protect against different forms of a chemical (such asvapor and mist) or against a mixture of chemicals.

Where the potential for high exposure exists, use a NIOSHapproved supplied-air respirator with a full facepieceoperated in a pressure-demand or other positive-pressuremode. For increased protection use in combination with anauxiliary self-contained breathing apparatus or an

emergency escape air cylinder.Exposure to 10 mg/m

3is immediately dangerous to life and

health. If the possibility of exposure above 10 mg/m3exists,

use a NIOSH approved self-contained breathing apparatuswith a full facepiece operated in a pressure-demand or otherpositive-pressure mode equipped with an emergency escapeair cylinder.

Fire HazardsIf employees are expected to fight fires, they must be trainedand equipped as stated in the OSHA Fire Brigades Standard(29 CFR 1910.156).

Extinguish fire using an agent suitable for type ofsurrounding fire. Sodium Hydroxideitself does not burn.

POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE.Use water spray to keep fire-exposed containers cool. DO

NOT get water inside containers.Sodium Hydroxidein contact with water or moisture may

generate enough heat to ignite combustibles.


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SODIUM HYDROXIDE Page 4 of 6

For more i nformation, please contact:

New Jersey Department of Health

Right to Know

PO Box 368

Trenton, NJ 08625-0368

Phone: 609-984-2202

Fax: 609-984-7407

E-mail: [email protected]

Web address: http://www.nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb

The Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets

are not intended to be copied and sold

for commercial purposes.

Spills and EmergenciesIf employees are required to clean-up spills, they must be

properly trained and equipped. The OSHA Hazardous Waste

Operations and Emergency Response Standard (29 CFR

1910.120) may apply.

If Sodium Hydroxideis spilled or leaked, take the following

steps:

Evacuate personnel and secure and control entrance to thearea.

Eliminate all ignition sources.For Sodium Hydroxidein solution, absorb liquids in dry

sand, earth, or a similar material and place into sealedcontainers for disposal.

Collect solidmaterial in the most convenient and safemanner and place into sealed containers for disposal.

DO NOT USE WATER OR WET METHOD.Ventilate and wash area after clean-up is complete.DO NOT wash into sewer.It may be necessary to contain and dispose of Sodium

Hydroxideas a HAZARDOUS WASTE. Contact your state

Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) or yourregional office of the federal Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) for specific recommendations.

Handling and Storage

Prior to working with Sodium Hydroxideyou should be trained

on its proper handling and storage.

Sodium Hydroxidereacts with STRONG ACIDS (such asHYDROCHLORIC, SULFURIC and NITRIC); WATER; andMOISTURE to rapidly release heat.

Sodium Hydroxidereacts with METALS (such asALUMINUM, LEAD, TIN and ZINC) to form flammable andexplosive Hydrogen gas.

Sodium Hydroxidecan form shock sensitive salts oncontact with NITROGEN CONTAINING COMPOUNDS(such as NITROMETHANE).

Sodium Hydroxideis not compatible with OXIDIZINGAGENTS (such as PERCHLORATES, PEROXIDES,PERMANGANATES, CHLORATES, NITRATES,CHLORINE, BROMINE and FLUORINE); CHLORINATEDSOLVENTS; AMMONIA; and ORGANIC MATERIALS.

Store in tightly closed containers in a cool, well-ventilatedarea away from WATER and MOISTURE.

Sodium Hydroxidecan attack IRON, COPPER, PLASTICS,RUBBER and COATINGS.

Occupational Health Information

Resources

The New Jersey Department of Health offers multiple services

in occupational health. These services include providing

informational resources, educational materials, public

presentations, and industrial hygiene and medical

investigations and evaluations.


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SODIUM HYDROXIDE Page 5 of 6GLOSSARY

ACGIHis the American Conference of Governmental IndustrialHygienists. They publish guidelines called Threshold LimitValues (TLVs) for exposure to workplace chemicals.

Acute Exposure Guidel ine Levels(AEGLs) are establishedby the EPA. They describe the risk to humans resulting from

once-in-a lifetime, or rare, exposure to airborne chemicals.

Boiling pointis the temperature at which a substance canchange its physical state from a liquid to a gas.

Acarcinogenis a substance that causes cancer.

TheCASnumberis unique, identifying number, assigned bythe Chemical Abstracts Service, to a specific chemical.

CFRis the Code of Federal Regulations, which are theregulations of the United States government.

Acombustiblesubstance is a solid, liquid or gas that will burn.

A corrosivesubstance is a gas, liquid or solid that causesdestruction of human skin or severe corrosion of containers.

The critical temperatureis the temperature above which agas cannot be liquefied, regardless of the pressure applied.

DEPis the New Jersey Department of EnvironmentalProtection.

DOTis the Department of Transportation, the federal agencythat regulates the transportation of chemicals.

EPAis the Environmental Protection Agency, the federalagency responsible for regulating environmental hazards.

ERGis the Emergency Response Guidebook. It is a guide foremergency responders for transportation emergenciesinvolving hazardous substances.

Emergency Response Planning Guideline(ERPG) valuesprovide estimates of concentration ranges where onereasonably might anticipate observing adverse effects.

Afetusis an unborn human or animal.

A flammablesubstance is a solid, liquid, vapor or gas that willignite easily and burn rapidly.

The flash pointis the temperature at which a liquid or solid

gives off vapor that can form a flammable mixture with air.

IARCis the International Agency for Research on Cancer, ascientific group.

Ionization Potential is the amount of energy needed toremove an electron from an atom or molecule. It is measuredin electron volts.

IRISis the Integrated Risk Information System database onhuman health effects that may result from exposure to variouschemicals, maintained by federal EPA.

LEL orLower Explosive Limit , is the lowest concentration ofa combustible substance (gas or vapor) in the air capable ofcontinuing an explosion.

mg/m3means milligrams of a chemical in a cubic meter of air.It is a measure of concentration (weight/volume).

Amutagenis a substance that causesmutations. Amutationis a change in the genetic material in a body cell. Mutationscan lead to birth defects, miscarriages, or cancer.

NFPAis the National Fire Protection Association. It classifiessubstances according to their fire and explosion hazard.

NIOSHis the National Institute for Occupational Safety andHealth. It tests equipment, evaluates and approvesrespirators, conducts studies of workplace hazards, andproposes standards to OSHA.

NTPis the National Toxicology Program which tests chemicalsand reviews evidence for cancer.

OSHAis the federal Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration, which adopts and enforces health and safetystandards.

PEOSHAis the New Jersey Public Employees OccupationalSafety and Health Act, which adopts and enforces health andsafety standards in public workplaces.

Permeatedis the movement of chemicals through protectivematerials.

ppmmeans parts of a substance per million parts of air. It is ameasure of concentration by volume in air.

Protective Action Criteria (PAC) are values established bythe Department of Energy and are based on AEGLs andERPGs. They are used for emergency planning of chemicalrelease events.

A reactivesubstance is a solid, liquid or gas that releasesenergy under certain conditions.

STELis a Short Term Exposure Limit which is usually a 15-minute exposure that should not be exceeded at any timeduring a work day.

Ateratogenis a substance that causes birth defects bydamaging the fetus.

UELor Upper Explosive Limitis the highest concentration inair above which there is too much fuel (gas or vapor) to begin areaction or explosion.

Vapor Densityis the ratio of the weight of a given volume ofone gas to the weight of another (usuallyAir), at the sametemperature and pressure.

The vapor pressureis a force exerted by the vapor inequilibrium with the solid or liquid phase of the samesubstance. The higher the vapor pressure the higherconcentration of the substance in air.


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Common Name: SODIUM HYDROXIDE

Synonyms: Caustic Soda; Lye; Sodium HydrateCAS No: 1310-73-2Molecular Formula: NaOHRTK Substance No: 1706

Description: Odorless, white solid that absorbs moisture from the air

HAZARD DATA

Hazard Rating Firefight ing Reactiv ity3 - Health

0 - Fire

1 - Reactivi ty

DOT#:

UN 1823 (solid)

UN 1824 (solution)

ERG Guide #: 154

Hazard Class: 8

(Corrosive)

Extinguish fire using an agent suitable for type ofsurrounding fire. Sodium Hydroxideitself doesnot burn.

POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE.

Use water spray to keep fire-exposed containerscool. DO NOT get water inside containers.

Sodium Hydroxidein contact with water ormoisture may generate enough heat to ignitecombustibles.

Sodium Hydroxidereacts with STRONG ACIDS (such asHYDROCHLORIC, SULFURIC and NITRIC); WATER; and MOISTUREto rapidly release heat.

Sodium Hydroxidereacts with METALS (such as ALUMINUM, LEAD,TIN and ZINC) to form flammable and explosive Hydrogen gas.

Sodium Hydroxidecan form shock sensitive salts on contact withNITROGEN CONTAINING COMPOUNDS (such as NITROMETHANE)

Sodium Hydroxideis not compatible with OXIDIZING AGENTS (suchas PERCHLORATES, PEROXIDES, PERMANGANATES,CHLORATES, NITRATES, CHLORINE, BROMINE and FLUORINE);CHLORINATED SOLVENTS; AMMONIA; and ORGANIC MATERIALS

Sodium Hydroxidecan attack IRON, COPPER, PLASTICS, RUBBERand COATINGS.

SPILL/LEAKS PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Isolation Distance:

Spill (solid): 25 meters (75 feet) Spill (liquid): 50 meters (150 feet)

Fire: 800 meters (1/2 mile)

For Sodium Hydroxidein solutionabsorb liquids in dry sand, earth,or a similar material and place into sealed containers for disposal.

Collect solidmaterial in the most convenient and safe mannerand place into sealed containers for disposal.

DO NOT USE WATER OR WET METHOD.

DO NOT wash into sewer.

Neutralize water spills with a dilute acid.

Sodium Hydroxideis hazardous to the environment, especiallywater organisms.

Odor Threshold:

Flash Point:

Vapor Density:

Vapor Pressure:

Specific Gravity:

Water Solubility:

Boiling Point:

Melting Point:

Molecular Weight:

Odorless

Noncombustible

2.1 (air = 1)

0 mm Hg at 68oF (20

oC)

2.1 (water = 1)

Soluble

2,534oF (1,390

oC)

604oF (318oC)

40

EXPOSURE LIMITS PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

OSHA: 2 mg/m3, 8-hr TWA

NIOSH: 2 mg/m3, Ceiling

ACGIH: 2 mg/m3, Ceiling

IDLH: 10 mg/m3

The Protective Action Criteria values are:

PAC-1 = 0.5 mg/m3 PAC-2 = 5 mg/m

3

PAC-3 = 50 mg/m3

Gloves:

Coveralls:

Respirator:

Butyl, Nitrile, Neoprene, PVC, SilverShield/4H, Viton andBarrier (>8-hr breakthrough for Sodium Hydroxidein solution

Tychem SL and Responder, and Trellchem HPS and VPS(>8-hr breakthrough for Sodium Hydroxidesolidor solution)

10 mg/m3- SCBA

HEALTH EFFECTS FIRST AID AND DECONTAMINATION

Eyes:

Skin:

Inhalation:

Severe irritation, burns and possible eyedamage

Irritation and severe burns

Nose, throat and lung irritation with coughingand severe shortness of breath (pulmonaryedema)

Removethe person from exposure.

Quicklybrush off excess chemical from the face. Flush with large amounts of waterfor at least 30 minutes. Remove contact lenses, if worn. Seek medical attentionimmediately.

Quicklyremove contaminated clothing. Immediately blot or brush off excesschemical and wash with large amounts of water for at least 30 minutes. Seekmedical attention immediately.

Beginartificial respiration if breathing has stopped and CPR if necessary.

Transferpromptly to a medical facility.

Medicalobservation is recommended as symptoms may be delayed.

April 2010

Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet

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