Health risks from hazardous substances

Forms of chemical agent

Solids in block form at normal temperature and pressure

Dusts (e.g. wood dust)

Fumes (e.g. welding fumes)

Fibres (e.g. asbestos)

Liquids at normal temperature and pressure (e.g. petrol)

Mists (e.g. spray painting)

Vapours (e.g. solvent vapour)

Forms of biological agent

Fungi (e.g. farmer's lung)

Virus (e.g. ebola)

Bacteria (e.g. leptospirosis)

Main classification of substance hazardous to health

Acute toxicity

Skin corrosion/irritation

Serious eye damage/eye irritation

Respiratory/skin sensitisation

Germ cell mutagenicity

Carcinogenicity

Reproductive toxicity

Specific target organ toxicity - single exposure

Specific target organ toxicity - repeated exposure

Aspiration hazard

Acute health effects

After a single or short-term exposure

Health effect is immediate

Health effect is observed within seconds, minutes or hours

Chronic health effects

Prolonged or repeated exposure

Health effect is over longer periods of time, often irreversible once diagnosed

Health effect is observed over weeks, months or years

Local health effects

Affects body at point of contact only

Effects seen at the site

Systemic health effects

Affects body elsewhere, not just at point of contact

for e.g. inhalation of solvents causing loss of consciousness

for e.g exposure to asbestos and developing lung cancer years later

e.g. swelling after an insect bite

e.g inhalation of solvent causing damage to liver