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. The safety officer has the authority to suspend work anytime he <br /> determines the safety provisions are inadequate to ensure worker <br /> safety. <br /> CHEMICAL HAZARDS <br /> The hazardous chemicals that may be encountered at the site are <br /> petroleum hydrocarbons, including benzene, toluene, ethyl <br /> benzene, and xylene. A summary of relevant chemical physical and <br /> toxicological properties for each chemical hazard is listed <br /> below. <br /> Benzene: <br /> Benzene is a colorless liquid with an aromatic odor. It is a <br /> relatively volatile chemical (vapor pressure = 75 mm Hg @ 68 F) <br /> that may possibly be present in soils in both the liquid or vapor <br /> form. The flash point of benzene is only 12 F thereby <br /> classifying it as a flammable liquid. Benzene is recognized by <br /> the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health as a <br /> potential human carcinogen. <br /> Benzene can enter the body through all four routes of exposure: <br /> ( 1) inhalation; ( 2) absorption; ( 3) ingestion; and (4) injection. <br /> Target organs are the blood, central nervous system, skin bone <br /> marrow, eyes, and respiratory system. Acute exposure effects <br /> include irritation of the eyes, nose, and respiratory system as <br /> well as headache, nausea, staggered gait, depression, and <br /> abdominal pain. The chronic effects of over-exposure is the <br /> potential for cancer. The PEL for benzene is 10 .0 ppm. <br /> Toluene: <br /> Toluene is a colorless liquid with an aromatic odor. It is less <br /> volatile than benzene (vapor pressure = 22 mm Hg @ 68 F) and may <br /> possibly be present in both the liquid and vapor state. The <br /> flash point of toluene is 40 F classifying it as a flammable <br /> liquid. <br /> Toluene can enter the body through all four routes of exposure: <br /> (1) inhalation; (2) absorption; ( 3 ) ingestion; and (4) injection. <br /> Target organs are the central nervous system, liver, kidneys and <br /> skin. Acute exposure effects include fatigue, dizziness, <br /> headache, euphoria, dilated pupils, paralysis. The PEL for <br /> toluene is 200 ppm. <br /> Ethyl Benzene: <br /> Ethyl benzene is a colorless liquid with an aromatic odor. It <br /> has a relatively low volatility ( vapor pressure = 7.1 mm Hg @ 68 <br /> F) and may possibly be present in both the liquid and vapor <br /> • state. The flash point of ethyl benzene is 59 F classifying it <br /> as a flammable liquid. <br /> Page 9 <br />