CHAPTER 4
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
INTRODUCTION
What are hazardous materials (HM)? A hazardous
material is any material that, because of its quantity,
concentration, or physical or chemical properties, may
pose a substantial hazard to human health or the
e nv i r o n m e n t w h e n u s e d i n c o r r e c t l y, s p i l l e d
accidentally, or released purposefully. Subcategories
of HM include: combustible materials; toxic materials;
corrosive materials (including acids and bases); and
oxider, aerosol, or compressed gases. Cleaning
solvents, paints, batteries, and floor wax are specific
examples of hazardous materials.
Part of doing our job and maintaining our
equipment and workspaces involves using hazardous
materials. Whether we use hazardous materials daily
or infrequently, we need to know how to identify them
and understand their use, storage, and disposal
procedures.
Many hazardous materials, if not used properly,
can be hazardous to your health. For example, they can
burn or irritate your skin, cause internal damage if you
inhale them, or poison you if you ingest them. You
must, therefore, be aware of and follow safe handling,
storage, and disposal procedures for all hazardous
materials that you may have to use or work around.
You can find additional safety information on
hazardous materials in the following publications:
N a v y O c c u p a t i o n a l S a f e t y a n d H e a l t h
(NAVOSH) Program Manual for Forces Afloat,
OPNAVINST 5100.19 (Series), Chapters B3,
C23, and D15.
N a v y O c c u p a t i o n a l S a f e t y a n d H e a l t h
(NAVOSH) Program Manual, OPNAVINST
5100.23 (Series), Chapters 6, 7, 9, 11, and 20.
Natural and Environmental Resources Manual,
OPNAVINST 5090.1 (Series), Chapters 1, 3, 10,
12, 15, 19, 20, and 21; and Appendices A, C, G,
H, I, K, and L.
This chapter discusses how to identify hazardous
materials and the safety precautions related to these
materials.
IDENTIFICATION OF HAZARDOUS
MATERIALS
All hazardous material containers must be labeled.
Manufacturers of hazardous materials must follow
strict Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) regulations on labeling. As a minimum, each
label must clearly identify (1) the name of the material,
(2) the name and address of the manufacturer, and (3)
the nature of the hazard, including the target organ(s)
affected by the material.
Hazardous materials provided through the stock
system, including open-purchase materials, must meet
these requirements. You are not authorized to relabel
properly labeled hazardous materials.
The Navy places great importance on handling
hazardous materials properly. To help you understand
that importance, the following section describes the
Material Safety Data Sheet required by OSHA, the
Hazardous Material User’s Guide (HMUG), and the
labeling procedures required by the Department of
Defense (DOD), the Chief of Naval Operations
(CNO), and the Navy.
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET
OSHA regulations require employers to provide
employees with safety information on the hazardous
4-1
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completing this chapter, you should be able to do the following:
1. Identify the hazardous materials found in Fire Controlman workspaces and the
safety precautions associated with each material.
2. Identify the storage requirements for hazardous materials.
