Introduction
Any product that explodes/highly flammable, has a strong reaction with water, corrodes other materials, is unstable when exposed to heat or shock or is toxic to the environment, animals and humans, is defined by law as hazardous material. This paper will mainly focus on oxidizers that are mostly found in homes.
Oxidizers Chemicals
The OSHA Hazard Communication Standard defines an oxidizer as a substance other than an explosive or blasting agent, which start or encourages combustion in other materials hence causing fire, by itself or through giving out of oxygen or other gases. Example of oxidizers stored in homes include: hair dyes containing hydrogen peroxide, toilet bowl cleaners containing bleach, chlorine, nitric acid, nitrates, etc.
Improper storage and use of hazardous chemicals can cause harm to both the environment and humans. The result of such improper handling would be explosions, irritation to the body, poisons, combustion causing fire, corrosive, oxidizing, caustic, carcinogens etc (County of Wayne, 2013).
Regulation Laws and Agencies
The harmful nature of these chemicals requires them to be well labeled and registered so as to warn the users. In US there are several agencies and laws and regulations that govern the use and production of these hazardous products. These are:
- Environmental Protection Agency which administrates on Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
- Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) administrates about four Acts namely, Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970 (PPPA), Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA), Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA).
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and,
- Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) regulations
References
County of Wayne (2013). Hazardous Materials. Retrieved from http://www.co.wayne.mi.us/hsem_resources_prep_hm.htm
