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Physical hazards can affect
you from a distance. You don’t have to
come into contact with these chemicals to have a problem. Flammable materials such as acetone can ignite and burn you. You don’t need to have dynamite in your
work area to have an explosion hazard.
Flammable vapors, if they are confined, can burn rapidly and release
enough energy to create an explosion.
Ever seen a picture of a gasoline tank truck explode? Pretty exciting. Some materials react violently if mixed
together. For example, and don’t try
this at home, the chlorine in pool disinfectant when mixed with motor oil
creates a nasty little reaction producing fire, hydrogen chloride, and
chlorine gas. The contents of a
compressed gas cylinder are not only a hazard from inhaling the gas but the
cylinder itself is under very high pressure and can become a missile if the
valve stem is accidentally broken off.
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