Garth Cunningham ASPHALT Asphalt is a black, sticky material that comes from crude oil. It is used in paving, roofing, waterproofing and some glues. Asphalt is often confused with coal tar or pitch. Coal tar and pitch come from coal, not oil. Asphalt is a solid or semisolid substance. It is mixed with solvents to make it more liquid, and easier to work with. Some of the solvents used to mix with asphalt are naphtha, toluene, and xylene. These solvents are hazardous substances, flammable, very smelly and increase the potential hazards of working with asphalt. There are many different types and grades of asphalt in current use. Who is at risk? It is estimated that 350,000 workers are exposed to asphalt fumes each year. Workers most likely to be exposed to asphalt fumes are road workers, roofers, employees at hot-mix asphalt facilities and general construction workers. Health Dangers Breathing asphalt fumes is the most common method of exposure. The acute (immediate) health effects of asphalt fumes include; headache, skin rash, fatigue, eye and throat irritation, and cough. Exposure to asphalt fumes (and the solvents in them) over long periods of time (chronic exposure) may cause lung and stomach cancer. Long-term contact of asphalt with your skin can cause pigment change, which is made worse by sunlight exposure. To find out the specific hazards associated with the type of asphalt you are working with, consult the Material Safety Data Sheet from your employer.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 03:29:12 +0000
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