Health and Safety Terminology Quiz

Hazardous Substances and Laboratory Safety

• An accident is an unplanned event with undesired consequences.

Toxicity

• Acute toxicity refers to the adverse effects of a substance resulting from a single exposure or multiple exposures within a short period (less than 24 hours).
• Chronic toxicity is the development of adverse effects due to long-term exposure to a toxicant or other stressor.

Biohazards and Harmful Substances

• A biohazard is a biological substance that poses a threat to human health, including microorganisms, viruses, or toxins that can harm human health.
• Carcinogens are substances, radionuclides, or radiation that promote cancer formation.
• Corrosives are chemicals that cause burns on skin, mucous membranes, and eyes.
• Dermatotoxins are toxic chemicals that damage skin, mucous membranes, or both, often leading to tissue necrosis.
• Hematotoxins are toxins that destroy red blood cells, disrupt blood clotting, and/or cause organ degeneration and generalized tissue damage.
• Hepatotoxins are toxic chemicals that damage the liver.
• Nephrotoxins are toxic agents that inhibit, damage, or destroy kidney cells and/or tissues.
• Neurotoxins are toxins that are destructive to nerve tissue.

Laboratory Safety

• Chemical laboratory safety involves controlling exposure to hazardous substances to minimize risk.
• Fume hoods are ventilated enclosures that contain gases, vapors, and fumes, which are exhausted to the atmosphere through ductwork and an exhaust fan.

Hazard Classification and Measurement

• The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) is a system for standardizing and harmonizing the classification and labeling of chemicals.
• A hazard is a chemical or physical condition that has the potential to cause harm to people, property, or the environment.
• The Lethal Concentration 50 (LC50) is the concentration of a chemical in air that kills 50% of test animals during the observation period.
• The Lethal Dose 50 (LD50) is the amount of a material that causes the death of 50% of a group of test animals.

Other Hazardous Substances and Concepts

• Explosives are solids or liquids that can produce gas at high temperatures and pressures, causing damage to surroundings.
• Flammable substances are gases, liquids, and solids that ignite and continue to burn in air when exposed to an ignition source.
• Flash point is the minimum temperature at which a liquid gives off enough vapor to form an ignitable mixture.
• Oxidizers are solids, liquids, or gases that react readily with most organic material or reducing agents without energy input.
• Pyrophoric substances ignite instantly upon exposure to oxygen and can also be water-reactive, producing heat and hydrogen gas.
• Risk is a measure of human injury, environmental damage, or economic loss in terms of incident likelihood and magnitude of loss or injury.