Poisoning and other risk with cargo contact

onboard chemical tankers

Different chemicals affect the human body in many different
ways. A general information and some practical advice are
available in Appendix,7, of "Medical first aid guide for use in
accidents involving dangerous goods" published by IMO, WHO
and ILO ref (36).

The definition of "poisonous" and classification of poisons is not

uniform throughout the world. We can define a poison as a
substance which is harmful to human beings (or environment). In
the IMO Code ref (25) a substance is classified as a poison if
there is a risk of death or serious bodily harm after oral intake,
inhalation or skin contact.

The "poisonousness" of a substance is usually expressed in terms

of LD 50- values, Lethal Dose (sometimes LC 509 Lethal
Concentration). These values are determined by tests with
animals and give the dose, expressed in mg/kg body weight,
which kills 50 % of the animals in a test series. This figure gives a
rough indication of the degree of toxity of a substance. Various
species of animals have different sensitivity, which gives some
problems in applying the results to human beings. Examples of
LD 50 values (pesticides of three categories):

In industry the effect of long time exposure of low concentration

to a substance is of prime concern. The expression used is TLV
(Threshold Limit Value), previously called MAC (Max Allowable
Concentration). The TLV-value expresses the concentration of a
substance in air, in ppm (parts per 3 million) or mg/cm , which
must not be exceeded if a daily 8-hour exposure over a long
period of time shall be harmless.
TLV-values are published by National Authorities and various
organizations. The most recognized list of TLV-values is probably
the one published by ACGH (American Conference of
Governmental Hygienists ref (15). The ICS-Guide ref(1) also
gives TLV-values. The gas concentration can be measured by
means of a portable apparatus described in 3. 10 (Drager, Auer).
The scale of reference for gas exposure on board is normally TLV
-values. Human beings can, however, tolerate a significantly
higher concentration in a short time exposure:

A person who is tired or ill is more sensitive than others and

should not be asked to work with cargo handling. It is a good
safety practice to use a breathing apparatus whenever the TLV-
value in the atmosphere is exceeded