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Phosphorus - Incident Management

Key Points

Fire

  • Highly flammable
  • May spontaneously ignite on contact with air. Reacts violently with oxidants, halogens, nitrates and sulphur causing fire and explosion hazard
  • Emits toxic fumes of phosphorus oxides and phosphine when heated to decomposition
  • In the event of a fire involving phosphorus, use coarse water spray and gas-tight protective clothing with self contained breathing apparatus

Health

  • Toxic by all routes of exposure
  • Highly flammable
  • Inhalation causes irritation of the upper respiratory tract and headache
  • Ingestion causes symptoms in three stages
    Stage 1; burning pain in the throat and abdomen with intense thirst, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and severe abdominal pain
    Stage 2; symptom free period
    Stage 3; systemic effects may occur. Death may occur within 4 - 8 days.
  • Dermal exposure causes partial and full thickness burns (both chemical and thermal) and may cause systemic toxicity
  • Ocular exposure may cause ocular irritation, blepharospasm, photophobia, lacrimation, conjunctivitis and photophobia. Particles are caustic and may cause corneal perforation.
  • Systemic effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, haematemesis, tachycardia, hypotension, headache, confusion, lethargy, irritability, convulsions, coma, haematuria, proteinuria. Hepatic (liver) effects include jaundice, liver tenderness, hepatomegaly (enlargement) and hyper-phosphatemia and hypo-calcaemia.

Environment

  • Inform Environment Agency of substantial incidents
  • Dangerous for the environment

 

This section is available to download in PDF format below:

Frequently Asked Questions       Hazard Identification

CHAPD HQ, HPA
2007
Version 1

This document will be reviewed not later than 3 years, or sooner if substantive evidence becomes available.