Methanol
Key Points
Fire
- Flammable; burns with a non-luminous, bluish flame.
- May explode upon mixing with air
- In the event of a fire involving methanol, use alcohol resistant foam or fine water spray and liquid-tight chemical protective suit with breathing apparatus
Health
- Absorbed via ingestion, inhalation and skin exposure
- Toxic
- Short-term exposure may result in drowsiness, headache, confusion, sickness and abdominal pain, possibly within 30 minutes of exposure
- Coma, shock and kidney failure may occur following substantial exposures
- Short-term exposure may be irritating to the eyes, causing burning, stinging and watering
- Long-term effects may include blindness, and following more substantial exposures, permanent damage to the central nervous system may occur
- Long-term inhalation exposure to methanol may cause headaches and eye irritation
- Methanol is not thought to cause cancer in humans
- Methanol is not considered to affect human reproduction or cause damage to the unborn child
Environment
- Avoid release into the environment
- Inform the Environment Agency of substantial releases
All sections are available to download in PDF format below:
Methanol - Full Document (PDF, 224 KB)