Key Points

Fire

• Non-combustible gas under normal conditions
• Emits toxic vapours
• In the event of a fire involving phosgene, use fine water spray and wear liquid-tight protective clothing with breathing apparatus

Health

• Phosgene is extremely poisonous by inhalation, skin and eye exposure
• Inhalation at low concentrations may cause irritation to the airways
• Inhalation at high concentrations may cause breathlessness and coughing and possible delayed serious lung damage
• Signs of poisoning may be delayed by several hours
• Skin and eye exposure may cause irritation and burns
• The effect of long-term exposure is thought to cause similar symptoms as short-term exposure
• Phosgene is not thought to be carcinogenic or mutagenic

Environment

• Avoid release into environment
• Inform Environment Agency of any substantial release incidents

All sections are available to download in PDF format below:

• Phosgene - Full Document (PDF, 183 KB)
• General Information (PDF, 78 KB)
• Incident Management (PDF, 92 KB)
• Toxicological Overview (PDF, 74 KB)

Background