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General description
The terms toxic material, hazardous material, hazardous substance, extremely hazardous substance, hazardous chemical and hazardous waste are defined and regulated differently by Federal agencies.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
According to OSHA hazardous and toxic substances are defined as those chemicals present in the workplace which are capable of causing harm. In this definition, the term chemicals includes dusts, mixtures, and common materials such as paints, fuels, and solvents. OSHA currently regulates exposure to approximately 400 substances.

A hazardous chemical, as defined by the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), is any chemical which can cause a physical or a health hazard. This determination is made by the chemical manufacturer, as described in 29 CFR 1910.1200(d).

As defined by 29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix A, a toxic chemical is a chemical that meets the following definition:
"Toxic." A chemical falling within any of the following categories:

(a) A chemical that has a median lethal dose (LD(50)) of more than 50 milligrams per kilogram but not more than 500 milligrams per kilogram of body weight when administered orally to albino rats weighing between 200 and 300 grams each.

(b) A chemical that has a median lethal dose (LD(50)) of more than 200 milligrams per kilogram but not more than 1,000 milligrams per kilogram of body weight when administered by continuous contact for 24 hours (or less if death occurs within 24 hours) with the bare skin of albino rabbits weighing between two and three kilograms each.

(c) A chemical that has a median lethal concentration (LC(50)) in air of more than 200 parts per million but not more than 2,000 parts per million by volume of gas or vapor, or more than two milligrams per liter but not more than 20 milligrams per liter of mist, fume, or dust, when administered by continuous inhalation for one hour (or less if death occurs within one hour) to albino rats weighing between 200 and 300 grams each.

A highly toxic chemical is a chemical that meets the following definition:
"Highly Toxic" A chemical falling within any of the following categories:

(a) A chemical that has a median lethal dose (LD(50)) of 50 milligrams or less per kilogram of body weight when administered orally to albino rats weighing between 200 and 300 grams each.

(b) A chemical that has a median lethal dose (LD(50)) of 200 milligrams or less per kilogram of body weight when administered by continuous contact for 24 hours (or less if death occurs within 24 hours) with the bare skin of albino rabbits weighing between two and three kilograms each.

(c) A chemical that has a median lethal concentration (LC(50)) in air of 200 parts per million by volume or less of gas or vapor, or 2 milligrams per liter or less of mist, fume, or dust, when administered by continuous inhalation for one hour (or less if death occurs within one hour) to albino rats weighing between 200 and 300 grams each.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Under Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-know Act (EPCRA), Hazardous chemical means
any hazardous chemical as defined under §1910.1200(c) of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations, except that such term does not include the following substances:

(1) Any food, food additive, color additive, drug, or cosmetic regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

(2) Any substance present as a solid in any manufactured item to the extent exposure to the substance does not occur under normal conditions of use.

(3) Any substance to the extent it is used for personal, family, or household purposes, or is present in the same form and concentration as a product packaged for distribution and use by the general public.

(4) Any substance to the extent it is used in a research laboratory or a hospital or other medical facility under the direct supervision of a technically qualified individual.

(5) Any substance to the extent it is used in routine agricultural operations or is a fertilizer held for sale by a retailer to the ultimate customer.

Under EPCRA, Extremely hazardous substance means a substance listed in the appendices to 40 CFR part 355, Emergency Planning and Notification.

Under EPA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the term ``hazardous substance'' means
(A) any substance designated pursuant to section 311(b)(2)(A) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act [33 U.S.C. 1321(b)(2)(A)],
(B) any element, compound, mixture, solution, or substance designated pursuant to section 9602 of this title,
(C) any hazardous waste having the characteristics identified under or listed pursuant to section 3001 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act [42 U.S.C. 6921] (but not including any waste the regulation of which under the Solid Waste Disposal Act [42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.] has been suspended by Act of Congress),
(D) any toxic pollutant listed under section 307(a) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act [33 U.S.C. 1317(a)],
(E) any hazardous air pollutant listed under section 112 of the Clean Air Act [42 U.S.C. 7412], and
(F) any imminently hazardous chemical substance or mixture with respect to which the Administrator has taken action pursuant to section 7 of the Toxic Substances Control Act [15 U.S.C. 2606].

The term does not include petroleum, including crude oil or any fraction thereof which is not otherwise specifically listed or designated as a hazardous substance under subparagraphs (A) through (F) of this paragraph, and the term does not include natural gas, natural gas liquids, liquefied natural gas, or synthetic gas usable for fuel (or mixtures of natural gas and such synthetic gas).

CERCLA Code of Federal Regulations, including the list of hazardous substances and reportable quantities can be found here.

"Hazardous Waste" is defined by EPA in 40 CFR 261.3. It includes listed wastes and wastes that exhibit the characteristics of ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity or toxicity.

 

According to DOT hazardous material means
a substance or material that the Secretary of Transportation has determined is capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce, and has designated as hazardous under section 5103 of Federal hazardous materials transportation law (49 U.S.C. 5103). The term includes hazardous substances, hazardous wastes, marine pollutants, elevated temperature materials, materials designated as hazardous in the Hazardous Materials Table (see 49 CFR 172.101), and materials that meet the defining criteria for hazard classes and divisions in part 173 of subchapter C of this chapter.

Hazardous substance means
a material, including its mixtures and solutions, that—

(1) Is listed in the appendix A to §172.101 of this subchapter;

(2) Is in a quantity, in one package, which equals or exceeds the reportable quantity (RQ) listed in the appendix A to §172.101 of this subchapter; and

(3) When in a mixture or solution—

(i) For radionuclides, conforms to paragraph 7 of the appendix A to §172.101.

(ii) For other than radionuclides, is in a concentration by weight which equals or exceeds the concentration corresponding to the RQ of the material, as shown in the following table:

The term does not include petroleum, including crude oil or any fraction thereof which is not otherwise specifically listed or designated as a hazardous substance in appendix A to §172.101 of this subchapter, and the term does not include natural gas, natural gas liquids, liquefied natural gas, or synthetic gas usable for fuel (or mixtures of natural gas and such synthetic gas).

Hazardous waste means
any material that is subject to the Hazardous Waste Manifest Requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency specified in 40 CFR part 262.

Regulatory citations and standards

OSHA PELs

US Environmental Protection Agency

US Department of Transportation
Hazardous Materials Regulations

Wisconsin Hazardous Waste Regulations

Links to campus training resources

UW-Madison Gas Cylinder Safety

UW-Milwaukee Highly Hazardous Materials

Links to other resources

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

DOT Free Publications

Oklahoma State University Online Safety Library

 

If you have any questions, contact us at OSLP.

 

Last updated 10/02/2008