HVACR Glossary
 

Hazardous material
Is any substance or mixture of substances having properties capable of producing adverse effects on the health and safety of a human being. A hazardous material is one that has one or more of the following characteristics: (1) a flash point below 140°F, closed cup, or is subject to spontaneous heating; (2) a threshold limit value below 500 ppm for gases and vapors, below 500mg/m for fumes, and below 25 mppcf (million particles per cubic foot) for dusts; (3) a single dose oral LD50 below 50 mg/kg; (4) is subject to polymerization with the release of large amounts of energy; (5) is a strong oxidating or reducing agent; (6) causes first-degree burns to skin in short time exposure, or is systemically toxic by skin contact; or (7) in the course of normal operations, may produce dusts, gases, fumes, vapors, mists, or smokes which have one or more of the above characteristics.