RISK ASSESSMENT
School MENTONE GRAMMAR

Practical Name Gravimetric determination of sulfate in fertiliser

Student Name Laura Cox

Preparation/experiment/activity
Gravimetric determination of sulfate in fertiliser

Hazardous substances used or produced – List any substances you believe to be harmful
Hydrochloric acid (HCl)
Silver Nitrate (AgNO3)
Barium Chloride (BaCl2)
Barium Sulfate (BaSO4)

Hazard information
Give more detail about each of the materials above
2M Hydrochloric Acid: Very hazardous in case of skin contact, of eye contact, of ingestion. Substance is slightly hazardous in case of inhalation. Liquid or spray mist may produce tissue damage particularly on mucous membranes of eyes, mouth and respiratory tract. Contact with skin may produce burns. Inhalation of the spray mist may produce severe irritation of respiratory tract. Severe over-exposure can result in death.

0.1M Silver Nitrate: Contact with other material may cause a fire. May cause cyanosis which is a bluish discoloration of skin due to deficient oxygenation of the blood. Substance may cause liver and kidney damage. Can cause eye and skin burns. May cause severe respiratory tract irritation with possible burns. May cause severe digestive tract irritation with possible burns.

0.5M Barium Chloride: Substance affects the muscles especially the smooth muscles of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Symptoms of poisoning include salivation, tingling of the mouth or face, convulsions, numbness, muscle paralysis, respiratory failure, slow pulse rate, pulmonary edema and death in extreme cases. Dust is highly irritating to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Prolonged contact may cause burns.

Barium Sulfate: Substance is toxic to lungs, mucous membranes. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organ damage. Also slightly hazardous in case of skin contact, eye contact, of ingestion, of inhalation.

MSDS available for all substances
Yes or No must Check folders in Lab
Sign sheet when checked
Hydrochloric Acid - No
Silver Nitrate - Yes
Barium Sulfate - Yes
Barium Chloride - Yes Procedure/summary of experiment
Dot points or you can reference the experiment sheet
Refer to page 2 Experiment 7 of Extended Investigation Booklet

Risk identification
What is the most hazardous material from your research involved in this Prac?
Also state First Aid Procedure.
2M Hydrochloric Acid
2M Hydrochloric acid is the most hazardous material as it poses the greatest health problems and the MSDS is not available.
First Aid:
Eye Contact: Immediately flush eyes with water for at least 15 minutes. Cold water may be used. Get medical attention.
Skin Contact: Immediately flush skin with water for at least 15 minutes while removing contaminated clothing and shoes. Cold water may be used. Wash clothing before reuse. Get medical attention immediately.
Serious Skin Contact: Wash with a disinfectant soap and cover the contaminated skin with an anti-bacterial cream. Seek immediate medical attention.
Inhalation: Remove victim to fresh air. If not breathing, give artificial respiration. If breathing is difficult, give oxygen. Get medical attention immediately.
Serious Inhalation: Evacuate the victim to a safe area as soon as possible. Loosen tight clothing