Überlegungen zur Einstufung fester Stoffe in Aerosolform

Solid matters in aerosol form (dusts) play an important role in the origination of occupational diseases. Assessing the risks related to dusts is a complicated task, since account must be taken of both, substance components and physical particle characteristics. There is not always a consistent differentiation as to whether or not pertinent German regulations (e.g. risk classification, protective measures) apply to dusts in general, to a dust fraction or to the compact solid itself. Other provisions are not directly adaptable to dusts (e.g. marking limit of 0.1% for preparations with carcinogenic components) or need to be further concretised and explained. What makes risk assessment in connection with dusts even more difficult is that solids, when they are brought on the market, are often dustfree and do not bear any hazard marking; hazardous dust emission is in most cases the result of subsequent product processing. If products bear a hazard marking, the latter does not always provide information on all risks related to the use. To better assess risks related to dusts, the author suggests to include in the safety data sheet a dust characteristic determined on the basis of a standardised test method.