Carcinogen

Carcinogen chemicals are easily identified by the “Health Hazard” pictogram under the globally harmonized system (GHS) of hazard communication. The symbol is easily recognized as a body decaying from the inside.

The older-style flammable hazard symbol, which has now been phased-out, also depicts a flame symbol, but is instead contained within a bright orange square. Any in-house / custom labels should be replaced with new GHS-compliant labels.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) placard is used to label shipments of flammable liquids during shipping. Similar placards are used for other flammables such as solids and gasses.

List of Carcinogens

For most recent listing of these chemicals, point your browser to any of the following peer-reviewed sources:

  • International Agency for Research of Cancer (IARC)
  • National Toxicology Program (NTP)
  • National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOSH)

The term “select carcinogen” means:

  1. It is regulated by OSHA as a carcinogen; or
  2. It is listed under the category “known to be carcinogens” in the Annual Report on Carcinogens published by the National Toxicology Program (NTP); or
  3. It is listed under Group 1 (“carcinogenic to humans”) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer Monographs (IARC); or
  4. It is listed in either Group 2A or 2B by IARC or under the category “reasonably anticipated to be carcinogens” to NTP, and causes statistically significant tumor incidence in experimental animals in accordance with any of the following criteria:
    • After inhalation exposure of 6-7 hours per day, 5 days per week, for a significant portion of a lifetime to dosages of less than 10mg/m3;
    • After repeated skin application of less than 300 mg/kg of body weight per week; or
    • After oral dosage of less than 50mg/kg of body weight per day.

The Gettysburg College Chemical Hygiene Plan describes provisions for additional employee protection for work with particularly hazardous substances including “select carcinogens.”

  1. Establishment of a designated area;
  2. Use of containment devices such as fume hoods or glove boxes;
  3. Procedures for the safe removal of contaminated waste; and
  4. Decontamination procedures.