CCOHS: NJHSFS - Definitions

New Jersey Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets - Definitions

Technical terms and acronyms used in this Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet are defined to clarify the information on the fact sheet.

ACGIH: is the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. It recommends upper limits (called TLVs) for exposure to workplace chemicals.
carcinogen: A carcinogen is a substance that causes cancer.
CAS number: The CAS number is assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service to identify a specific chemical.
combustable substance: A combustible substance is a solid, liquid or gas that will burn.
corrosive substance: A corrosive substance is a gas, liquid or solid that causes irreversible damage to human tissue or containers.
DEP: DEP is the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
DOT: DOT is the Department of Transportation, the federal agency that regulates the transportation of chemicals.
EPA: EPA is the Environmental Protection Agency, the federal agency responsible for regulating environmental hazards.
fetus: A fetus is an unborn human or animal.
flammable substance: A flammable substance is a solid, liquid, vapor or gas that will ignite easily and burn rapidly.
flash point: The flash point is the temperature at which a liquid or solid gives off vapor that can form a flammable mixture with air.
HHAG: HHAG is the Human Health Assessment Group of the federal EPA.
IARC: IARC is the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a scientific group that classifies chemicals according to their cancer-causing potential.
miscible substance: A miscible substance is a liquid or gas that will evenly dissolve in another.
mg/m3: mg/m3 means milligrams of a chemical in a cubic meter of air. It is a measure of concentration (weight/volume).
MSHA: MSHA is the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the federal agency that regulates mining. It also evaluates and approves respirators.
mutagen: A mutagen is a substance that causes mutations. A mutation is a change in the genetic material in a body cell. Mutations can lead to birth defects, miscarriages, or cancer.
NCI: NCI is the National Cancer Institute, a federal agency that determines the cancer-causing potential of chemicals.
NFPA: NFPA is the National Fire Protection Association. It classifies substances according to their fire and explosion hazard.
NIOSH: NIOSH is the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. It tests equipment, evaluates and approves respirators, conducts studies of workplace hazards, and proposes standards to OSHA.
NTP: NTP is the National Toxicology Program which tests chemicals and reviews evidence for cancer.
OSHA: OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which adopts and enforces health and safety standards in private workplaces.
ppm: ppm means parts of a substance per million parts of air. It is a measure of concentration by volume in air.
reactive substance: A reactive substances is a solid, liquid or gas that releases energy suddenly under certain conditions.
teratogen: A teratogen is a substance that causes birth defects by damaging the fetus.
TLV: TLV is the Threshold Limit Value, the workplace exposure limit recommended by ACGIH.
vapor pressure: The vapor pressure is a measure of how readily a liquid or a solid mixes with air at its surface. A higher vapor pressure indicates a higher concentration of the substance in air and therefore increases the likelihood of breathing it in.

Important Notices and Disclaimers
©CCOHS, 2008

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