Glossary / Health hazards
Aspiration hazard
An aspiration hazard is the risk that a liquid or solid chemical enters the trachea and lower airways directly, or through vomiting after swallowing. This can cause severe chemical pneumonia, lung damage or death.
Explanation
Aspiration is different from ordinary ingestion. The swallowed amount may be too small to poison the body through the stomach, but if even a little reaches the lungs, the damage can be serious. Low-viscosity liquids spread easily over lung surfaces, which is why many hydrocarbons are flagged.
In the GHS, Category 1 covers substances known or regarded as presenting an aspiration hazard in humans, and Category 2 is used in some systems for substances of concern. The class is based mainly on Viscosity and on the chemical type, with many hydrocarbon liquids of low viscosity falling into it. The label carries the health hazard pictogram, the signal word Danger and the H304 statement: may be fatal if swallowed and enters airways.
Typical examples include certain fuels, solvents and lamp oils. A child who sips a lamp oil may need urgent treatment even though only a mouthful was taken.
The practical lesson is first-aid related. Vomiting increases the chance that liquid enters the airways, so the SDS usually tells responders not to induce vomiting. Seek emergency medical care or call the poison control center instead.
What to do and watch for
- Never siphon fuels or solvents by mouth, and keep them out of reach of children.
- Do not induce vomiting after swallowing a product marked H304.
- Take the container or SDS to the hospital so clinicians know the product.
Where it appears on an SDS
- Section 2: Hazard identification. The aspiration hazard category, the H304 statement and the health hazard pictogram are shown.
- Section 11: Toxicological information. The basis for classification, often viscosity, and the reported aspiration effects are given in this section.
SDS content and wording vary by supplier. This page is general reference and does not replace the current SDS for your product.