Glossary / Health hazards
Ingestion
Ingestion is the entry of a chemical into the body by swallowing it. At work it usually happens indirectly, through contaminated hands, food, drink, cigarettes or surfaces, not by deliberate swallowing.
Explanation
Deliberate swallowing is rare in workplaces, but accidents happen: a chemical stored in a drink bottle, a splash into the mouth, or a pipette used by mouth. The more common problem is quiet hand-to-mouth transfer, where residue on skin or gloves reaches food, drink or the lips.
Inhaled dust can also be ingested. Larger particles caught in the nose and throat are cleared upward and swallowed, so dusty work can lead to ingestion even without any contact with food.
Ingestion toxicity is a part of GHS Acute toxicity, where the oral categories are set by LD50 values. The cutoffs for Categories 1 to 4 are 5, 50, 300 and 2000 mg/kg. Hazard statements H300, H301 and H302 mark oral toxicity. The first aid for swallowing a chemical depends heavily on the material.
A key point: do not induce vomiting unless the SDS or a poison specialist says to. For corrosives, vomiting can cause a second burn, and for aspiration hazards it can send liquid into the lungs. Call the poison control center and follow its advice.
What to do and watch for
- Keep food, drink and tobacco out of chemical work areas, and never store them in lab or chemical refrigerators.
- Label every secondary container so a chemical is never mistaken for a drink.
- Wash hands thoroughly before eating, drinking or smoking.
Where it appears on an SDS
- Section 4: First-aid measures. Ingestion first aid is stated here, including whether to rinse the mouth, drink water or avoid inducing vomiting.
- Section 11: Toxicological information. Oral toxicity data, typically an LD50 value in animals, is reported in the acute toxicity entry.
SDS content and wording vary by supplier. This page is general reference and does not replace the current SDS for your product.