What is the difference between corrosive and non-corrosive HazMat?

What is the difference between corrosive and non-corrosive HazMat?

• A. They are always toxic
• B. Corrosive hazards are only solids
• C. Corrosive materials can damage skin and metal on contact; non-corrosive hazards may still be toxic or reactive but don’t cause immediate corrosion
• D. Corrosive hazards are always safe to handle with bare hands

Answer: (C)

Corrosivity means a substance can cause rapid chemical damage to surfaces it contacts. Corrosive materials will burn or blister skin and eyes and can corrode metals on contact, so they pose immediate tissue and material damage and require strict protective measures. Non-corrosive hazards can still be dangerous—through toxicity if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed, or through reactive behavior—but they do not cause immediate damage to skin or metals on contact. Some materials are toxic or reactive without being corrosive, which is why a hazard may be serious even though it won’t eat into skin or metal right away. Also, corrosives aren’t limited to solids; they can be liquids or gases, and they are not safe to handle with bare hands.

Corrosivity means a substance can cause rapid chemical damage to surfaces it contacts. Corrosive materials will burn or blister skin and eyes and can corrode metals on contact, so they pose immediate tissue and material damage and require strict protective measures. Non-corrosive hazards can still be dangerous—through toxicity if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed, or through reactive behavior—but they do not cause immediate damage to skin or metals on contact. Some materials are toxic or reactive without being corrosive, which is why a hazard may be serious even though it won’t eat into skin or metal right away. Also, corrosives aren’t limited to solids; they can be liquids or gases, and they are not safe to handle with bare hands.