Hydrogen peroxide (100 volumes) COSHH assessment guide

Hydrogen peroxide at this strength is used for bleaching, disinfection and water treatment. It can intensify a fire as an oxidiser, is harmful if swallowed or inhaled, and causes serious eye damage.

Taken from the Hydrogen peroxide 100 volumes (20-35% by weight) safety data sheet from Fisher Scientific UK, revision 18 October 2023. Open the data sheet. Formulas differ between products, so check against the sheet for the product you actually buy. This is a laboratory-grade sheet. Trade products sold under the same name can have a different strength and different hazards. It covers 20-35% by weight. Classification changes with strength, so it does not apply to 3-6% consumer solutions.

Hazards on the data sheet

Signal word: Danger.

H272 May intensify fire; oxidizer
H302 + H332 Harmful if swallowed or if inhaled
H318 Causes serious eye damage

Precautions

P220 Keep away from clothing and other combustible materials
P280 Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection
P301 + P330 + P331 IF SWALLOWED: rinse mouth. Do NOT induce vomiting
P304 + P340 IF INHALED: Remove person to fresh air and keep comfortable for breathing
P305 + P351 + P338 IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing
P310 Immediately call a POISON CENTER or doctor/physician

Workplace exposure limit

Long-term (8-hour): 1 ppm or 1.4 mg/m³. Short-term (15-minute): 2 ppm or 2.8 mg/m³. From EH40/2005 Table 1.

PPE

Eyes	Goggles (European standard - EN 166).
Hands	Protective gloves. All > 480 minutes, EN 374 (minimum requirement): Butyl rubber 0.35 mm, Neoprene 0.45 mm, Natural rubber 0.5 mm, Nitrile rubber 0.1 - 0.2 mm, Viton (R) 0.3 mm.
Breathing	Certified respirators when facing concentrations above the exposure limit. Large scale/emergency: Particulates filter conforming to EN 143, Inorganic gases and vapours filter Type B Grey conforming to EN14387. Small scale/laboratory: EN 149:2001 approved respirator; half mask particle filtering EN149:2001.
Skin	Long sleeved clothing.

First aid

Eyes	Rinse immediately with plenty of water, also under the eyelids, for at least 15 minutes. Get medical attention.
Skin	Wash off immediately with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes. If skin irritation persists, call a physician.
Breathed in	Remove to fresh air. If not breathing, give artificial respiration. Get medical attention if symptoms occur.
Swallowed	Clean mouth with water and drink afterwards plenty of water.

Storage, spills and what to keep it away from

Storage	Keep containers tightly closed in a dry, cool and well-ventilated place. Keep refrigerated (to maintain product quality). Protect from direct sunlight. Do not store in metal containers. Vent containers periodically to overcome pressure buildup. Do not store near combustible materials.
Spills	Ensure adequate ventilation. Do not use steel or aluminum tools or equipment. Soak up with inert absorbent material. Keep in suitable, closed containers for disposal.
Keep away from	Strong oxidizing agents. Metals. Reducing Agent. Alcohols. Ammonia. copper. Copper alloys. lead oxides. Cyanides. Sulfides. Lead. Acetone. Aluminium. Strong reducing agents. Combustible material. Zinc.

What your assessment still has to cover

Record what it is stored near, since an oxidiser must be kept away from combustible materials, and whether it stays refrigerated as the sheet advises. This sheet warns against steel or aluminium tools for spills, so check what your spill kit holds.

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