Certifications 2

SAFE USE INSTRUCTIONS SHEET
Commercial product
powertex®, powertex® LE, powerfil®, E-Glas,
powertex® S, basalt continuous, powermat®
E, powermat®, powermat HT, powermat® S,
powermat® S VT, powermat® E NGM, power-
flex, powernet
Date of issue:
2008-08-24
Version:
2003-2008-2
Revision date:
2013-07-03
Page : 7 / 10
11.
TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Toxicological test
Acute toxicity:
not relevant
Local effects:
Dusts and fibers may cause mechanical irritation to eyes and skin. The irritation disappears when
the exposure ceases. Mechanical irritation is not considered as a health hazard in the meaning of
European directive 67/548/EC on hazardous substances. Continuous filament glass fibers do not
require a classification as an irritant (Xi) under the European directive 97/69/EC.
Inhalation may cause coughing, nose and throat irritation and sneezing. High exposures may
cause difficult breathing, congestion and chest tightness.
Long term health effects
Continuous filament glass fibers are not respirable according to the World Health Organization
(WHO) definition. Respirable fibers have a diameter (d) smaller than 3μm, a length (l) larger than
5μm and a l/d-ratio larger than or equal to 3. Fibres with diameters greater than 3 microns, which
is the case for continuous filament glass fibre, do not reach the lower respiratory tract and, there-
fore have no possibility of causing serious pulmonary disease.
Section 2.3 of TRGS 905, edition of June 1997 is not applicable.
The general principles of industrial hygiene for fibres with a diameter of > 3μm listed in TRGS 521
– fibre dusts – as amended in November 1997 under no. 5, which can develop or be released
during processing, have to be adhered to.
Continuous filament glass fibres do not possess cleavage planes which would allow them to split
length-wise into fibres with smaller diameters, rather they break across the fibre, resulting in fibres
which are of the same diameter as the original fibre with a shorter length and a small amount of
dust.
Microscopic examination of dust from highly chopped and pulverised glass demonstrated the
presence of small amounts of respirable dust particles. Among these respirable particles, some
were fibre-like in terms of l/d ratio (so-called “shards”). It can be clearly observed however that
they are not regular shaped fibres but irregular shaped particles with fibre-like dimensions. To the
best of our knowledge, the exposure levels of these fibre-like dust particles measured at our
manufacturing plants are of the order of magnitude between 50 to 1000 below existing applicable
limits.
Continuous filament glass fibers are not carcinogenic. (See section 15)
12.
ECOTOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
No specific data are available for this product. This material is not expected to cause harm to an-
imals, plants or fish.