Key Points

Fire

• Flammable
• Normally stable. Can react with oxygen, strong oxidisers or acids
• Emits toxic fumes of styrene oxide when heated to decomposition
• In the event of a fire involving styrene, use normal foam and normal fire kit with breathing apparatus

Health

• Toxic by inhalation, ingestion and skin contact
• Harmful and irritant
• Possibly carcinogenic in humans
• Inhalation of styrene causes irritation of the nose and throat, coughing, wheezing, build-up of fluid in the lungs, irregular heart beats and coma
• Styrene inhalation may also lead to "styrene sickness", which includes headache, sickness, weakness, tiredness, dizziness and unsteady / clumsy motion of the limbs
• Ingestion of styrene may lead to central nervous system depression (sedation)
• Skin contact may result in irritation, itching and dermatitis. Central nervous system depression may also occur following skin contact

Environment

• Avoid release into the environment
• Inform Environment Agency of any substantial release incidents

 

All sections are available to download in PDF format below:

• Styrene - Full Document (PDF, 187 KB)
• General Information (PDF, 47 KB)
• Incident Management (PDF, 123 KB)
• Toxicological Overview (PDF, 47 KB)