Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas that is a product of the partial combustion of carbon based fuels such as natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), oil and wood. As many of you know carbon monoxide is lethal if inhaled. It interferes with the transport of oxygen by the blood. Oxygen is transported in the blood by haemoglobin inside red blood cells. Haemoglobin is a protein. Your red blood cells are jam-packed full of haemoglobin and not much else. When red blood cells pass through blood vessel in the lungs they collect oxygen molecules. Oxygen molecules diffuse from the air in the lungs, through the lung wall…
-
-
NEBOSH Diploma Syllabus Revision News #10
Element B2 moves on to dealing with hazardous substances in the workplace. In practice this consolidates much of what used to be in elements B1 with relevant extracts from B2 and B4. The routes of entry and body defences are still there in all their blazing glory. You’ll notice the previous specific references to the respiratory system defences has been deleted but of course still implied by the catchall “defensive responses”. We now have a much reduced list of specific hazardous substances. Carbon monoxide is new, isocyanates are making a return. Nitrogen is new but a slightly odd choice as it isn’t intrinsically a harmful substance (it makes up around…
