Water and Wastewater Terms Beginning H

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

harmful physical agent

Any chemical substance, biological agent (bacteria, virus, or fungus), or physical stress (noise, heat, cold, vibration, repetitive motion, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, hypo- or hyperbaric pressure) that meets any of the following criteria: is regulated by any state or federal law or rule due to a hazard to health; is listed in the latest printed edition of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances (RTECS); has yielded positive evidence of an acute or chronic health hazard in human, animal, or other biological testing conducted by, or known to, the employer; and is described by a safety data sheet (SDS) available to the employer that indicates that the material may pose a hazard to human health. Also see toxic substance, acute health effect and chronic health effect.