Which statement best distinguishes chemical hazards from physical hazards?

• A. Chemical hazards include toxicity and flammability; physical hazards include noise, heat, cold, and vibration.
• B. Chemical hazards include noise; physical hazards include toxicity.
• C. Chemical hazards include humidity; physical hazards include color.
• D. Chemical hazards include only flammability; physical hazards include only light.

Answer: (A)

Chemical hazards come from the properties of chemicals themselves—how toxic they are to human health and whether they can ignite or react dangerously. Physical hazards come from environmental conditions or forms of energy that can cause harm regardless of a substance’s chemical toxicity, such as noise that can damage hearing, extreme temperatures that can burn or freeze, and vibration that can injure tissues. The statement is best because it correctly assigns toxicity and flammability to chemical hazards, while listing noise, heat, cold, and vibration as physical hazards. Humidity or color aren’t primary chemical-hazard properties, and light isn’t a defining physical hazard in this context.