Which hazardous material type may be shock sensitive?

• A. Organic peroxide
• B. Corrosive acid
• C. Inert gas
• D. Nonflammable solid

Answer: (A)

Shock sensitivity means a material can detonate or violently decompose when it experiences impact, friction, or heat. Organic peroxides have unstable peroxide bonds that readily break and release energy quickly, so they can explode or detonate if struck, dropped, or subjected to friction. That risk makes them particularly prone to shock. Corrosive acids cause burns and can react aggressively with other substances, but they are not typically described as shock-sensitive. Inert gases are nonreactive and don’t pose shock-sensitive hazards, and nonflammable solids are generally stable unless they are an energetic explosive, which isn’t implied here. So organic peroxides are the ones that may be shock sensitive.