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Material safety data sheet

 
Material Safety Data Sheet

 
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Material safety data sheet
 
 
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A material safety data sheet (MSDS) is a form containing data regarding the properties of a particular substance. An important component of product stewardship
Product stewardship

Product stewardship is a concept whereby environmental protection centers around the product itself, and everyone involved in the lifespan of the product is called upon to take up responsibility to reduce its environmental impact....
 and workplace safety
Workplace safety

Workplace safety is a category of management responsibility in places of employment.To ensure the safety and health of workers, managers establish a focus on safety that can include elements such as:...
, it is intended to provide workers and emergency personnel with procedures for handling or working with that substance in a safe manner, and includes information such as physical data (melting point
Melting point

The melting point of a solid is the temperature range at which it changes states of matter from solid to liquid. At the melting point the solid and liquid phase exist in equilibrium....
, boiling point
Boiling point

The boiling point of a liquid is the temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid equals the environmental pressure surrounding the liquid....
, flash point
Flash point

The flash point of a flammability liquid is the lowest temperature at which it can form an ignitable mixture in air. At this temperature the vapour may cease to burn when the source of ignition is removed....
, etc.), toxicity
Toxicity

Toxicity is the degree to which a substance is able to damage an exposed organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a substructure of the organism, such as a cell or an organ , such as the liver ....
, health effects, first aid
First aid

First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by a layman to a sick or injured Casualty until definitive medical treatment can be accessed....
, reactivity
Reactivity

Reactivity refers to the Reaction rate at which a chemical substance tends to undergo a chemical reaction in time. In pure chemical compounds, reactivity is regulated by the physical properties of the sample....
, storage, disposal, protective equipment, and spill handling procedures.






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Material Safety Data Sheet
A material safety data sheet (MSDS) is a form containing data regarding the properties of a particular substance. An important component of product stewardship
Product stewardship

Product stewardship is a concept whereby environmental protection centers around the product itself, and everyone involved in the lifespan of the product is called upon to take up responsibility to reduce its environmental impact....
 and workplace safety
Workplace safety

Workplace safety is a category of management responsibility in places of employment.To ensure the safety and health of workers, managers establish a focus on safety that can include elements such as:...
, it is intended to provide workers and emergency personnel with procedures for handling or working with that substance in a safe manner, and includes information such as physical data (melting point
Melting point

The melting point of a solid is the temperature range at which it changes states of matter from solid to liquid. At the melting point the solid and liquid phase exist in equilibrium....
, boiling point
Boiling point

The boiling point of a liquid is the temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid equals the environmental pressure surrounding the liquid....
, flash point
Flash point

The flash point of a flammability liquid is the lowest temperature at which it can form an ignitable mixture in air. At this temperature the vapour may cease to burn when the source of ignition is removed....
, etc.), toxicity
Toxicity

Toxicity is the degree to which a substance is able to damage an exposed organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a substructure of the organism, such as a cell or an organ , such as the liver ....
, health effects, first aid
First aid

First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by a layman to a sick or injured Casualty until definitive medical treatment can be accessed....
, reactivity
Reactivity

Reactivity refers to the Reaction rate at which a chemical substance tends to undergo a chemical reaction in time. In pure chemical compounds, reactivity is regulated by the physical properties of the sample....
, storage, disposal, protective equipment, and spill handling procedures. The exact format of an MSDS can vary from source to source within a country depending on how specific is the national requirement.

MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) are a widely used system for cataloging information on chemicals, chemical compound
Chemical compound

A chemical compound is a Chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical element Chemical bond together in a fixed mass ratio that can be split into simpler substances....
s, and chemical mixture
Mixture

In chemistry, a mixture is a substance made by combining two or more different materials without a chemical reaction occurring .While there are no physical changes in a mixture, the chemical properties of a mixture, such as its melting point, may differ from those of its components....
s. MSDS information may include instructions for the safe use and potential hazards associated with a particular material or product. MSDS can be found anywhere chemicals are being used.

There is also a duty to properly label substances on the basis of physico-chemical, health and/or environmental risk. Labels can include hazard symbols such as the European Union standard black diagonal cross on an orange background, used to denote a harmful substance.

An MSDS for a substance is not primarily intended for use by the general consumer, focusing instead on the hazards of working with the material in an occupational setting. For example, an MSDS for a cleaning solution is not highly pertinent to someone who uses a can of the cleaner once a year, but is extremely important to someone who does this in a confined space for 40 hours a week.

In some jurisdictions, the MSDS is required to state the chemical's risks, safety and impact on the environment.

It is important to use an MSDS that is both country-specific and supplier-specific as the same product (e.g. paints sold under identical brand names by the same company) can have very different formulations in different countries; a product using a generic name (e.g. sugar soap
Sugar soap

Sugar soap is a cleaning material, commonly composed of sodium carbonate, sodium phosphate, and sometimes sodium silicate as an abrasive; other chemicals might be added to modify the performance or preserve the product....
) can also have a formulation and degree of hazard which varies between different manufacturers in the same country.

National and international requirements


Canada

In Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, the program known as the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) establishes the requirements for MSDSs in workplaces and is administered federally by Health Canada under the Hazardous Products Act, Part II and the Controlled Products Regulations. WHMIS and MSDS requirements are also enforced by provincial Ministries or Departments of Labour.

European Union

The European Union
European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
 (EU) requires that Risk and Safety Statements
Risk and Safety Statements

Risk and Safety Statements, also known as R/S statements, R/S numbers, R/S phrases, and R/S sentences, is a system of hazard codes and phrases for labeling dangerous chemicals and compounds....
 ( R- and S-phrases) and a symbol appear on each label
Label

A label is a piece of paper, polymer, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a Packaging and labelling or article, on which is printinged a legend, information concerning the product, addresses, etc....
 and safety data sheet for hazard
Hazard

A 'hazard' is a situation which poses a level of threat to life, health, property or natural environment. Most hazards are dormant or potential, with only a theoretical risk of harm, however, once a hazard becomes 'active', it can create an emergency situation....
ous chemicals.
  • R-phrases consist of the letter R followed by a number. See List of R-phrases
    List of R-phrases

    R-phrases are defined in Annex III of European Union Directive 67/548/EEC: Nature of special risks attributed to dangerous substances and preparations....
    .
  • S-phrases consist of the letter S followed by a number. See List of S-phrases
    List of S-phrases

    S-phrases are defined in Annex IV of European Union Directive 67/548/EEC: Safety advice concerning dangerous substances and preparations. The list was consolidated and republished in , where translations into other EU languages may be found....
    .


Germany

The German Federal Water Management Act requires that substances be evaluated for negative influence on the physical, chemical or biological
Biology

Biology is a branch of the natural sciences concerned with the study of living organisms and their interaction with each other and their environment ....
 characteristics of water. These are classified into numeric water hazard classes (WGK or WHC depending whether you use the German or English abbreviation).
  • WGK nwg: Non-water polluting substance
  • WGK 1: Slightly water polluting substance
  • WGK 2: Water polluting substance
  • WGK 3: Highly water polluting substance


The Netherlands

Dutch Safety Data Sheets are well known as veiligheidsinformatieblad or Chemiekaarten. This is a collection of Safety Data Sheets of the most widely used chemicals. The Dutch sometimes translate the word "material" in "material safety data sheets" as "milieu", which is Dutch for environment. This is because these sheets contain information regarding both safety and environmental issues. The Chemiekaarten boek is commercially available, but also made available through educational institutes, such as the web site offered by the university of Groningen

United Kingdom

In the U.K.
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, the - known as CHIP Regulations - impose duties upon suppliers, and importers into the EU, of hazardous materials. The govern the use of hazardous substances in the workplace in the UK and specifically require an assessment of the use of a substance. Regulation 12 requires that an employer provides employees with information, instruction and training for people exposed to hazardous substances. This duty would be very nearly impossible without the data sheet as a starting point. It is important for employers therefore to insist on receiving a data sheet from a supplier of a substance.

The duty to supply information is not confined to informing only business users of products. MSDSs are now commonly available to anyone using the web sites of manufacturers and large retail suppliers as well as by written or telephone requests for paper copies.

United Nations

The United Nations
United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, Social change, human rights and achieving world peace....
 (UN) defines certain details used in MSDSs such as the UN numbers used to identify some hazardous materials in a standard form while in international transit

United States

In the U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Occupational Safety and Health Administration

The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. It was created by Congress of the United States under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, signed by President Richard M....
 requires that MSDS be available to employees for potentially harmful substances handled in the workplace under the Hazard Communication regulation. The MSDS is also required to be made available to local fire departments and local and state emergency planning officials under Section 311 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act

The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 is a United States federal law passed by the 99th United States Congress located at Title 42, Chapter 116 of the U.S....
. The American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society

The American Chemical Society is a learned society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has over 160,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical engineering and related fields....
 defines Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Numbers (CAS numbers) which provide a unique number for each chemical and are also used internationally in MSDSs.

MSDS authoring

Many companies offer the service of collecting, or writing and revising, data sheets to ensure they are up to date and available for their subscribers or users. Some jurisdictions impose an explicit duty of care
Duty of care

In Tort, a duty of care is a Law obligation imposed on an individual requiring that they adhere to a Reasonable person standard of care while performing any acts that could foreseeably harm others....
 that each MSDS be regularly updated (usually every three to five years).

See also

  • European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
    European Agency for Safety and Health at Work

    The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work was set up in 1996 in Bilbao, Spain. Its mission is "to make Europe's workplaces safer, healthier and more productive....
  • Fact sheet
    Fact sheet

    A fact sheet is a presentation of data on any subject in a format emphasizing brevity, key points of interest or concern, a fairly minimalist design aesthetic, and a general desire to convey the most relevant information in the least amount of space....
  • Globally Harmonized System
    Globally Harmonized System

    The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals or GHS is an internationally agreed upon system set to replace the various different classification and labeling standards used in different countries....
  • International Chemical Safety Card
    International Chemical Safety Card

    International Chemical Safety Cards are short summaries of health and safety information about chemical compounds designed to be used by workers handling these chemicals....
  • LOLI Database
    LOLI Database

    The LOLI Database is an international chemical regulatory database developed and maintained by ChemADVISOR, Inc.The LOLI database is one of the primary sources of information for the creation of material safety data sheets and other hazard communication documents....
  • Occupational safety and health
    Occupational safety and health

    Occupational safety and health is a Interdisciplinarity area concerned with protecting the safety, health and quality of life of people engaged in Employment....
  • Risk and Safety Statements
    Risk and Safety Statements

    Risk and Safety Statements, also known as R/S statements, R/S numbers, R/S phrases, and R/S sentences, is a system of hazard codes and phrases for labeling dangerous chemicals and compounds....
  • UK Health and Safety Executive
    Health and Safety Executive

    The Health and Safety Executive is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom. It is the body responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of occupational safety and health, and for research into occupational risks in England and Wales and Scotland....
  • US Occupational Safety and Health Administration
    Occupational Safety and Health Administration

    The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. It was created by Congress of the United States under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, signed by President Richard M....


External links