MSDS Safety Topic

Explanation of Material Safety Data Sheets MSDS including employer liability.

General

The principal source of pertinent chemical information for employees is a MSDS. By definition, a MSDS is a written detailed description of a hazardous chemical or product. A chemical’s MSDS is an all-inclusive informative report on a particular substance and details all risks, safety measures, and controls that pertain to hazardous chemicals. By OSHA and other regulating agency standards, employees must be educated and properly trained on how to access and understand MSDS. MSDSs must also be readily available to all employees in their work areas.

Fundamentals of an MSDS

The MSDS must depict the chemicals composition- if a single substance, its chemical and common name. Other fundamental elements include: the chemical substance characteristics and hazards, route of entry, exposure limits, carcinogens, safe handling and…