While shopping on the Stuller.com product pages, you will find copies of our Material Safety Data Sheets (M.S.D.S.) for any of our products that require them. We hope that they will be helpful in answering any questions you may have about our products.
The code of federal registry (CFR) in OSHA standard number 1910.1200, requires that chemical manufacturers and importers shall obtain or develop an M.S.D.S. sheet for each hazardous chemical they produce or import. The purpose of this section of the standard is to ensure that the hazards of all chemicals produced or imported are evaluated, and that this information is transmitted to customers. While the law is specific on the responsibilities of manufacturers, it is equally specific on the responsibilities of employers to employees.
Information concerning possible hazards in the work place must be conveyed to employees. This can be done in a variety of ways, but must include all of the following:
- Informing employees to the name and nature of any hazardous materials with which they may come into contact
- Maintaining a written hazard communication program
- Keeping a written list of all hazardous materials
- Labeling of containers in the workplace
- Maintaining a file of material safety data sheets (M.S.D.S.)
- Development and implementation of an employee training program
One of the most common sources for chemical training is the M.S.D.S. sheet. It contains all the information you will need to adequately train your employees. You may already have a number of M.S.D.S.'s from your suppliers. You may also notice that not all M.S.D.S. sheets look the same. While a few manufactures use the O.S.H.A. form (#174), many print their own sheets on computer with their company logo. The M.S.D.S. must be a fully completed O.S.H.A. form # 174 or its equivalent. This is to ensure that all of the required information is included in the M.S.D.S..
The M.S.D.S. is comprised of eight sections with the following information:
Sect. 1: IDENTITY -- This section tells you the name of the product or chemical. There is also space for the manufacturer's name, address and phone number. The date of the M.S.D.S. is to ensure that a current data sheet is maintained.
Sect. 2: HAZARDOUS INGREDIENTS -- This section tells you all ingredients which have been determined to be health hazards and which make up 1% or greater of the total composition.
Sect. 3: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS -- This is an important section which provides information concerning the appearance and odor of the material. Technical data such as boiling point, vapor pressure, vapor density, solubility in water, melting point, and evaporation rate are included, if they are known.
Sect 4: FIRE AND EXPLOSION HAZARDS -- The M.S.D.S. will also tell you if the material may catch fire, or explode, and how to deal with these hazards.
Sect 5: REACTIVITY -- This section tells the stability of a material and how it reacts with other materials.
Sect 6: HEALTH HAZARDS -- This section warns of the hazards associated with a particular material. It tells you the symptoms of exposure and the emergency first-aid procedures to use in case of overexposure. It also lists any medical conditions that may be aggravated by exposure.
Sect 7: PRECAUTIONS FOR SAFE HANDLING AND USE -- This section details instructions for safe handling as well as storage and use of the material. In addition, it tells what you should do in case of a spill or leak.
Sect 8: CONTROL METHODS -- The last section lists what personal protective equipment to use when working with the material. It also lists safe work habit ant tells you how to clean up after working so that the material will not harm you or contaminate any food products.
M.S.D.S. is a very useful information source that should be kept handy and protected. A small binder with page protectors will keep data sheets clean and readable for many years. Remember to always keep a current M.S.D.S. on hand for each material. Encourage your employees who use our chemicals and solders, to read the data sheet before using them.
We hope that our "mini course" in M.S.D.S. sheets will help you and your company to work safe and smart. If you need assistance in setting up a training program, or if we in Stuller Security/Loss Prevention can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to call. You can also check out OSHA's website at www.osha.gov for more details.