MSDS
Material Safety Data Sheets Provided a summary of information needed to handle, store and use a product safely, and to deal with exposure, spills and other problems if they occur. Material Hazards * Acute Effects: occur quickly on exposure * Chronic Effects: build slowly over time * Sensitization: causes an allergic reaction. May cause dermatitis (skin reaction) or more serious respiratory effects. * Carcinogens: unpredictable, no safe levels of exposure of a industrial chemicals As an example: Grain alcohol * Acute Effects: narcosis, dizziness, you feel tipsy; Higher levels of exposure can cause more severe effects, headache, nausea, loss of coordination, and finally unconsciousness and even death. * Chronic Effects: Long term exposure includes cirosos or hardening of the liver, and brain damage causing dementia. A single binge with alcohol may make you sick for a night, but leave no permanent damage. Chronic drinking can cause organ damage and will eventually kill you. All this from a fairly benign solvent; others may be much worse! Routes of Entry Many ways chemicals can get into you. * Through the skin and the eyes. * Inhalation. * Ingestion; swallowed and absorbed through digestive system. Occurs if you eat the product. Also when fumes, dusts and vapors are absorbed by food and beverages in work area, and subsequently eaten or drunk. MSDS Features: + Provides necessary info to handle safely + Must be supplied upon request + Standarized Format + Divided into sections Uses specific terms and definitions defined by OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration Info presented in specific order and format. Actually two formats: OSHA and ANSI Sections: Product and Manufacturer (osha 1; ansi 1) Name of the Product, Trade name, chemical family Manufacturer's address and phone numbers
Ingredients (osha 2; ansi 2) Hazardous ingredients, esp. those for which standards have been set. May include exposure level guidelines. "Proprietary" listings: beware Amounts of exposure listed as: TVL’s: Threshhold Value Limits Tolerable, but NOT "safe" levels of exposure Developed by government hygenists * TVL-TWA: Time Weighted Average 8 hr./day; 40 hr./wk * TVL-STEL: Short Term Exposure Level based on 15 min. exposure * TVL-C: Ceiling Limit Never exceed, even a moment! PEL: Permitted Exposure Level Developed by OSHA based on TVL’s and other industry standards Have the force of law! Enforced by OSHA with fines TVL’s are NOT. TVLsand PELs are most useful for comparing similar chemical options.
Characteristics (osha 3; ansi 9) Physical and Chemical + Appearance + Boiling, melting, freezing points + Vapor pressure: how dense the vapors get above the liquid in a closed container + Vapor density: how much the vapor weighs compared to the same amount of air + Specific Gravity: how heavy compared to water, or sometimes to air (non-vaporized) + Evaporation rate: how fast it evaporates (compared to reference chemical, e.g. water or ether)
Physical Hazards (osha 4, 5; ansi 5, 10) + Flammability - Flash point: lowest ignition temp in presence of ignition source - Flammability and Explosive limits: what is too lean or too rich to burn. Everything in between burns! + Reactivity: - Stability: how easily it breaks down - Decomposition products: what it breaks down into - Hazardous polymerization: large molecules created from small ones (plastic, etc.) - Conditions to avoid
Health Hazards (osha 6; ansi 3, 4, 11) + How it gets in the body Many ways chemicals can get into you. - Through the skin and the eyes. - Inhalation. - Ingestion; swallowed and absorbed through digestive system. • Occurs if you eat the product. • Also when fumes, dusts and vapors are absorbed by food and beverages in work area, and subsequently eaten or drunk. + What it does there + First Aid and treatment
Safe Handling and disposal (osha 7, 8; ansi 6, 7, 8, 12) + How to avoid dangerous problems + How to treat a spill or leak + How to safely dispose of product + How to protect yourself from exposure - Required safety equipment - Masks, gloves, clothing required - Type of respirators that may be required + Required cleanup proceedures after work WARNING: "Normal" Conditions ONLY!
Additional info, precautions (osha 9; ansi 13, 14, 15, 16) + Transportation + Disposal + Regulatory info + Label informationOSHA Format
Section 1: Product and Manufacturer Chemical Names, Trade Names, Chemical family Manufacturer address Emergency phone numbers Section 2: Ingredients and Exposures Hazardous Ingredients for which standards have been set Allowable exposure levels Section 3: Physical/Chemical Charcteristics Appearance Boiling, melting, freezing points Vapor pressure Vapor density Specific Gravity Evaporation rate etc. Section 4: Fire and Explosion data How flammable it is. Flash point: lowest ignition temp in presence if ignition source Flammability and Explosive limits: what is too lean or too rich to burn. Everything in between burns! Section 5: Reactivity Data Stability Conditions and materials to avoid Decomposition products (only under specific conditions!) Hazardous polimerization-large molecules from small ones (plastic, etc.) Section 6: Hazardous Health Data How it gets in the body What damage it does there. Section 7: Safe handling and Use How to avoid dangerous problems How to treat a spill or leak How to safely dispose of product Section 8: Control measures How to protect yourself from exposure Required safety equipment Masks, gloves, clothing required Type of respirators that may be required Required cleanup proceedures after work Section 9: Special Precautions Any other pertinent information not already covered, such as: Transportation Disposal Label informationANSI Format
Section 1. Chemical product and company identification Links the MSDS to the material. Identifies the supplier of the MSDS. Identifies a source for more information. Section 2. Composition/information on ingredients Lists the OSHA hazardous components. May also list significant nonhazardous components. May also include additional information about components (e.g., exposure guidelines) Section 3. Hazards identification, inc. emergency overview (osha 6) Emergency overview. Potential adverse human health effects. Symptoms from use and misuse of material. Section 4. First aid measures (osha 6 & 9) Instructions for accidental exposure requiring immediate treatment. Instructions to medical professionals. Section 5. Fire fighting measures (osha 4) Basic fire fighting guidance, including appropriate extinguishing media. Other fire and explosive properties useful to avoid and fight fires involving material. E.g. flash point or explosive limits. Section 6. Accidental release measures (osha 7) Actions to minimize adverse effects of accidental spill, leak or release of material. Section 7. Handling and storage (osha 7) Information on safe handling and storage. Section 8. Exposure controls/personal protection (osha 8) Practices, equipment, or both, useful in minimizing worker exposure. Exposure guidelines. Guidance on personal protective equipment. Section 9. Physical and chemical properties (osha 3) Additional data to help characterize material and to design safe work practices. Section 10. Stability and reactivity (osha 5) Describes conditions to be avoided or other materials that may cause a reaction changing intrinsic stability of material. Section 11. Toxicological information (osha 6) Provides background toxicological information on the material, its compounds, or both. Section 12. Ecological information (osha 7) Provides information on effects of material on plants, animals and on the material's environmental fate. Section 13. Disposal considerations (osha 9) Information useful in determining appropriate disposal measures. Section 14. Transport information (osha 9) Basic shipping classification information. Specific transportation labels if required. Section 15. Regulatory information (osha 9) Any additional information on regulations affecting the material. Section 16. Other information (osha 9) May be used to provide any additional information.