The Material Safety Data Sheets Manual contains the Company’s Hazard Communication program. Any chemical you use that is not in this manual must be obtained immediately from the purveyor from whom you purchased the chemical.  A chemical inventory list form is provided at the end of this section to coordinate your MSDS Manual with you chemicals on hand.
The Material Safety Data Sheets contain the following information:

• Product manufacturer
• Physical and chemical characteristics
• Physical hazards (fire or explosion data)
• Reactivity (can the product explode, is it unstable, is it water or air sensitive?)
• Health hazards
• Safe handling
• First aid procedures
• Personal protective equipment required to be used

Identification

Various systems are used to name chemical substances, and as a result the same substance can be known by more than one name, for instance, scientific names, common names and trade names. The MSDS must give the identity used on the container label of the substance and the chemical and the common names of the substance. If the substance is a mixture, any hazardous components making up more than 1 percent of the mixture must be listed by their chemical and common names and if the mixture itself has a name, that must also be listed.
Carcinogens must be listed if they make up more than 0.1 percent of the mixture, and any components that have been found to be hazardous as a result of tests conducted must be listed even if they are present in concentrations below 1 percent.
Manufacturers are allowed to withhold the identity of a chemical substance if it is a trade secret. If the identity is a trade secret, the employer must prepare an MSDS stating the hazards and effects of the substance. The standard also specifies emergency provisions under which a physician treating an exposed employee can obtain the identity of the substance.

Physical and Chemical Characteristics

Materials can be characterized by their physical states (gas, liquid, or solid) or of a change from one state to another. In addition to these physical properties, the chemical properties of a substance can be used to characterize it, for instance, its ability to react with another chemical to form a new substance. Chemical processes also involve the release of absorption of a characteristic quantity of energy. Some of the data listed on an MSDS under physical and chemical characteristics simply describes the appearance of the material and may be useful in identifying it or recognizing it. Many substances have characteristic odors, which are often detectable at very low concentrations, thus serving an early warning for leaks or escapes.
Other physical data may provide an indication of hazard, for instance by indicating the ease with which a substance evaporates, the melting and boiling points, the evaporation rate, etc.

Physical Hazards

Some materials have a potential for causing physical (that is, mechanical) damage, usually by explosion or fire. Data that would be valuable for understanding these hazards include flash point, flammable limits in air, and the auto ignition temperature. For explosives, detonation data would indicate the sensitivity of the material.

Health Hazards

The OSHA Hazard Communication Standard defines seven specific categories of health hazards that must be taken into account in evaluating workplace hazards. These are:

• Carcinogens
• Sensitizers
• Corrosives
• Toxic Materials
• Highly Toxic materials
• Target Organ Effect
• Irritants

For purposes of the standard, these are defined in terms of the results of biological tests and observations.
Primary Routes of Entry to the Body
Routes of exposure of toxic materials include:

• Inhalation
• Eye Contact
• Ingestion
• Skin Absorption
• Skin Contact

Information on the point of attack will help in taking preventive measures or in selecting the proper protective equipment.

Permissible Exposure Limits

Studies of materials have led to the setting of maximum permissible concentrations of exposure. For some materials these limits have been set by federal regulation as OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits. Industrial hygienists have set other standards, and a compilation of these has been made of threshold limit values by the American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists. The limits usually involve both the concentration of the chemical and the duration of the exposure, for instance they may be expressed as a time-weighted average concentration over a work shift and perhaps additionally as an allowable peak value during any one period.

Identification of Carcinogenicity

The MSDS must note any evidence that a substance can cause cancer. The standard requires a statement if the substance is listed in the National Toxicology Program Annual Report on Carcinogens, or if it is listed as a potential carcinogen in the International Agency for Research on Cancer Monographs or by OSHA.

Precautions For Safe Handling and Protective Measures

Information listed here includes the safe storage instructions and a warning of the possibility of reaction with other substances. Many chemicals have a lot of energy locked up in them. When they react, this energy may be released in the form of heat, or new chemical substances, possibly toxic, may be formed and released. Different materials will react under different conditions, and the information given on the MSDS indicates the conditions to avoid.

Cleanup Procedures for Spills and Leaks

This lists the steps to be taken if the chemical product is released or spilled. The information includes personal safety and protection and cleanup measures. Chemicals that will neutralize the spilled material should be listed and information on disposal methods will also be given.

Control Measures

This section of the MSDS lists any generally applicable control measures known to the chemical manufacturer. This would include safe operating limits for concentration, temperature, and pressure. Proper work practices and required personal protective equipment are also listed.

Emergency and First Aid Procedures

Instructions for treatment, including specific antidotes, routes of entry, and care of the victim. There should be notes for a physician to base treatment on, because individual chemicals can have highly individual effects – causing particular physiological effects, leading to delayed symptoms, and requiring particular antidotes or treatment.

Identifying Data

The OSHA standard requires the MSDS to include the date of its preparation or the date of the last change. The name, address, and telephone number of the manufacturer or other responsible party preparing and distributing the MSDS must be given, so that additional information on the hazardous chemical and appropriate emergency procedures can be obtained if necessary.

MSDS Definitions

Auto Ignition Temperature: The temperature at which a material will spontaneously burst into flames.
Carcinogenic: Capable of causing cancer.
Ceiling Limit: The maximum amount of a toxic substance allowed to be in workroom air at any time during the day.
Combustible: Able to catch on fire and burn.
Decomposition: Breakdown of a chemical.
Density: The mass of a substance per unit volume. The density of a substance is usually compared to water, which has a density of 1. Substances which float on water have densities less than 1; substances which sink have densities greater than 1.
Dermal: By or through the skin.
Evaporation Rate: A measure of the mass per unit time of a substance changing from liquid to vapor (evaporating). It depends upon the particular substance, the temperature, and the pressure. Sometimes the rate is expressed as a percentage of the evaporation rate of butyl acetate.
Explosive Limits: The amounts of vapor in air which form explosive mixtures. Explosive limits are expressed as Lower Explosive Limits and Upper Explosive Limits; these give the range of vapor concentration in air which will explode if heat is added. Explosive limits are expressed as percent of vapor in air.
Flammable: Catches on fire easily and burns rapidly.
Flammable Limits: See Explosive Limits.
Flash Point: The lowest temperature at which the vapor of a substance will catch on fire, even momentarily, if heat is applied. Provides an indication of how flammable a substance is. Not to be confused with Ignition Temperature.
Gram (g): The unit of mass in the metric system. An ounce is about 28 grams, and a pound is approximately 450 grams. (A teaspoon of sugar weighs about 8 grams.)
Health Hazard: Anything which can have a harmful effect on health under the conditions in which it is used or produced. There can be both Acute and Chronic health hazards.
Ignition Temperature: The lowest temperature at which a substance will catch on fire and continue to burn. The lower the ignition temperature, the more likely the substance is going to be a fire hazard.
Inflammable: Same as Flammable
Ingestion: Swallowing Kilogram (kg): 1000 grams. One kilogram equals about 2.2 pounds.
LC50: The concentration of a substance in air that causes death in 50% of the animals exposed by inhalation. A measure of acute toxicity.
LD50: The dose that causes death in 50% of the animals exposed by swallowing a substance. A measure of acute toxicity.
Liter (1): The unit of volume in the metric system. A liter is 1.0567 of a quart.
Melting Point: The temperature at which a solid substance melts or becomes liquid.
Meter (m): The unit of length in the metric system. A meter is 39.37 inches (1.1 yards). mg/kg: A way of expressing dose: milligrams (mg) of a substance per kilogram (kg) of body weight. Example: A 100 kg person given 10,000 mg of a substance would be getting a dose of 100 mg/kg (10,000 mg/100kg). mg/m3: A way of expressing the concentration of a substance in air: milligrams (mg) of substance per cubic meter (m3) of air. Milligram (mg): One one-thousandth of a gram.
MSDS: Abbreviation for Material Safety Data Sheets. Contains information on a particular hazardous chemical product.
Mutagenic: Capable of changing cells in such a way that future cell generations are affected. Mutagenic substances are usually considered suspect carcinogens.
NIOSH: Abbreviation for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIOSH does research on occupational safety and health questions and makes recommendations to OSHA.
Occupational Exposure Limits: Maximum allowable concentrations of toxic substances in workroom air to protect workers who are exposed to toxic substances over a working lifetime.
Odor Threshold: The lowest concentration of a substance’s vapor, in air, that can be smelled. Odor thresholds are highly variable depending on the individual who breathes the substance and the nature of the substance.
OSHA: Abbreviation for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. OSHA develops and enforces federal standards for occupational safety and health.
Oxidizer: A material that may cause the ignition of combustible materials without the aid of an external source of ignition or which, when mixed with combustible materials, increases the rate of burning of these materials when the mixtures are ignited.
pH: A measure of how acid or how caustic (basic) a substance is on a scale of 1-14. pH 7 indicates that a substance is neutral; and pH 14 indicates that a substance is very caustic (basic).
Polymerization: A chemical reaction in which individual molecules combine to form a single large chemical molecule (a polymer). Usually involves the release of a lot of energy.
PPM: Parts per million. Generally used to express small concentrations of one substance in a mixture.
Reactivity: The ability of a substance to undergo change, usually by combining with another substance or by breaking down. Certain conditions, such as heat and light, may cause a substance to become more reactive. Highly reactive substances may explode. Routes of Entry: Points through which chemicals can come in contact with the body. These points include the skin, the eyes, the mouth, the nose and the lungs.
Solubility: The amount of a substance that can be dissolved. The most common solvent is water.
Suspect Carcinogen: A substance that might cause cancer in humans or animals but has not been proven to do so.
Temperature: There are two temperature systems used: Centigrade or Celsius, which defines 0 as the melting point of ice and 100 as the boiling point of water and Fahrenheit which defines 32 as the melting point of ice and 212 as the boiling point of water. To covert from one to the other: F=9/5(C+32) C=5/9(F-32).
Teratogenic: Capable of causing birth defects.
Thermal: Involving heat.
TLV: Abbreviation for Threshold Limit Value. The average 8-hour occupational exposure limit. This means that the actual exposure level may sometimes be lower, but the average must not exceed the TLV. TLV’s are calculated to be safe exposures for a working lifetime.
Toxic Substance: Any substance which can cause acute or chronic injury to the human body, or which is suspected of being able to cause disease or injury under some conditions. Many toxic substances are chemicals or chemical mixtures, but there are other kinds of toxic substances such as bacteria and viruses. Vapor: The gas given off by a solid or liquid substance at ordinary temperatures.
Vapor Density: The density of the gas given off by a substance. It is usually compared with air, which has a vapor density set at 1. If the vapor is more dense than air (greater than 1), it will sink to the ground; if it is less dense (less than 1), it will rise.
Viscosity: A relative measure of how slowly a substance pours or flows. Very viscous substances, like molasses, pour very slowly. Slightly viscous substances, like water, pour and splash easily.
Volatility: A measure of how quickly a substance forms a vapor at ordinary temperatures.

Specific Chemical Guidelines

• Never mix any chemicals.
• Always store chemicals in proper containers.
• Always use prescribed cleaning solutions in correct amounts.
• Only use approved chemicals.
• Discard unauthorized chemicals following local disposal laws.
• Material Safety Data Sheets for all chemicals must be available in a readily accessible area and all employees must know where they are and how to use them.
• Do not store chemicals above or next to food.
• Change cleaning solutions as often as needed.
• Use personal protective equipment (PPE) as specified and required.
• Gloves and goggles must be worn when handling chemicals in concentrate form.
• All containers, such as spray bottles, must be properly and accurately labeled.
• Stress importance of immediate first aid and management notification should an accident happen.
• Continual encouragement to work safely and with the proper equipment at all times.
• All chemicals used must be purchased from authorized purveyors and each chemical must be approved by your Region.

Employee Information

During the employee orientation, each new employee should receive the following information:

• Location of the written Hazard Communication program.
• Location of the Material Safety Data Sheets.
• How to read, interpret and use Material Safety Data Sheets.
• How to protect themselves.
• Specific procedures on how to use, store and handle chemicals in the operation.
• The requirement and use of personal protective equipment.
• How to clean up spills should they occur.
• Stress the importance of immediate first aid and management notification of any chemical accident.

Anticipated Questions and Answers

Will this “stuff” (corrosives, toxins, etc.) hurt me?
The purpose of this information is to inform you on how to deal with hazardous materials in a safe fashion. Proper handling and use of any chemical product is important in order to prevent the “stuff” from hurting you.
Are all chemicals toxic?
All substances such as air and food are chemicals, so many chemicals are safe. Most chemical products in our operation are not considered hazardous; however, always read the label on any product in order to be safe.
What are the hazardous chemicals in this operation?
Review the Material Safety Data Sheets list for a complete list of all chemicals used in this operation.
If I feel sick after working with a chemical, whom should I tell?
Inform your supervisor immediately.
If I am injured or get sick, who pays for it?
All work related injuries and illnesses are handled through our worker’s compensation policies and procedures.