Material Safety Data Sheet
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The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is a detailed fact sheet summarizing information about a chemical’s hazardous ingredients; health, physical, and fire hazards; emergency procedures and first aid; chemical reactivity and incompatibilities; and spill, leak, and disposal procedures and protective measures required for safe handling and storage. The objective of an MSDS is to concisely inform you about the hazards of the materials you work with so that you can protect yourself and respond to emergency situations.
Online MSDS Resources
- Vermont Safety Information Resources: http://www.hazard.com/
- Sigma Aldrich MSDS Search: http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/united-states.html
- VWR MSDS Search: https://us.vwr.com/
- Airgas MSDS Library: http://www.airgas.com/content/msds.aspx
- MSDS Provider: http://www.msdsprovider.com/
- Chematix: Chematix is the chemical management program used on campus. It provides access to MSDS’s for a number of chemicals. Enter the chemical name or the CAS number on the left part of the home screen (it is not necessary to log in). It will take you directly to the MSDS’s.
What the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) tells you
The MSDS provides you with the information you need to know to protect yourself from exposure to a particular hazardous chemical under normal conditions of use as well as during emergencies.
The information on an MSDS is provided by the manufacturer or distributor of the chemical. You are required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to maintain a copy of the MSDS for the each chemical used and stored in your work area. Regulations do not require a standard format for MSDS information, so one MSDS may look different than another. However, regulations do require that every MSDS be written in English and that they provide the following information:
- Chemical name, trade name, synonyms, and CAS number
- Name, address, and telephone number of the manufacturer
- List of hazardous ingredients
- Exposure limits (OSHA PELs, ACGIH TLVs, or other established limits)
- Conditions under which the chemical will burn, explode, melt, or become a dangerous gas
- Normal appearance and odor of the chemical
- How to put out a fire involving the chemical
- What to do if the chemical leaks or spills
- Primary ways the chemical enters the body
- Known health hazards of the chemical
- Medical conditions that may be aggravated by exposure to the chemical
- How to prevent a dangerous exposure (handling, storage, protective equipment, and disposal)
- Signs and symptoms of exposure to the chemical
- What to do if you are exposed
- When the MSDS was last updated