Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

MSDSs in printed format are available to all employees, at the work site, in the office of the Director of Environmental Health & Safety, and on-line.  

CLICK HERE to access many MSDSs on-line. 

Every manufacturer supplies a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each chemical  it produces.  Each MSDS provides detailed information on the chemical and its hazards.  The MSDSs provide detailed information on the chemical and its hazards.  The MSDS, which may be organized in a variety of formats, is always available to employees during working hours.  Before working with any chemical, study the MSDS to be able to handle it safely and respond appropriately if a problem arises.  To protect yourself, always check the date on the MSDS to make sure you are using the most recent revision.

The MSDS contains information on the specified chemical including:

• It's official name and chemical name

• Manufacturer's name, address and phone number, plus a number to call in an emergency

• A list of hazardous ingredients

• Limits of safe exposure, such as the permissible exposure limit (PEL) and the threshold limit value (TLV)

• Physical characteristics, such as appearance, odor, color, boiling point, melting point, vapor pressure, vapor density, solubility in water and evaporation rate.

• Flash point, or temperature at which it ignites, and how to extinguish a resulting fire.

• Unusual fire or explosion hazards.

• Reactivity level: for example, whether it is stable or unstable and its incompatibility with certain chemicals, atmospheric changes or other conditions.

• The need for personal protective equipment, such as gloves, goggles, impermeable gowns, respirator masks and flow hoods.

• Acute and chronic health hazards, including symptoms of overexposure and medical conditions that may be aggravated by exposure.

• First-aid and emergency procedures that should be taken in the case of exposure.

• Procedures to use in case of a spill or leak, including clean-up technique, personal protective equipment needed and proper waste material disposal.