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Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

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The law requires the chemical manufacturer to send Material Safety Data Sheets, or MSDS along with the chemicals.

The MSDS must not have any blank spaces. If there is no information for a section, the space must say unknown or not applicable (N/A).

Workers have the right to review the MSDS. Right-to-know laws require that workers have access to an MSDS for each hazardous chemical in their work area during their shift! For example, an MSDS cannot be kept in a day-shift supervisor’s office if the office is locked and workers on the evening or night shift cannot get the sheets.

 

Information required on material safety data sheets

An MSDS does not have to be on a specific form. However, Right-to-Know laws require that an MSDS contain certain types of information.

Section 1. Product identity

  • The name of the chemical on the MSDS must match the name on the label. 

  • The name and location of the manufacturer and when the MSDS was produced.

Section 2. Hazardous ingredients and exposure limits

Products are usually a mixture of different chemicals. Many chemical products contain water or other substances that are not dangerous. These do not have to be listed on the MSDS.

  • The MSDS must list all the chemicals that can cause harm. 

  • The MSDS must include legal and recom-mended exposure limits.

 

Permissible exposure limits (PELs)

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has rules to limit workers’ exposure to hundreds of chemicals. These limits are called Permissible Exposure Limits, or PELs. These are the exposure levels that OSHA can legally enforce. In other words, these are the exposure limits that are allowed (permissible).

The amount of a chemical a person is exposed to is usually measured in parts per million, or ppm. For every 1 million parts (molecules) of air, there can be a certain number of parts of a chemical. For example, the permissible exposure limit for carbon monoxide is 50 parts per million. There can be up to 50 molecules of carbon monoxide in every million molecules of air that a worker breathes.

The amount of exposure allowed also depends on how long a worker is exposed to a chemical. PELs are figured on an exposure for a full 8-hour shift. This is called an 8-hour Time-Weighted-Average, or TWA. For example, the permissible exposure level for carbon monoxide is 50 parts per million averaged over an 8-hour day. This means a worker could be exposed to 400 parts per million of carbon monoxide on one shift (50 parts per million x 8 hours).

 

Short-term exposure limits (STELs) and ceiling limits

Some chemicals are so dangerous that the exposure limits cannot be averaged over a full shift. Instead, the short-term exposure limits are based on 15- or 30- minute periods.

Other chemicals, like carbon monoxide, have ceiling limits. The ceiling limit for carbon monoxide is 200 parts per million. This means that a worker can not be exposed to over 200 parts per million at any time.

 

Legal does not mean safe!!!

A legal exposure to a chemical does not mean that workers will not get sick. Some workers are very sensitive to certain chemicals and may get ill at exposures well below the PEL. For chemicals that cause cancer, there is no level of exposure that is known to be totally safe for everyone. 
 

Recommended exposure limits

Other organizations provide guidance on limiting exposure to chemicals. These may differ from OSHA’s limits. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is a government agency that does research on job hazards. NIOSH has a list of Recommended Exposure Limits, or RELs. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists’ (ACGIH) limits are called Threshold Limit Values, or TLVs.

Section 3. Chemical Characteristics

  • The temperature a chemical evaporates into the air (boiling point). 

  • Whether a chemical vapor will rise or sink in the air (vapor density). 

Section 4. Fire and explosion information

The way to safely put out a fire if the chemical ignites.

  • If there are any unusual fire or explosion hazards. 

  • The lowest temperature at which a chemical vapor will light on fire (flashpoint). 

  • The amount of a chemical vapor that must be in the air to burn (lower explosive or flammable limit and the upper explosive or flammable limit).

Section 5. Reactivity

  • Whether a chemical is stable and what conditions to avoid.

  • Other chemicals or materials to avoid mixing together.

Section 6. Health effects

  • The way a chemical enters the body (breathing, swallowing, skin absorption).

  • The immediate and long-term health effects that might occur.

  • Whether the chemical causes cancer or birth defects.

Section 7. Handling and storing instructions

  • What to do in case of a spill. 

  • How to safely store and dispose of the chemical.

Section 8. Preventing exposure (control measures)

  • The type of ventilation that is needed to work with the chemical. 

  • The type of respirator, glove or other equipment to use when working with the chemical.

 

Training

Workers must receive training on the chemicals they use or work around. The training must include:

  • the health hazards caused by the chemical; 

  • how to handle and store chemicals; 

  • how employees can protect themselves from exposure to chemicals; and 

  • employees’ rights and employers' duties under the law — such as where to find the MSDS in the workplace and how to read them.

 

Other ways to find out if workers are exposed to chemicals

Not all chemicals come in a labeled container or with an MSDS. There are a number of ways to find out what dangerous chemicals are in your workplace.

 

Personal sampling pump

Figure 1

 

Monitoring a manhole
Figure 2

Air monitoring

Area sampling measures what is in the air in an area. For example, when a cafeteria is sealed in plastic for asbestos removal, samples are taken within the room to see how much asbestos is in that area.

Personal sampling measures a worker’s exposure to a chemical. The air that is tested is taken close to the worker’s nose and mouth (breathing zone). A personal sampling device is shown in Figure 1.

Confined space monitoring must be done before entry. Workers must know if there are hazards in the air before they do their jobs. For example, there can be deadly gases in manholes or other confined spaces. Before a worker enters the space, the air must be tested to make sure there is enough oxygen to breathe and there are no chemical hazards. See Figure 2.

NOTE: OSHA gives employees the right to observe monitoring to determine that it was done at the correct time and under the correct conditions.

 

 

Bulk and wipe samples

A bulk sample is a test to see if a material contains a dangerous substance. For example, building materials such as pipe insulation, flooring or fireproofing should be tested to see if they contain asbestos. A wipe sample is a test to find out if dust contains lead, asbestos or other dangerous particles.

 

Biological Monitoring

There are tests to find out if chemicals have entered and have been stored in workers' bodies. For example, blood tests are used to measure exposure to lead. Chest X-rays can show exposure to asbestos or silica. 

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