Chemical manufacturers and importers shall obtain or develop a material safety data sheet for each hazardous chemical they produce or import. Employers shall have a material safety data sheet in the workplace for each hazardous chemical which they use.
Each material safety data sheet shall be in English although the employer may maintain copies in other languages as well , and shall contain at least the following information:. The identity used on the label, and, except as provided for in paragraph i of this section on trade secrets:. If the hazardous chemical is a mixture which has been tested as a whole to determine its hazards, the chemical and common name s of the ingredients which contribute to these known hazards, and the common name s of the mixture itself; or,.
The chemical and common name s of all ingredients which have been determined to present a physical hazard when present in the mixture;. Physical and chemical characteristics of the hazardous chemical such as vapor pressure, flash point ;.
The physical hazards of the hazardous chemical, including the potential for fire, explosion, and reactivity;. The health hazards of the hazardous chemical, including signs and symptoms of exposure, and any medical conditions which are generally recognized as being aggravated by exposure to the chemical;.
The OSHA permissible exposure limit, ACGIH Threshold Limit Value, and any other exposure limit used or recommended by the chemical manufacturer, importer, or employer preparing the material safety data sheet, where available;.
Any generally applicable precautions for safe handling and use which are known to the chemical manufacturer, importer or employer preparing the material safety data sheet, including appropriate hygienic practices, protective measures during repair and maintenance of contaminated equipment, and procedures for clean-up of spills and leaks;. Any generally applicable control measures which are known to the chemical manufacturer, importer or employer preparing the material safety data sheet, such as appropriate engineering controls, work practices, or personal protective equipment;.
The date of preparation of the material safety data sheet or the last change to it; and,. The name, address and telephone number of the chemical manufacturer, importer, employer or other responsible party preparing or distributing the material safety data sheet, who can provide additional information on the hazardous chemical and appropriate emergency procedures, if necessary. If no relevant information is found for any given category on the material safety data sheet, the chemical manufacturer, importer or employer preparing the material safety data sheet shall mark it to indicate that no applicable information was found.
Where complex mixtures have similar hazards and contents i. The chemical manufacturer, importer or employer preparing the material safety data sheet shall ensure that the information recorded accurately reflects the scientific evidence used in making the hazard determination. If the chemical manufacturer, importer or employer preparing the material safety data sheet becomes newly aware of any significant information regarding the hazards of a chemical, or ways to protect against the hazards, this new information shall be added to the material safety data sheet within three months.
If the chemical is not currently being produced or imported the chemical manufacturer or importer shall add the information to the material safety data sheet before the chemical is introduced into the workplace again. Chemical manufacturers or importers shall ensure that distributors and employers are provided an appropriate material safety data sheet with their initial shipment, and with the first shipment after a material safety data sheet is updated;.
The chemical manufacturer or importer shall either provide material safety data sheets with the shipped containers or send them to the distributor or employer prior to or at the time of the shipment;. If the material safety data sheet is not provided with a shipment that has been labeled as a hazardous chemical, the distributor or employer shall obtain one from the chemical manufacturer or importer as soon as possible; and,. The chemical manufacturer or importer shall also provide distributors or employers with a material safety data sheet upon request.
Distributors shall ensure that material safety data sheets, and updated information, are provided to other distributors and employers with their initial shipment and with the first shipment after a material safety data sheet is updated;. The distributor shall either provide material safety data sheets with the shipped containers, or send them to the other distributor or employer prior to or at the time of the shipment;.
In addition, the Downstream Users of Chemicals Coordination Group — a European association representing downstream industries, including aerosols, paints, adhesives, photographic and construction chemicals, and chemical distributors — provides voluntary guidelines that attempt to clarify critical definitions, including the difference between major and minor changes to an MSDS, and establish industry standards for notification to downstream users.
Compliance with right-to-know and product stewardship standards can be a rigorous, time-consuming process. Many enterprise companies support their compliance program with MSDS-authoring solutions that help streamline the process of addressing compliance under multiple right-to-know regulations.
Automated authoring systems also offer the capability to link software applications that automatically distribute MSDS changes to customers as needed. The days are gone when homegrown systems, spreadsheets or manual processes, supported by administrative resources, can adequately address MSDS compliance. A patchwork of systems and manual processes can leave a business exposed to considerable risk and costs because they cannot handle the complex reporting requirements or support the rapid pace of change in the global regulatory landscape.
The best way for a downstream manufacturer to ensure effective MSDS compliance is to:. Editor's Note: This article represents the independent views of the author and should not be construed as a National Safety Council endorsement. Please stay on topic. In both cases this is putting the responsibility on the supplier. Does this relieve you from the responsibility? This also means that you know the content of the safety data sheet and you know how to defend it.
The key part that is most commonly overlooked, is that it is only a useful and appropriate source of information. Nothing else. Therefore, if you translated the safety data sheet, you remain responsible for its contents. However, there is a danger, that you unintentionally included errors in the translation of the SDS, which may have existed in the previous safety data sheet.
Before handing it out, the content of each safety data sheet should thus be verified to review it and ask for any possible explanations up the chain. This is because the content of the safety data sheet is only a source of information.
And your duty is to verify it. In the case that an error is detected, it must be eliminated. Only this way can you make sure you have done everything required from you by the legislation.
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