The Material Safety Data Sheets are important technical documents. There is a need for a MSDS for every hazardous material on the site.
Every worker on the site should know where the MSDS's are located and know how to use them.
There are typically 9 sections to each MSDS. each section gives specific information about the hazardous material. Not all MSDS's look the same, but they all have the same nine information sections.
Section 1 - Product identification and use:
The section identifies the hazardous material by its name and what the product is mainly used for. Furthermore, both the manufacturer and the supplier information is listed.
- Section 2 - Hazardous Ingredients:
This section tells you about each hazardous ingredient in the product and the percent of each ingredient and lists the technical details.
- Section 3 - Physical properties:
This section lists the physical properties of the product. Included in this, is whether the product is a solid, liquid, or gas (in its normal state), what it looks and smells like, how fast it evaporates, its freezing and boiling points.
- Section 4 - Fire and explosion data:
This section gives detailed information about whether the product burns or explodes and what temperature. It also lists the best way to put the fire out. This section identifies how sensitive the product is to impact and if the product can catch fire or explode from static electric sparks.
- Section 5 - Reactivity data:
Reactivity data is information about the chemical properties of the product. This section identifies the product as one that is chemically stable or unstable and lists the substances that must NOT be mixed or put in contact with the product.
- Section 6 - Toxicological properties:
This section tells how the controlled product gets into the body. It also tells you how exposure to the material will affect your health.
- Section 7 - Preventative measures:
This section lists various hazard controls and the PPE that must be used when working with hazardous material. It also tells you how the material must be stored, handled, disposed of, and what to do to clean it up if it leaks or spills.
- Section 8 - First Aid measures:
This section identifies a correct procedure for immediately treating anyone who has been over exposed to the controlled product.
- Section 9 - Preparation date:
This section lists the name, address, and telephone number of the person, group or department that prepared the MSDS and the date it was prepared.