Hazard information sources material safety data sheets

The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is a detailed information bulletin prepared by the manufacturer or importer of a chemical tliat describes tlie physical and healtli hazards, routes of exposure, precautions for safe handling and use, emergency and first-aid procedures, and control measures. Infonnation on an MSDS aids in tlie selection of safe products and helps prepare employers and employees to respond effectively to daily exposure situations as well as to emergency situations. It is also a source of information for identifying chemical hazards. 

Of these sources, Kirk-Othmer s Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology is particularly recommended for questions on chemistry and on end uses. For information on properties and on toxicity and handling hazards, Patty s Industrial Hygiene, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), and the Aldrich catalog are very nseful. Questions on industrial chemistry should be directed to Ullman s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, and the texts by Chenier, Heaton, and White. Hawley s Condensed Chemical Dictionary is valuable as a source for dehnitions of the terms (language) of chemistry. 

One of the best ways to determine that potential is to examine the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), which by law in most jurisdictions must be provided by the manufacturer for any hazardous material used in the workplace and made available to the employees by plant management. The MSDS provides all the information necessary to determine the hazard potential and the requirements for control of any hazardous substance. Still other information can be found in the various guidelines published by the American Industrial Health Association, or by the U.S. National Safety Council, or by NIOSH (the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) or various other national, state, or provincial government bodies. (See Appendix II for information on sources.) Once you have an inventory, of course, you can start relating potential health problems to possible sources in particular areas. Also, in the process of preparing this report, you will begin to build an invaluable library that will stand you in good stead for further consideration of the problems at hand. 

The handbook provides ready information on the fire and chemical reactivity of commonly used chemicals. Its purpose is to provide basic information important to the safe handling of chemicals and to help provide guidance in responding to a hazardous materials incident, in particular, incidents involving reactive chemicals and materials posing fire and explosion hazards. The data and information on each chemical have been compiled from several sources, including the CHRIS data base, material safety data sheets from chemical manufacturers and suppliers, and various references cited at the end of this first chapter. This first chapter provides an explanation of the terms used in chemical specific discussions and also provides basic guidance on how to extract information from the handbook. 

Terpene chemists use trivial names for most of the compounds because the systematic names are much more complex. Common or trivial names, CAS Registry Numbers, and properties of selected terpenes and terpenoids are listed in Tables 2 and 3. Compounds that exhibit chirality also have other Registry Numbers for specific optical isomers. For commercial products, a material safety data sheet (MSDS), which is required by OSHA, frequendy lists multiple names such as a product name, trivial name, IUPAC name and the TSCA name. The MSDS is a good source of information about physical properties, potential health hazards, and other useful information for the safe handling of the materials. When the product is a mixture, the components and their amounts are usually listed along with their Registry Numbers. 

MSDS Material Safety Data Sheet a (legal) document that must accompany any supplied chemical that provides information on chemical content, physical properties, hazards, and treatment of hazards. The MSDS should be considered only a minimal source of information, and cannot replace additional information available in other, more comprehensive sources. 

It is essential to understand the hazards of chemical products so that they can be used safely. Important sources of information for aromatherapists include guidelines from bodies such as RIFM (Research Institute for Fragrance Materials), IFRA (International Fragrance Association), product labels and MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets). 

An estimate of the toxicity or intrinsic hazard is needed for each material identified in the inventory. Such information for many chemicals in the form of a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) are required by the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard. (Other countries have similar requirements.) Standard hazard-data sources may need to be consulted for those chemical compounds for which no MSDSs are presently available. Adequate hazard data may be lacking for various mixtures that are unique to the plant. For such mixtures, it may be necessary to analyze the contents and then estimate the overall hazard based on the individual components. 

The Safety Officer, after receiving the R D process description, immediately consults the appropriate literature to determine if any hazard exists relative to the toxicity or irritability of a particular product or intermediate. Material Safety Data Sheets, when available, are his prime source of information. In their absence, he consults the supplier of either the material or process for further information. If no information is available, he submits samples for toxicity screening, if it appears warranted. He may arrange testing for irritation, mutagenicity (Ames Test) or other hazards. Once all chemical toxicity information is available, he is responsible for judging its relative severity. He also recommends suitable protective equipment to be used by manufacturing personnel to avoid contact with a potentially hazardous substance. 

A few hydrocarbon derivatives from the alkyl-halide family are 2.2 nonflammable compressed gases. This illustrates the wide range of hazards of the alkyl halides as a group. Some are flammable, some are toxic, and some are nonflammable and nontoxic. They can still act as asphyxiants and displace the oxygen in the air. It is important to remember that the primary hazard of the alkyl halides is toxicity. Some of them are also flammable therefore, all must be assumed to be toxic and flammable until the individual chemical is researched and the actual hazards are determined. It is interesting to note that while the DOT lists tetrafluoromethane as a nonflammable, nonpoisonous gas, the Condensed Chemical Dictionary lists the compound as toxic by inhalation. The NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards does not list the compound. The best source of information about this compound and others may be the MSDS (material safety data sheet). Examples of nonflammable Class 2.2 alkyl halides are tetrafluoromethane and trifluoromethane. 

Common Data Source Approach. Another approach is to use a common source of data for benchmarking a set of chemicals. Examples of potential data sources include Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) from product manufacturers, the Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB), the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), the International Uniform Chemical Information Database (lUClID), the High Rroduction Volume Information System (HRVIS), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Screening Information Dataset (SIDS), and the Canadian Domestic Substances list... 

In order to be able to carry out the hazards analysis, information from sources such as P lDs and material safety data sheet (MSDS) is needed. Much of this information is included in the Knowledge Management program (element 6). 

Selecting the correct combination of antioxidants is specific to the elastomer polymer type as well as the compound formulation and the end use application. It is important to note that many of these materials may be considered toxic or hazardous in nature. Chemical specific Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) should be consulted for safe handling practices. Particular attention should be given to the proper selection and use of personal protective equipment, including proper ventilation and/or the use of respiratory protection. The MSDS will also provide information on how to handle spills and proper disposal procedures. Disposal methods should not be overlooked since these chemicals are all regulated, and hence waste disposal must conform to EPA and local disposal regulations. Refer to Rubber Oxidation. (Source Handbook of Polymer Science and Technology Volume 2 - Performance Properties of Plastics and Elastomers, N. P. Cheremisinoff - editor, Marcel Dekker Inc., New York, 1989). 

Federal law requires that manufactures and distributors of chemicals provide users with Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs), which are designed to provide the information needed to protect users from any hazards that may be associated with the product. MSDSs have become the primary vehicle through which the potential hazards of materials obtained from commercial sources are communicated to the laboratory worker. Institutions are required by law to retain and make readily available to workws the MSDSs provided by chemical suppliers. 

In addition, in response to users of Prudent Practices 1981 who have emphasized the value of the information on how to handle compounds that pose special hazards, the committee has compiled Laboratory Chemical Safety Summaries (Appendix B) that provide chemical and toxicological information for 88 substances commonly found in laboratories. Although most of the information provided for these compounds will maintain its value, data on some properties, especially toxicological ones, should be updated frequently. Accordingly, the most recent Material Safety Data Sheets provided by the manufacturer or other updated sources should be consulted before work is done with hazardous compounds. 

Hazardous chemical identity The identity of the chemicai(s) contained inside the container. The name used may be a common or trade name ( Biack Magic Formuia ), or a chemical name (1,1,1-Trichloroethane). The chemical name is found on not only the label, but also the chemical s material safety data sheet (MSDS) and the company s chemical inventory. Therefore, the chemical identity links these three sources of information. 

If you want to know about the hazards of a chemical, one source is its Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). MSDSs, prepared by chemical suppliers, describe properties and information pertinent to the safety of specific chemicals. In 1980 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) wrote a regulation called the Hazard Communication Standard that required all chemical suppliers provide MSDSs to chemical users." Some of the information found in MSDSs was recorded more than 4000 years ago in hieroglyphs by the Egyptians in their tombs and papyrus records. In today s world you can find MSDSs at many sites on the Internet. When any company or individual purchases a chemical for the first time, many suppliers provide a paper copy of the MSDS with the shipment of that chemical. Alternatively, some may only provide you with access to their electronic database of MSDSs. 

One of the components of Right-to-Know Laws is that employees and students have access to information about the hazards of any chemicals with which they are working. Your instructor will alert you to dangers to which you need to pay particular attention. However, you may want to seek additional information. Two excellent sources of information are labels on the bottles that come from a chemical manufacturer and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs). The MSDSs are also provided by the manufacturer and must be kept available for all chemicals used at educational institutions. 

For air contaminants for which the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has not determined a dose or permissible exposure limit, other sources of information, such as Material Safety Data Sheets that comply with the Hazard Communication Standard, 1926.59, published information, and internal documents can provide guidance in establishing acceptable atmospheric conditions. 

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