Material safety data sheets defined

Safety policies and procedures are documented, and Material Safety Data Sheets are provided for all chemicals used in the laboratory. In addition, a chemical hygiene plan that defines the safety procedures for all hazardous chemicals is written in detail. All laboratory personnel must review these policies on an annual basis. 

Often safety data or material safety data sheets mention the thermal stability as an intrinsic property of a substance or mixture. In fact, this is an oversimplification of a concept that must be defined in a more comprehensive way. Basically, a substance or a mixture is thermally stable in a situation where the heat released can be removed in such a way that no temperature increase occurs. This definition... 

The manufacture or import of surfactants into the US results in worker exposure to these chemicals. OSHA hazard communication requirements were promulgated to protect workers and are specified in Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1900. They define the testing conditions under which a surfactant is deemed to be hazardous which then trigger the requirement for a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). It must be freely available for inspection by workers. Although OSHA requires MSDS documents only for hazardous materials, practically all chemicals in commerce have MSDS papers prepared by chemical producers. 

Major elements of a CHP plan include listing of responsibilities for employers, employees, and a chemical hygiene officer. Also among the items that have to be covered in the plan is the stipulation that every laboratory must have a complete chemical inventory that is updated annually. A copy of the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), which defines each chemical as toxic, carcinogenic, or dangerous, must be on file and readily accessible and available to aU employees 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The MSDS contains important information for the benefit of laboratory employees. The chemical manufacturer s information as supplied on the MSDS is used to ascertain whether a certain chemical is hazardous. Each MSDS must give the product s... 

Health hazards are defined as those chemicals for which there is scientific evidence demonstrating that acute or chronic health effects may occur if employees are exposed to that chemical. A significant amount of the hazards in the processing industry are of the chemical type. For chemical health hazards, the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is the process employee s best friend for information about a chemical. Like physical hazards, there are a variety of health hazards, some of which have been mentioned in the previous chapter. 

For some chemicals, the material safety data sheet Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) show a short-term exposure limit (STEL) value. STEL is defined as the 15-minute average that should not be exceeded even if the average value for an eight-hour day is below the PEL. STEL values are related to short term effects while PEL values apply to chronic exposures. The following are some definitions used by OSHA ... 

The hazardous material identification requirements applied to SNL/NM facilities are defined in the SNL ES H Manual, Chapter 6, Sections D and E, Hazard Communication Standard and Laboratory Standard, respectively (SNL 1998). These standards address the labeling of hazardous chemicals and the availability of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs). HCF activities will follow the Hazard Communication Standard (for isotope processing operations) and the Laboratory Standard (most other activities). The requirements within these standards vary slightly, however, both require appropriate hazards labeling and the availability of MSDSs. 

Hazardous and toxic substances can be defined as those chemicals present in the workplace that are capable of causing harm (see Figure 23.6). In this definition, the term chemicals includes dusts, mixtures, and common materials such as paints, fuels, and solvents. OSHA currently regulates exposure to approximately 400 substances. The OSHA Chemical Sampling Information file contains a listing for approximately 1,500 substances. The EPA s Toxic Substance Chemical Act Chemical Substances Inventory lists information on more than 62,000 chemicals or chemical substances. Some libraries maintain files of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) for more than 100,000 substances. It is not possible at this time to address or regulate the hazards associated with each of these chemicals that can potentially be found in the workplace. 

The material safety data sheets issued for different countries do not follow a uniform pattern but they do conform broadly to the European standard material safety data sheet as defined in EC Directive 91/155/EEC. This document contains sixteen sections. 

Misuse of various chemicals including industrial pesticides, toxic substances, and chemical warfare agents (CWAs) requires adequate personal protective equipment and immediate skin decontamination [151]. Since the time of World War 11, scientists have made a concerted effort to improve prophylactic and therapeutic interventions to counteract cutaneous exposure to CWAs [147]. To curtail dermal systemic exposure to environmental contaminants, most material safety data sheets (MSDSs) recommend either water rinsing or soap-and-water decontamination to remove chemicals from the skin surface [152, 153]. However, it is vital that the skin be washed in such a way that does not elicit the wash-in (W-I) effect [154], The W-1 effect is defined as an enhancement of percutaneous absorption elicited specifically by skin decontamination, particularly with water. It simply means that as some chemical contaminants are washed off the skin, the chemical substance may also wash into the skin and thus become more systemically bioavailable. 

Preview This section presents a brief overview of the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) for defining and communicating hazard information and protective measures related to the physical, health, and environmental risks of chemicals through product labels material safety data sheets (MSDSs), and safety data sheets (SDSs). 

Observers may refer to written job procedures, task hazard evaluations, material safety data sheets, or other employees to help define the specific safety practices appropriate for the tasks being performed during their scheduled observations. 

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are an excellent reference for information on the corrosiveness of chemicals you may have in your workplace and are a required part of a facility s Hazard Communication Program as defined by 29 CFR 1910.1200. The health hazard section of the MSDS should indicate the chemical s properties and if that chemical could cause burns to the skin, corneal damage to the eyes, blindness or other eye damage. The first aid sec-... 

Table 6 Contents of European standard material safety data sheet, as defined by EC Directive 91/155/EEC.

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