MSDSs exposure

Anorexia Anorexia is loss of appetite. You may be familiar with the eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, in which the victim restricts dietary intake to starvation levels. Anorexia may be a symptom of acute or chronic exposure to certain chemicals. If you have suffered an unexplained loss of appetite in conjunction with other unusual symptoms, you may want to explore the MSDSs for chemicals that... 

The HCS, also known as the Employee Right-to-Know Law, is basically concerned with the exposure of workers to hazardous chemicals in the workplace. Under this standard, since 1986, all manufacturers, importers, and distributors of hazardous chemicals have had to label the containers they ship, listing the ingredients and hazards of the material in the containers, and provide Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) to all downstream users, handlers, and storers of these chemicals. 

Generally, workplace exposures to chemical substances are considered to be at higher levels than for public exposures. Material safety data sheets (MSDSs) should always contain an indication of carcinogenic potential. The Report on Carcinogens (RoC) is an informational scientific and public health document first ordered by the U.S. Congress in 1978. This report has identified agents, substances, mixtures, or exposure circumstances that may pose a hazard to human health by virtue of their carcinogenicity. 

Handling, Storage, and Precautions should only be handled in a well ventilated fume hood because of its low permissible exposure limit of 2 ppm and reports of allergic skin reactions and lung, liver, and kidney damage. MSDSs are available from the two principal manufacturers (Dow and Shell). The material is not moisture or air sensitive. 

Three-video set. Routes of exposure, physical and health hazards, controlling hazards, personal protective equipment, MSDSs, labels, inventories, and emergency procedures. 

Hazard communication for nonmanufacturers. Chemical routes of entry, labels, physical and health hazards, exposure signs and symptoms, emergency response procedures, chemical safety off the job, and MSDSs. 

MSDSs, Threshold Limit Value, Permissible Exposure Limit, flash point, and vapor density. 

CFR1910.1020 4.2.3 Access to Employee E qiosure and Medical Records. Authorizes employee access to MSDSs or to a chemical inventory or any other record that may reveal the identity of toxic substances or harmful physical agents and where and when they were used in order to give employees some idea of their potential chemical exposures. 

Section 4.2 consolidates the requirements specific to chemical laboratory workers such as the location, availability and details of the employer s Chemical Hygiene Plan permissible exposure limits signs and symptoms of exposures and the availability and location of chemical information sources and reference materials, e.g., MSDSs. 

MSDSs are perhaps the most important documents in a HAZCOM program. They provide specific, detailed information about the hazards of chemicals and immediate action to take in the event of exposure to the chemical. All manufacturers and importers must obtain or develop a MSDS for each hazardous chemical they produce or import. A distributor who blends or mixes chemicals is considered to be a manufacturer. 

The chemical and physical hazards of the chemicals in the workplace. This is almost the same as the basic information on PELs and MSDSs hsted in the previous section. Those requirements basically defined limits of exposure and the sources of data. This requirement provides that the employees be given chemically specific hazard information on the chemicals in their work area. It is most important that the chemicals in actual use are the principal ones for which this information is provided. However, generic hazard information by class for chemicals present but not in use should be provided as well. There is always the potential for an accident involving chemicals not in current use. The employees must be informed that they are not to deface or remove the labels on commercial containers of chemicals, since they represent a primary source of information. It is not required by the standard, but following the requirement from the Hazard Communication Standard 29 CFR 1910.1200, that secondary containers intended for use beyond a single work shift should be labeled, it is highly recommended that this be required. 

There are a number of known carcinogenic materials, and the list is growing as the necessary studies of suspected carcinogens are completed. It is recommended that purchases of these be limited and exposures minimized as much as possible to promote the safety of everyone exposed to the materials and in consideration of potential future regulatory restrictions. As discussed in Section 4.III.C, for the purpose of the MSDSs, a listing as a carcinogen by either the NTP, or the lARC is sufficient to be considered as one for the... 

Name of supplier (with address and phone number) and date MSDS was prepared or revised. Toxicity data and exposure limits sometimes undo-go revision, and for this reason MSDSs should be reviewed periodically to check that they contain up-to-date information. Phone numbers are provided so that, if necessary, users can contact the suppher to obtain additional information on hazards and emergency procedures. 

Toxicity data. OSHA and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) exposure limits (as discussed below in section 3.C) are hsted. Many MSDSs provide lengthy and conprehensive compilations of toxicity data and even refoences to apphcable fedraal standards and regulations. 

Health hazards. Acute and chronic health hazards are hsted, togetha- with the signs and symptoms of exposure. The primary routes of entry of the substance into the body must also be described. In addition, potential carcinogens are explicitly identified. In some MSDSs, this list of toxic effects is quite lengthy and may include every possible harmful effect the substance can have under the conditions of every conceivable use. 

Toxicity data LD50 and LC50 values can be found in MSDSs and other sources listed in Chapter 3. Exposure limits are included in MSDSs and are listed in the ACGIH Threshold Limit Value booklet, which is updated annually. 

In addition to the Laboratory Standard, the Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) applies to all nonlaboratory businesses or operations "where chemicals are either used, distributed, or produced" and is more stringent than the Laboratory Standard in some respects. Other OSHA standards concerning level of exposure apply to hundreds of chemicals and are included in the LCSSs prepared for this report and in many MSDSs. 

MSDSs can also be a primary source of informaAon for emergency responders—especially Are departments and medical emergency personnel, such as doctors. Many facilities try to have hard copies of these documents on hand to give to emergency responders in the event of a spill that requires outside assistance or an exposure injury requiring ttained medical care. 

Information. Provides general procedures for first aid treatment in the event of exposure, usually by route of exposure. Some MSDSs may give more information for medical treatment by physicians. 

Data used in assessing the toxicity of chemicals comes from past experience, in part from actual human exposures in workplaces, from unintentional and intentional poisonings, but principally from animal testing. These data are sometimes found in MSDSs (or SDSs) and labels, but we have previously cautioned (in Sections 3.1.3 and 3.2.3) that the data in MSDSs may not always be reUable and we suggest that the best and most authoritative sources be used for toxicity data as described in Section 3.2.2. 

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