Reading and Using
a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
Accordmg to the Hazard Communication Standard of the Occupational Safety
and Health Act of 1970 and its amendments an employer is required to
maintain Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) all products used in their
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production process, and make this information available to the employees. It
is the responsibility of the material manufacturer to provide the MSDSs to the
employer. An MSDS is a usell source of information for employee safety
and health, but can also be a valuable tool for and hazardous waste
" k i t i o n programs.
Contents of an MSDS
Although the format of an MSDS can vary slightly fiom one manufacturer to
the next, all MSDS are required to contain certain information. T i hs
information can be broken down into seven categories:
1. Product Identification
2. Material Compositiodngredients
3. Physical and Chemical Characteristics (including fire and reactivity hazard
information)
4. Health Hazard Information (includes first aid procedures)
5 . Storage and Handling Procedures
6. Protective Clothing and Equipment Recommendations
7. Manufacturer's Information and Date of MSDS Completion
Product Identification
Product Identification includes the product name as it appears on the product
label. Other information may include a copy of the warning label statement and
the Ntoa Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) hazard ratings (zero to four:
ainl
where zero constitutes minimal hazard and four an extreme hazard) for health,
flammability,and reactivity. Health represents the potential for exposure to the
.
material to produce injury 01 sickness. Flammability represents the susceptibility
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of the material to burning. Reactivity indicates the susceptibility of the material to release energy
under certain conditions. NFPA ratings provide a good summarization of the material鈥檚 hazardous
characteristics.
Material Compositionhgredients
This information includes chemical or common names, and the CAS (Chemical Abstract Service)
numbers of the ingredients which may contribute to health or safety hazards.
Physical and Chemical Characteristics
This d o n describes many of the properties of the chemical. Physical and chemical characteristics
include vapor pressure, flashpoint, flammability, and reactivity.
Vapor pressure indicates the rate at which the product evaporates. Lower vapor pressure
e
means a slower rate of evaporation.
Flash point is the lowest temperature at which a material鈥檚 vapors will ignite and burn when
e
exposed to an ignition source.
Flammability of a material can be determined fiom the data provided on the upper and lower
e
flammabilrty lmt. These values are expressed as a percentage of fuel vapors in air. Vapor
iis
concentrationsbelow the lower l i will not have s a c i e n t fuel to ignite, and concentrations
it
m
above the upper limit will be too 鈥榬ich鈥? to ignite.
Reactivity concerns any physical or chemical transformation of the material due to contact
e
with air, water or other materials, or the ability of the material to self-react under certain
environmental conditions. If certain types of reactions are possible, they will be specifically
mentioned by name. Two of these special reactions are oxidation, and corrosion. Oxidizers
are compounds which promote combustion when in contact with flammable materials.
Corrosives are materials which erode or dissolve other materials (this may include bodily
tissues).
Other valuable information that may be presented includes the material鈥檚 vapor density as compared
to air (denser vapors tend to collect and travel at ground level), percent volatiles by volume, and
material appearance and odor.
Health Hazard Information
Health hazard information on the material will include any signs or symptoms of exposure and any
medical conditions which are known to be aggravated by exposure to the material is given here.
primary routes of entry, or how people are commonly exposed to the material (i.e., inhalation, skin
Contact, etc.), are discussed here. Exposure limits for the material or its chemical constituents are
listed. These limits include the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL), the maximum exposure
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allowed by law; and the Threshold Limit Value (TLV), the recommended maximum exposure by the
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. Any information on the material or its
component鈥檚 ability to cause cancer will also be found here. Emergency first aid procedures for
overexposure based on the route of entry should also be included.
Storage and Handling Procedures
This section includes information on any generally applicable precautions for safe storage and use of
the material. These precautions include: storage guidelines, protective measures during repair and
maintenance of equipment involved with the material, and procedures for clean up of spills and leaks.
It is important to note that just because a raw material is not a hazardous material does not mean that
the material remains nonhazardous throughout your production process. For example, hazardous
residues can render a used cleaning solution a hazardous waste. Remember determination of
hazardousness is based on the characteristics of the waste, which may have changed during
production from the characteristics of the virgin material.
Protective Clothing and Equipment Recommendations
Information on general applicable control measures to reduce the risk associated with the material
will be found here. These measures include appropriate engineering controls, work practices, and
personal protective equipment (such as gloves, eye protection, etc.).
Manufacturer鈥檚 Information and Date of MSDS Completion
This section includes the name, address, and telephone number of the material manufacturer. Most
manufacturers have customer service operations which can be an excellent source of additional
information.
Using an MSDS in Your Pollution Prevention Program
The information in an MSDS can help improve your waste reduction and management efforts. In
paxticular, you can use the information on an MSDS to help you (1) select products that generate less
hazardous wastes or emissions; (2) identlfL regulations that certain materials may be subject to; and
(3) ensure that your material and waste management procedures are appropriate for current material
usage. A discussion of each of these follows.
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Selecting the Appropriate, Less Hazardous Materials for Your Company
Substituting hazardous materials with less hazardous ones is not only good for the environment, it鈥檚
good for your bottom line. The waste produced fi-om hazardous materials becomes hazardous waste
with al the special storage, handling and disposal costs mandated by regulation. Hazardous materials
l
in your workplace can be a health and safety risk for your employees, and may be reflected in higher
insurance premiums. Perhaps most importantly, hazardous waste can expose your company to
si@cant long-term financial liabilities if those wastes are determined to have contributed to
environmental damage. In short, using hazardous materials typically adds cost.
Each section of the MSDS can be used to evaluate current materials in use versus possible substitutes.
Specific areas that should be looked at are:
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Product Identification Are any of the products NFPA health, flammability, or reactivity
hazard ratings high? Does the products warning label state danger? ( h sinformation can be
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used as a 鈥榝irst-cut鈥? screen to raise t h g s when reviewing products or comparing alternatives.)
Material Compositiofigredients - Are there ingredients that would define this material as
a hazardous material or hazardous waste?
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Physical and Chemical Characteristics Does this material have a high percent of volatiles?
Does it evaporate rapidly? (This idormation will relate to the material鈥檚 tendency to produce
ar emissions.) How flammable is this material? Is it corrosive or reactive? (This information
i
will idenw special handling required.)
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Health Hazard Information Does this material present a health and safety risk to my
employees?
Storage and Handling Procedures and Protective Clothing and Equipment
Recommendations - Are special (and potentially costly) storage and handling procedures
or equipment needed with this material?
Be aware when comparing MSDSs that not all mandkturers are equivalent in the amount of
information they provide. Many mandacturers go beyond providing the minimum required
information. Don鈥檛 penalize a product because the manufacturer is particularly forthcoming about
product content and precautions. Be suspicious about non-technical 鈥榚nviro-marketing鈥? terms
such as biodegradable, non-toxic, and environmentally-fiiendly. Always review specific data in the
MSDS to determine the validity of such claims. Do not hesitate to call the manufacturer if more
information is needed.
Identieing Hazardous Materials Regulations that Apply to Your Company
b d o u s materials require special tracking, handling, and disposal procedures according to federal
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and state regulations. Which regulations apply to a company depend on the particular materials
present and the quantities stored and disposed of. Information under the Material
Compositiordlngredients and Physical and Chemical Characteristics sections can help you identlfy
which regulations apply to you. Material ingredients listed under Material CompositiodIngredients
should be compared to the listing of substances covered by the particular regulation in question. For
example: reportable air contaminants in Wisconsin are listed in Table 1 of Section NR 438 Wisconsin
Administrative Code; Ar Contaminant Emission Inventory Reporting Requirements. First, compare
i
thislist to the ingredients of the materials used in your facility. Second, if there is a match, then more
detailed information on emission quantities will need to be gathered. If there is no match between
the materials you use and the listed materials, then this particular regulation does not apply to you.
Physical and Chemical Characteristics can also be helpful in identlfylng environmental regulations that
must be complied with. For example under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA) a list of hazardous wastes is provided, but additional wastes may be characterized as hazardous
based on the characteristics of the waste. So a comparison of lists alone is not sufficient. In this case
the waste in question must be evaluated against the four characteristics of hazardous waste in RCRA.
These characteristics are (1) ignitability, (2) corrosivity, (3) reactivity, (4) toxicity. Ignitable substances
can be identified by flash points less than 140 degrees F. Corrosive materials may be labeled directly, or
can%edetected fiom the pH (if given). A pH of 2 or less or 12.5 or more is a corrosive. Reactivity of a
material will be specifically mentioned. Toxicity, as defined by RCRA, cannot be identified directly
fiom the MSDS.
Audit to Improve Your Hazardous Material Storage and Handling Procedures
Proper storage and handling can prevent or minimize the impact of spills and leaks. Spills and leaks can
waste raw materiais, threaten employee health and safety, or contaminate s i or groundwater, al of which
ol l
adds up to unwanted costs. The information in the MSDS represents sound practices for the storage,
handling, and s i l or leak response. A point by point comparison of your procedures against those in the
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MSDS can show you where procedural changes are needed, personnel training required, or modifications
may be necessary.
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For More Information, Contact Your County Extension Agent or SHWEC
County Extension Information
UW-Green Bay
University of Wisconsin
Environmental Science 3 17
2420 Nicolet Drive
Green Bay, WI 5431 1
4141465-2707
Fax: 4141465-2 143
UW-Madison
6 0 Langdon Street, Rm.529
Madmn,WI 53703
608l262-0385
Fax:608l262-6250
161 W WisconSin Ave., S i e 6OOO
ut
M l a k e W 53203-2602
iwue, I
414U27-3160
Fax: 414U27-3165
WV-Stevenr Point
Collegeof Natural R s u c s
eore
University of Wisconsin
Stevens Point, w 54481
715/346-2793
Fa:715/346-3624
SHWEC and UW-Extension provide equal opportunities in employment and programming
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