Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) – A safe guide for chemical user

Nowadays, chemicals are among the most crucial input materials for product development and process. Foods, plastic, soap, detergents, textile, plating and many more industries are dependable for chemical inputs to produce their relevant products in the competitive market. However, how safe does the users using the various type of chemicals become an important issue that couldn’t be overlooked. If we look at other countries such as U.S., Japan, Australia and particularly EC countries, the safety and health awareness and demands for safety features in term of how safe the chemical could be used and what shall be done in case of chemical emergency is so great compared to other parts of the world.

In Malaysia, as specified in Classification, Packaging & Labeling Regulation 1997, MSDS shall be supplied by chemical suppliers as part of the requirement. The recent USECHH regulation 2000 also require all the chemical industry users shall have each chemical’s MSDS in hand prior to the usage of the chemical in their workplace.

Therefore, MSDS could be a very useful source of safety and health information that create a safer practice when dealing with chemicals. The purpose of this article is to give a standard idea and references of the content in the MSDS as stipulated in the regulation plus some general contents in MSDS.

What is inside MSDS ?

1) Product Identification

Provide general identification of the chemicals
e.g. Synonyms , CAS No., Molecular Weight, Chemical Formula, Product Codes (if applicable)

2) Composition / Information on Ingredient

Provide the percentage or concentration of the chemical. Some may provide additional hazardous information such as PEL (Permissible Exposure Limit), TLV (Threshold Limit Value) etc. Therefore, the seriousness of the chemicals can be referred.

3) Hazards Identification

Provide the degree of hazard with reference to:
a) Health rating
b) Flammability rating
c) Reactivity rating
d) Contact rating

Additional information may include the potential health effects and symptom through inhalation, ingestion, dermal contact, eye contact, chronic exposure & aggravation of pre-existing conditions (if applicable)

4) First Aid Measures

To provide first aid attention prior to the arrival of physician when accident take place. The piece of information provided may refer to the chemical accident due to:

a) Inhalation
b) Ingestion
c) Dermal Contact
d) Eye Contact

5) Fire Fighting Measures

Provide details on the Flash point, Auto Ignition Temperature, Flammability of the chemical product and Explosion capability information. Additional information may inclusive of the proper methods of using fire extinguishing media (dry chemical, foam, water or carbon dioxide) and type of suitable fire fighting protective clothing used during fire emergency

6) Accidental Release Measures

Provide some essential guideline to deal with for instance how to deal with chemical spillage, ventilation provision, contain and recover liquid when spilled etc.

7) Handling & Storage

Provide detail to conduct, handling and storing at a safer way. These may include:

a) How to protect the chemical?
b) How to store the chemicals (environment factors consideration)?
c) Is it compatible with other chemicals when stored together?
d) How to use it at a safer way?

8) Exposure Controls/ Personal Protection

Provide details how to control the exposure of employees at the workplace when using such chemical, for example:

a) Ventilation system
b) PPE (Respirator, safety goggle, glove, SCBA, apron etc) for skin, eye and other bodily related protection

9) Physical / Chemical Properties

Provide detail of some of properties of chemical, for instance:

a) Appearance (clear, colorless, milky etc)
b) Odor (type of “smell” of product)
c) Solubility (Water soluble, slight solubility etc)
d) pH
e) Boiling point, melting point (OC or F)
f) Vapor density
g) Vapor pressure
h) Evaporation rate

10) Stability & Reactivity

Provide some details on:

a) Stability and reactivity of the chemical (e.g. during storage)
b) Type of hazardous decomposition products (e.g. release of certain gases such as CO2 when heated)
c) Compatibilities with other chemicals (for example acrylic acid is incompatible with strong oxidizing agents)

11) Toxicological Information

This section may refer to the toxicity of the chemical with reference to the LD 50 and LC 50. The lower the value of the LC the more hazardous will be the chemical

12) Ecological Information

Provide some detail on ecological impact of the chemical when it is used or discharged to the air, water or soil. Therefore, the user could take some precautious or probably engineering control when deal with this chemical

13) Disposal Considerations

Applied for the chemical that couldn’t be recycled, saved or recovered and is considered as hazardous waste. (Must comply with local requirements)

14) Transport Information

Provide some detail on the identification during transportation of chemical for both domestic and international purposes

15) Regulatory Information

Provide some details of the regulatory information from different relevant countries. Additional item would be the inclusive of Hazchem Code from Australia

16) Other Information

Provide certain information on for example,

a) NFPA rating in term of health, flammability and reactivity rating.
b) Label hazard warning. (E.g. DANGER! MAY BE FATAL IF SWALLOWED)
c) Label pre-cautious. (E.g. Do not breathe vapor or mist)
d) Label of first aid. (E.g. Do not induce vomiting, give large plenty of water)
e) Product use (if applicable)

The presence of MSDS has definitely help the users to avoid and minimize the potential hazard they could face. However, to do so the supplier of chemicals shall keep on updating the important and crucial information in MSDS so as to validate the actual information within. Employer who uses the chemicals shall provide such details to the employees as they are the people who actually perform the duties.