Material safety Data Sheets
Material Safety Data Sheets
(MSDS)
MSDS are documents describing the known hazards associated with a material, indicating safe handling procedures and recommending responses to accidents and thus are invaluable sources of safety information. They are prepared by the Chemical Suppliers and by UK law must be sent to you if you buy a chemical CHIP (Chemical Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply Regulations 2002) but can be requested even if you are only thinking of buying. If you already have the chemical but the MSDS is lost or the material is so old that none came with it, most manufacturers are happy to fax a relevant MSDS on request. Many even make compilations of their data sheets available free of charge.
Hazard information will typically outline the main hazards of the material followed by fire fighting measures, First Aid measures, accidental release measures, handling and storage precautions, how stable is the material, and what protective clothing to wear, etc.
There may be some description of the physical and chemical properties of the material and also toxicological information, ecological information and advice on disposal.
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