Occupational health and safety laws often deal specifically with chemicals.
A material safety data sheet (MSDS) is the official documentation of the properties of a particular substance recorded in a form for easy viewing. Its purpose is to provide workers, consumers, and security personnel with comprehensive information on potentially hazardous chemicals or components in a particular substance or product. The information contained in the form includes physical data, storage, handling and disposal.
Variations of the MSDS forms can be found in various countries. While the sheet may provide consumers with specific information about a product’s potentially harmful effects or contents, it is primarily designed to be helpful to those who work with a substance or treat those who have been injured by accidental exposure to or misuse of a product. .
Material Safety Data Sheets are widely used and make the cataloging of chemical information easier and more efficient. Any workplace that uses a chemical-based product must have MSDS information accessible to its employees. Similarly, any product containing potentially hazardous chemicals must be labeled with an appropriate warning symbol and the product must be referenceable in the MSDS for specific handling and exposure information.
Each country that uses these forms has a specific organization in charge of enforcing the formats and contents of MSDS, as well as the regulations imposed on manufacturers and employers. In the United States, the mandatory organization is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In Canada, the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) sets the regulations.
Although the formats of the sheets vary, the information they contain is fairly consistent. While industrial and commercial companies take full advantage of MSDS forms, consumers can request one for any chemical they purchase. The information can be obtained from the distributor or the manufacturer. Also, anyone who does work on a house that requires the use of chemicals, whether it be landscaping or extermination, can provide the homeowner with an MSDS for any product that he may use.