What is a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)?
A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is an information sheet that lists the hazards, and safety and emergency measures related to specific products. An MSDS is required for certain industrial products used in the workplace like paint, caulking and cleaners. An MSDS is not required for consumer products, but may be available.
What is the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)?
The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is legislation that states the following:
A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) must be provided to commercial users.
A hazard label must be attached to commercial products used in the workplace that contain substances above the pre-set limits controlled by WHMIS.
Workers using WHMIS-controlled products must receive training.
Why would I use an MSDS?
You may want to know if there are chemicals in consumer products that can cause adverse health effects such as allergies or asthma. This information may be helpful if you are interested in preventing exposure to chemicals from new products or in finding out if existing products may be causing symptoms.
This guide describes Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and other resources you can use to get related information.
Where Can I Get an MSDS?
Suppliers are not required to provide you with an MSDS. However, you can ask them if they have one for a commercial product that is similar to your purchase. You may also obtain an MSDS from a data bank such as The Canadian Centre For Occupational Health and Safety.
The MSDS for many products are available online.
In an emergency situation your doctor can request an MSDS. If the product is required to have one, the supplier is obligated to provide it to the doctor.
Where Can I Get More Information?
Some product labels include a full list of ingredients. Some suppliers will provide a full list if you request it. You can also ask the supplier's chemist for more information, including a list of additional ingredients.
Are All Ingredients Included?
No. Only specific hazardous chemicals are required on an MSDS. Thus, perfume or a chemical odorant that may not be considered hazardous may not show up in the MSDS. Manufacturers do not disclose information they consider proprietary. Such information may relate to the chemical composition.
The MSDS lists each required substance that makes up more than 1 per cent of the product. However, if the chemical causes cancer, respiratory sensitization, or reproductive effects, then it must be listed if it makes up more than 0.1 per cent.
How Much of a Chemical is a Problem?
It is important to consider several factors to determine if you should be concerned. For example, the quantity, toxicity and other effects, and the potential exposures of each chemical are important to think about. It is also important to know that most of the information on an MSDS relates to exposure to one chemical at a time. The information does not reflect exposure to the complex mixtures of chemicals found in a typical home. Also, most of the information on an MSDS was developed in relation to adult male exposures. Therefore, it may have little or no relevance to children, women or elevated risk populations.
Technical Terms
This guide uses simple language for convenience. You may need a chemical and a medical dictionary in order to understand a real MSDS. Listed below are some definitions of terms you may find on an MSDS.
Carcinogen: causes cancer
Hormonal: some chemicals act like hormones
Reproductive toxin: damages the male or female sex organs, sperm or eggs
Sensitization: a body response which makes you react to a smaller amount than before
Teratogen: causes developmental abnormalities to the fetus (unborn child)
Toxin/toxic: poison/poisonous
Guides to Reading an MSDS
Several organizations publish guides that are designed to help you understand an MSDS. Listed below are some examples.
The Industrial Accident Prevention Association (IAPA)
A Users Guide to MSDS
This is one of the easiest guides to read. It includes many good pictures to describe technical ideas.
The Canadian Centre For Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)
Material Safety Data Sheet -- A Basic Guide for Users
Material Safety Data Sheet -- An Explanation of Common Terms;
A Typical MSDS
A faxed copy of an MSDS is often hard to read. It is best to get a copy from the Internet or have one mailed to you.
You may receive a nine-section MSDS as required in Canada, or a sixteen-section MSDS as required elsewhere. The information required, and where it is located in the document, is different on a nineand sixteen-section MSDS. Suppliers develop their own MSDS's. Therefore, MSDS's may contain different information for the same product, chemical and section.
Very little data exists for some chemicals. However, the absence of health and environmental effects does not mean that there are none. It means either that there is no data on the chemical, or that the supplier did not feel it was important to include the chemical in the MSDS.
A Canadian MSDS would have the following nine sections.
A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is an information sheet that lists the hazards, and safety and emergency measures related to specific products. An MSDS is required for certain industrial products used in the workplace like paint, caulking and cleaners. An MSDS is not required for consumer products, but may be available.
What is the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)?
The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is legislation that states the following:
A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) must be provided to commercial users.
A hazard label must be attached to commercial products used in the workplace that contain substances above the pre-set limits controlled by WHMIS.
Workers using WHMIS-controlled products must receive training.
Why would I use an MSDS?
You may want to know if there are chemicals in consumer products that can cause adverse health effects such as allergies or asthma. This information may be helpful if you are interested in preventing exposure to chemicals from new products or in finding out if existing products may be causing symptoms.
This guide describes Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and other resources you can use to get related information.
Where Can I Get an MSDS?
Suppliers are not required to provide you with an MSDS. However, you can ask them if they have one for a commercial product that is similar to your purchase. You may also obtain an MSDS from a data bank such as The Canadian Centre For Occupational Health and Safety.
The MSDS for many products are available online.
In an emergency situation your doctor can request an MSDS. If the product is required to have one, the supplier is obligated to provide it to the doctor.
Where Can I Get More Information?
Some product labels include a full list of ingredients. Some suppliers will provide a full list if you request it. You can also ask the supplier's chemist for more information, including a list of additional ingredients.
Are All Ingredients Included?
No. Only specific hazardous chemicals are required on an MSDS. Thus, perfume or a chemical odorant that may not be considered hazardous may not show up in the MSDS. Manufacturers do not disclose information they consider proprietary. Such information may relate to the chemical composition.
The MSDS lists each required substance that makes up more than 1 per cent of the product. However, if the chemical causes cancer, respiratory sensitization, or reproductive effects, then it must be listed if it makes up more than 0.1 per cent.
How Much of a Chemical is a Problem?
It is important to consider several factors to determine if you should be concerned. For example, the quantity, toxicity and other effects, and the potential exposures of each chemical are important to think about. It is also important to know that most of the information on an MSDS relates to exposure to one chemical at a time. The information does not reflect exposure to the complex mixtures of chemicals found in a typical home. Also, most of the information on an MSDS was developed in relation to adult male exposures. Therefore, it may have little or no relevance to children, women or elevated risk populations.
Technical Terms
This guide uses simple language for convenience. You may need a chemical and a medical dictionary in order to understand a real MSDS. Listed below are some definitions of terms you may find on an MSDS.
Carcinogen: causes cancer
Hormonal: some chemicals act like hormones
Reproductive toxin: damages the male or female sex organs, sperm or eggs
Sensitization: a body response which makes you react to a smaller amount than before
Teratogen: causes developmental abnormalities to the fetus (unborn child)
Toxin/toxic: poison/poisonous
Guides to Reading an MSDS
Several organizations publish guides that are designed to help you understand an MSDS. Listed below are some examples.
The Industrial Accident Prevention Association (IAPA)
A Users Guide to MSDS
This is one of the easiest guides to read. It includes many good pictures to describe technical ideas.
The Canadian Centre For Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)
Material Safety Data Sheet -- A Basic Guide for Users
Material Safety Data Sheet -- An Explanation of Common Terms;
A Typical MSDS
A faxed copy of an MSDS is often hard to read. It is best to get a copy from the Internet or have one mailed to you.
You may receive a nine-section MSDS as required in Canada, or a sixteen-section MSDS as required elsewhere. The information required, and where it is located in the document, is different on a nineand sixteen-section MSDS. Suppliers develop their own MSDS's. Therefore, MSDS's may contain different information for the same product, chemical and section.
Very little data exists for some chemicals. However, the absence of health and environmental effects does not mean that there are none. It means either that there is no data on the chemical, or that the supplier did not feel it was important to include the chemical in the MSDS.
A Canadian MSDS would have the following nine sections.