What is a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)?
A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is designed to provide both workers and emergency personnel with the proper procedures for handling or working with a particular substance. MSDS's include information such as physical data (melting point, boiling point, flash point etc.), toxicity, health effects, first aid, reactivity, storage, disposal, protective equipment, and spill/leak procedures. These are necessary if a spill or other accident occurs.
Who are MSDS's for?
MSDS's are meant for:
- Employees who may be occupationally exposed to a hazard at work.
- Employers who need to know the proper methods for storage etc.
- Emergency responders such as fire fighters, hazardous material crews, emergency medical technicians, and emergency room personnel.
MSDS's are not meant for consumers. An MSDS reflects the hazards of working with the material in an occupational fashion. For example, an MSDS for lye is not highly pertinent to someone who uses a bar of soap, but is extremely important to someone who works with lye in a confined space 40 hours a week.
MSDS's do not disclose "trade secrets", nor will they outline the ingredients of a formula.
What does an MSDS look like?
The formats of MSDS's vary, but they usually convey the same basic kinds of information. MSDS's vary in length depending on their format, content, and font size.
Where can I get MSDS's?
- Your laboratory or workplace should have a collection of MSDS that came with the hazardous chemicals you have ordered.
- Most universities and businesses have a collection somewhere on site.
- You can get them from the distributor that sold you the material. If you can't find them then contact the manufacturer's customer service department.
MSDS's are available for most BathBodySupply.com products by contacting our customer service department at: sales (at) bathbodysupply (dot) com
Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com
