If you use hazardous chemicals at your workplace, knowing what is in the material safety data sheet (MSDS) can save your life—or the lives of your employees. That's why Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) regulations require employers-to provide MSDSs. This lesson focuses on the information contained in the MSDS and, more importantly, will explain what it means.

Ask the group to help you identify, and then discuss what information can be found in a MSDS. Make sure the group is aware that OSHA does not require a standardized MSDS form. Use the list below as a guide. Record any other items employees suggest.

Information found in MSDSs, include:

• Material identity—Chemical, common or brand names;
• Hazardous ingredients;
• Physical and chemical characteristics;
• Firefighting measures;
• Health hazards—Toxic effects, burns, irritations, etc.;
• Exposure data—Routes and safe limits of exposure, usually listed in parts per million or milligrams per cubic meter;
• Safe handling instructions and applicable control methods; Emergency and first aid;
• Stability and reactivity—How stable the material is, how it may react to other substances or conditions;
• Transportation and disposal—Safe methods of transport and disposal according to federal, state and local laws;
• The name, address and telephone number of the manufacturer or person who can provide additional information.

• Action level—The exposure level that triggers OSHA regulations to take effect.
• Acute effects—Adverse health effects that occur immediately following an exposure.
• Bonding—The connection of two objects with clamps and wire to equalize the electrical potential between them.
• Ceiling limit—The exposure limit for a hazardous material (established by OSHA) which you should not exceed.
• Chronic effects—Adverse health effects which develop slowly over time and persist or recur frequently.
• Exposure limit (eight hours)—The maximum exposure an average person may have in an eight-hour period without harmful effects.
• Fire diamond—National Fire Protection association (NFPA) labeling system provides hazard information for a material. Numbers 0 - 4 denote level of hazard: 0 is low hazard, 4 is high hazard.
• BLUE = Health hazards
• RED = Flammability
• YELLOW = Reactivity
• WHITE = Other special hazards
• Flash point—The lowest temperature that a flammable liquid gives off enough vapor to ignite.
• Fume—An airborne dispersion of tiny solid particles given off when a metal is heated.
• High efficiency particulate air filter—A filter that can remove 99.97 percent of particles as small as 0.03 microns.
• Immediately dangerous to life and health—A hazardous condition which could cause serious injury or death within 30 minutes.
• Lower Explosive Limit—The lowest concentration of flammable gas or vapor (percent in air) that will burn or explode if an ignition source is present.
• Short-term Exposure Limit—Up to 15 minutes exposure limit; should not occur more than four times in one day.