Hazard Communication - MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS

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What Information Can I Find in a MSDS?

Material Safety Data Sheets are divided into sections. Each section contains both general and specific information. The sections and information you find in a Material Safety Data Sheet include:

Identification - This section lists the chemical name, manufacturer, common synonyms, and emergency contact information.

Composition - This section lists any hazardous ingredients contained in the product, however it will not list all the ingredients. Chemical manufacturers are not asked to disclose proprietary information or "trade secrets" in their Material Safety Data Sheets. Manufacturers and are only required to list the hazardous ingredients (which is what we're interested in). The word "NONE" often appears in this section to indicate the chemical does not contain any hazardous ingredients.

Physical Data - This section contains a physical description of the chemical including physical state, specific gravity, odor and appearance. The section lists chemical properties such as boiling point, freezing point, pH, etc.

Fire Fighting Measures - This section lists flash point temperature and autoignition temperature, explosibility concentrations, and includes specific information for fighting a fire involving this chemical.

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