1. Substance identity and company contact information

The name, address and telephone of the company that produced the material is listed in this first section. The date the MSDS was issued and the name of the material or chemical are found here also.

Many times companies produce many grades or parities of a chemical. They may use a generic MSDS to cover all the grades if they list the various grades on the MSDS. This section usually includes any known synonyms and/or foreign spellings of the chemical.

Most companies also include product numbers, CAS number, and other identifying number in this section.

Some companies include but are not required by law additional information like:

• chemical family
• molecular formula
• molecular weight
• precaution labeling
• NFPA rating
• CERCLA ration

• safety storage code

2. Chemical composition and data on components

Section 2 of the standard MSDS contains information concerning the product's individual hazardous chemicals and their relative percentages. Many products contain mixtures of chemicals. All ingredients that meet OSHA Hazard Communication standard criteria of a hazardous chemicals must be identified here. In addition, the materials' corresponding Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) numbers must also be listed.

This section should include the material's exposure limits if they are known. Several organizations recognized by OSHA have developed exposure limits for a variety of hazardous substances. Two prominent groups are ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists) and NIOSH (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health). Its worth noting that the combination of exposures to more than one hazardous chemical is far greater than exposure to individual hazardous chemicals.

Exposure to certain hazardous materials may be acceptable, but only for periods of time not to exceed certain time limits and at concentration no greater than certain levels. This section list these values so the employee handling the hazardous materials knows what precautions, (protective equipment, ventilation, etc) should be taken so as not to exceed these exposure limits. The employee can refer to later sections in the MSDS which describes measures that can help reduce possible exposure.

If OSHA or other important organizations, (International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC; National Toxicology Program, NTP), has determine that the material is a carcinogen, teratogen, mutagen, or toxic to aquatic life or danger to the environment, then this information may be found in this section. This information may also be found in some other sections of the MSDS. If this information is described in this section, then several important factors must be included.

* Routes of entry -- A hazardous materials may enter the body through the skin or the eye, by inhalation, or ingestion.
* Acute health effects -- The adverse health effects from short-term exposure.
* Chronic health effects -- The detrimental health conditions which may result from long-term exposure.
* Symptoms of exposure -- A description of how a victim of exposure might look or act like.
* Medical conditions aggravated by exposure -- These terms are not easily recognized by non-medical personnel.
* Target organs -- Some materials harm a particular organ of the body, (heart, liver, brain, etc).

By reading the MSDS of a hazardous material you are going to be using, you might prevent sickness or even death resulting from improper exposure. Chronic effects may occur years after exposure even if the you did not experience discomfort at the time of exposure.

The principal route of entry into the body is by inhalation. Many hazardous substances do not have a strong unpleasant odor but still can harm the body. For example, hydrogen cyanide which has the faint smell of almonds was used in the "gas chamber". Many organic hazardous chemicals can quickly fatigue your sense of smell so you are no longer aware of the concentration of the vapors you might be breathing.

Many hazardous substances can be absorbed through the skin and into body tissue or the bloodstream. These substances can accumulate in a particular organ or tissue. After repeated absorption, the substances can accumulate to such a concentration that the organ may fail. The eye is especially vulnerable to corrosive hazardous chemicals. Permanent damage or even blindness can result from liquid splashes or solution vapors.

If accidental exposure were to occur, then this section is valuable to determine the immediate first aid response. This section should indicate the proper first aid treatment for accidental exposure by inhalation, skin, eye, and ingestion. In almost every MSDS the first statement says, "Call a Physician."

In most cases, skin and eye exposure are standard, i.e., "immediately flush eye or skin with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes."

Inhalation is also usually standard too, i.e., "remove to fresh air, if not breathing, give artificial respiration, if breathing is difficult, give oxygen."

The first aid response to ingestion does vary. One would believe that inducing vomiting would be the standard response. However, in many cases, this would result in greater respiratory damage than the damage by ingestion. Often times, an antidote may be listed which can be administered by a lay person or a trained medical personnel.

This section of the MSDS describes basic fire-fighting measures. This should include the fire and explosive properties of the material and the proper extinguishing materials. The precautions and safety procedures to effectively put out the fire are described here. This is important because knowing the flammable properties along with the chemical and physical properties provide a good indication of how dangerous the material is in a fire situation. Important flammable properties listed here should include 1. Flash point -- the lowest temperature at which a flammable liquid gives off enough vapor to form an ignitable mixture with air. In other words, the lowest temperature at which a liquid can ignite if a spark is present. Liquids with very low flash points are dangerous fire hazards (e.g., ethyl ether -49 C).
2. Autoignition temperature -- the temperature at which the liquid will set itself on fire without a flame or spark.
3. Lower Explosive Limit -- the minimum concentration of a flammable gas or vapor (% by vol. in air) in which an explosion can occur if a flame or spark is present.
4. Upper Explosive Limit -- the maximum concentration of a flammable gas or vapor (% by vol. in air) in which an explosion can occur if a flame or spark is present.
5. Hazardous Products of Combustion -- In most fires, the greatest danger to human life is not the heat of the flames, but the toxic smoke that can fill the area. All the anticapited products of combustion are listed here. Fires of the laboratory are far more dangerous than common fires because the toxic fumes are often far more dangerous.

All MSDS describes the fire extinguishing media in this section. Selecting the appropriate fire extinguisher is critical in an emergency situation. In Rutgers' laboratories, usually carbon dioxide and dry chemical extinguishers are available. These extinguisher are appropriate with most laboratory fires except for combustible metals, (e.g., sodium and potassium) and metal halides, (e.g., lithium aluminum hydride, sodium hydride).Reactivity hazards that enhance the fire and the explosion potential are also found here.

When a hazardous material is accidentally spilled, the emergency cam be minimized if proper responce is immediate. Therefore, reviewing this section before using a chemical will prepare you in the event of a hazardous spill. This section describes evacuation procedures, containment and cleanup techniques, and other emergency advice like personal protective equipment and respirators.

Information from this section will allow you to plan for emergency response, training of individuals using the hazardous material, and making available in the laboratory necessary equipment to quickly contain and clean up a spill or leak.

In most cases, if the spill is small, the advice in this section can be very useful. However, if the spill is large, evacuate the area and call Emergency 911from any Rutgers phone. A Hazmat unit will be sent to deal will this emergency spill. Make sure that the doors of the affected area ard closed and people posted at them to prevent anyone from entering. Also be prepared to describe to the Hazmat personnel the substance spilled and the extent of the spill.

This section provides safe storage and handling information for employees and employers. General handling precautions and practices are described to prevent release into the environment and overexposure during contact with the material. Also this information will help you minimize continued contact after handling. For example, wash hands with soap and water after handling especially before eating.

The storage of chemical reagents vary depending on the chemical's reactivity and flammability. The necessary storage conditions to avoid damage to containers, contact with incompatible materials and resulting dangerous reactions, evaporation, decomposition, and flammable and explosive atmospheres in the storage area are detailed in this section. For example, protect against sunlight, refrigerate, keep container tightly closed, and store separate from oxidizing materials.

The intent of this section is to reduce exposure of the laboratory worker to the hazardous chemical. Exposure controls include engineering controls like fume hoods, ventilation, and glove boxes. Exposure controls also include administration controls such as training, labeling, and warning devices.

This sections also provides the important information about personal protective equipment (PPE). Some of the PPEs are respirators, safety goggles, gloves, aprons and boots. The PPE recommendations include both normal use and emergency response during a fire, spill, leak, or accidental release. The description of the PPE often include details about what materials the PPE should be made of or the best type of respiration for vapor of the hazardous chemical. If you require the use of a respirator, you must contact REHS first.

Sometimes exposure limits like the OSHA PELs or ACGIH TLVs are listed here rather than in section 2. This information is important because there are many types of PPEs available and the employer should have available the PPE that will provide the best protection for their employees. The employees are responsible to use the PPE provided to ensure safe working conditions.

To maintain a safe exposure level, the engineer controls are extremely important. If a laboratory has poor ventilation, then the exposure limits can be exceeded if the chemical is used repeatedly throughout the day. If the fume hood is cluttered with unnecessary items, the hood will not pull the vapors away properly. Therefore, the administrative controls come into play here. Contact REHS to determine how to most effectively minimize hazards through exposure controls.

This section of the MSDS should provide the necessary physical data to identify a substance. The following physical data is listed in many of the MSDSs but varies depending on whether the substance is a gas, liquid, or solid at room temperature.

boiling point, ( degree C and/or degree F);
melting point ( degree C and/or degree F);
vapor pressure, (mmHg @ 20 degree C);
vapor density, (air = 1);
viscosity;
specific gravity, (water =1);
evaporation rate, (with butyl acetate = 1);
solubility in water, (usually by percent);
solubility in other solvents, (listing solvents substance will dissolve in);
volatiles by volume, (percent that evaporates);
odor threshold, (ppm);
flash point, (many MSDSs list this in Fire and Explosion Data section);
upper and lower explosion limits, (many MSDSs list this in Fire and Explosion Data section);

An important feature of this section is the appearance and odor description. This description should give the reader an idea of what the chemical looks and smells like at room temperature.

By knowing the physical properties of a substance, the person may be aware of how the material will behave at different temperatures or when it is exposed to water. If the chemical has the properties of low boiling point, high vapor pressure and high volitility, then it is likely to evaporate quickly and therefore present a inhalation hazard. If the chemical is also flammable or toxic, great care must be taken handling this material to prevent fire or overexposure by inhalation.

The information in this section should list circumstances if the material is subjected to could be hazardous . This information should include:

* Stability at room temperatures and atmospheric pressure
* Conditions to avoid, (e.g., elevated temperatures, moisture, etc.).
* Incompatibles, (chemicals that react violently with material or releases dangerous by-products).
* Decomposition products.
* Polymerization, (reaction in which one or more small molecules combine to form large molecules that may release large amounts of energy or burst the container).

Whenever you are handling a hazardous material, you must be familiar with the above information to avoid possible accidents resulting from not knowing the circumstances to avoid. You can handle the material more safely if you know how it will react to changes in temperature or contact with other materials.

If a material in not stable at room temperature, then you must store it in a refrigerator. If one of the conditions to avoid is sources of ignition, then do not use this material in the laboratory where burners are being used. If the material is sensitive to moisture, then consider storing it in a desiccator. If the chemical reacts with metals, do not store it on metals shelves. If the material reacts with natural rubber, then natural rubber gloves should not be worn when handling this material.

Hazardous materials may react with many substances to produce dangerous by-products. The example most people know about is the result of mixing bleach with ammonia. Both of these cleaning solution can be used safely if not mixed. But hydrogen chloride (toxic irritating gas) is released when sodium hypochlorite (bleach) is combined with ammonia.

Information concerning the hazardous chemical's toxicity is listed in this section. However, this information can be listed in other sections of the MSDS like the Health Hazard and First Aid section. This information reflects animal testing, and if known, human data if accidental human poisoning occurred and the amounts of exposure are known. This toxicity data is mainly intended for medical professionals, occupational health and safety professionals, and toxicologist.

The data includes acute, subchronic and chronic exposures through various routes, (e.g., inhalation [inhal], ingestion [oral], intraperitoneal [ipr], subcutaneous [scu]). LD50 (lethal dose that kills 50% of lab animals expressed in milligrams per kilograms) is used to represent oral, ipr, scu exposures. LC50 (lethal concentration in air of a substance that kills 50% of lab animals) is used to express inhalation exposures. Also LDLo and LCLo are sometimes listed and these values depict the lowest dose or concentration known to have cause death in a lab animal. The lab animals can include rats, mice, rabbit, and guinea pigs.

Not all MSDSs have this section. If it does, this helps the Environmental professional or Hazmat personnel in evaluating the effect a chemical may have if it is released into the environment. The person using the chemical may use this information to determine waste treatment practices.

Ecotoxicity data may have information on acute and long-term toxicity to fish and invertebrates, plant and microorganisms toxicity, and toxicity to animals drinking water contaminated with the chemical. Chemical behavior in air, soil, and water may include persistence and degradation, soil mobility, bioaccumulation, and photolytic stability. All of this is important in evalutating the environmental impact of a chemical in the event of major spill or determining whether or not a chemical can be safely disposed of in a landfill.

While this section has important information, Rutgers laboratory personnel must follow the SAA guidelines set up by REHS. However, the lab worker using the reagent should also be aware of disposal aspects of the chemical so he/she does not inadvertently dispose of the waste in an improper manner. More information for hazardous waste disposal at Rutgers may be found on the main REHS website.

The shipping of hazardous materials is regulated by the Department of Transporation (DOT). This section provides the important DOT shipping name, ID (UN or NA numbers), hazard class, and labels required to be on the container.

This section is valuable if the hazardous material will be shipped from this campus. Before shipping, the carton must be properly labelled with the appropriate placards and ID names and numbers. If an accident occurred while shipping, these numbers can be referenced by hazmat personnel doing the clean up.

Only REHS personnel can ship hazardous materials, so contact us ahead of time to ensure proper shipping.

This section provides the regulatory information for employers and regulatory compliance personnel. These regulations include: OSHA, TSCS, SARA, CERCLA, and CWA. Reportable quantities for spills, storage, and shipping can be listed also. Finally, international regulations and state and local regulations should be found in this section.

This section is intended to be used for any additional important information not listed in other sections. This can include: references, keys/legends, creation and revision dates, and hazardous ratings such as the NFPA codes.

The information here can complete the process of providing all necessary information to the person reading the MSDS. Many MSDSs include a disclaimer in this section as well.