Page 23 - Test

Material Safety Data Sheets

After completing this section, you will be able to

 explain the purpose of a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), and
 define the responsibilities of both the supplier and employer for preparation, supply, and
updating of MSDS.

MSDS is the second element in the information sharing system. The WHMIS label is the first element,
providing vital warning information to those on the spot, while the MSDS contains additional details
which are important in handling emergencies or clean-ups, or in designing controls for the safe
use of the product.

The MSDS should be reviewed prior to using a controlled product for the first time. It should also be
consulted when planning any process or equipment changes. It should be an active part of every
health and safety management system.

Responsibility

 Suppliers of controlled products are required to provide a Material Safety Data Sheet to their
customers.
 Employers must ensure that the MSDS is available to workers at the worksite.

Note: If the controlled product is fully or partially exempt, the supplier is not required to provide a MSDS
and the employer is not required to obtain one. See Exemptions, for more information (page 6).

INFORMATION REQUIRED

Material Safety Data Sheets have 9 categories with approximately 60 items of information distributed
through these categories:

1. Production Identification and Use: name and intended use of the product and the
address of the producer and/or supplier. Must be the same as shown on the Supplier
Label.

2. Hazardous Ingredients: names, concentrations, and other details of controlled
products, and of other ingredients which the employer or supplier suspects may be
hazardous, or whose dangers are unknown.

3. Physical Data: properties such as physical state (gas, solid or liquid), smell, and
appearance. Weight of vapours compared to air and weight of liquids compared to
water.

4. Fire or Explosion Hazard: flashpoint of the material, how to extinguish a fire, and other
similar data.

5. Reactivity Data: details of stability and reactions to conditions such as light, heat,
moisture, vibration, etc.

AMHSA 21