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Are Material Safety Data Sheets required for all chemicals used in an operation?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that each operation have on file the necessary Material Safety Data Sheets for the hazardous chemicals stored at any establishment. Under the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), chemical manufacturers and suppliers are required to provide Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for each hazardous chemical at an establishment. Employers are required to provide information to their employees only about the hazardous chemicals to which they are exposed. OSHA does not require that the MSDS be provided to purchasers of household consumer products when the products are used in the workplace in the same manner and frequency as in the household.
The information contained on the MSDS is designed to protect the employer and the employee from the hazards of chemical exposure and to enable them to work safely with chemical products. A Material Safety Data Sheet should contain the following information:
- Information about safe use and handling
- Physical, health, fire, and reactivity hazards
- Precautions
- Appropriate personnel protective equipment (PPE) to wear when using the chemical
- First-aid information and steps to take in an emergency
- Manufacturer's name, address, and phone number
- Date the MSDS was prepared
- Hazardous ingredients and identity information
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