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How Are MSDS Supposed to Be Organized?

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) must be prepared and provided by manufacturers, importers, and distributors of hazardous materials accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazard Communication (HAZCOM) regulations. An MSDS should contain at least eight sections that include: information about the manufacturer, a listing of hazardous ingredients, physical and chemical characteristics, fire and explosion hazards, reactivity data, health hazards, safe handling procedures and control measures.

  1. General Information and Hazardous Ingredients

    • Section one of the MSDS contains the manufacturer’s name, address, emergency and technical support telephone number, the name of the preparer and the date of preparation of the MSDS. The hazardous components of the product are contained in the second section.

    Physical and Chemical Information

    • Section three of the MSDS contains physical and chemical information about the material such as vapor and liquid density and flash point.

    Fire, Explosion and Reactivity

    • Fire and explosion information, including special firefighting procedures, are included in the fourth section. Section five has information about the reactivity, stability and incompatibilities of the product.

    Health Hazards

    • Health hazards, effects of overexposure and first aid procedures are included in section six.

    Handling and Use

    • Special handling instructions, storage requirements, spill response, chemical specific precautions and disposal requirements are covered in section seven.

    Control Measures

    • Recommended personal protective equipment, recommended hygiene practices and ventilation requirements are the subjects of the eighth section.

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