Better Living Thru Chemicals

(A DuPont trademark slash catch phrase from years ago.)

How would you like your poison today?

Many people have no idea how dangerous some chemical products are and could easily be handling any poison or carcinogen know or even unknown to man. What should you do if you spill a chemical? Get it on you? Someone or Something consumes it? Wouldn't it be nice if there were a place you could find that information before an emergency?

There is such a place. Actually a few...

While many people have heard of the Poison Control Center. They don't know there are many of these centers in the U.S. You can find your local center and more from The American Association of Poison Control Centers.
From 1-800-222-1222.info: 1-800-222-1222 is the telephone number for every poison center in the United States. Call this number 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to talk to a poison expert. Call right away if you have a poison emergency. Also call if you have a question about a poison or about poison prevention.
Thanks to uniform chemical handling rules, commonly called HAZMAT, HAZardous MATerial, laws/rules many products and the chemicals used to make them can be found by reading the MSDS for them. All major chemical makers doing business in the U.S provide MSDS and many are now online.

The first two are different sites for the same organization. You've probably seen the PSA for 1-800-222-1222 on TV at various times. It is a very good number to keep posted.

The last item covers way more than just poisons.

What is a MSDS SDS?

Update: In 2012 OSHA revised its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to align with the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. In short, changes mean:

Material Safety Data Sheet is now called Safety Data Sheet.
Two sections, 2 and 3, switch numbers.

Click here to view the OSHA Fact Sheet for important dates and resources.

MSDS, short for ~~Material~~ Safety Data Sheet, is a standardized paper that describes some of the chemical properties of a product and now to handle the product during various emergencies. It carries instructions for things like fire fighting, ingestion and injury treatment. (I'm not editing the rest of this page just to meet OSHA’s terminology.)

You'll also find manufacturer contact info to obtain detailed HAZMAT cleanup information. This data is important should there be a spill. USEPA and many states require spill reporting for as little as 20-25 gallons of many things. Even small amounts of chemicals like Mercury must be reported or you can face huge fines.

While most people that know about MSDS associate them with HAZMATs, they actually cover many things that are low to non-toxic. An amusing one is the MSDS for Water. (This is one of many versions.)

Who cares?

If you run a business you are often required to have the MSDS sheets for all the chemicals you use. EPA and OSHA can and frequently do check for MSDS to be on file and accurate for the business in question. A business that fails to maintain a MSDS file can face stiff fines. (Note that many states also require such record keeping.)

Even home users should look up a few MSDS sheets, especially for some of the more toxic products. You'd be amazed how dangerous some stuff you use all the time is.

OSHA won't bother with me. I'm too small.

If you really think anything like that, you've got problems that could bankrupt you. All it takes is one small shop accident or disgruntled employee to have OSHA or state equivalent inspectors all over your place. Paying Fines + Bad PR can hurt or even kill a small company.

What MSDS does a service shop need to carry?

Each of the chemical products you sell or use in shop should be on file. Here are some examples for automotive service:

Motor and transmission oils
Gear lubricant
Grease
Antifreeze
Brake fluid
Windshield washer fluid
Body Filler
Parts washer (Includes canned products and the wash tub.)

Where can I get MSDS?

Fortunately it is now fairly easy to find the MSDS for most things online, simply type in a chemical or product name and MSDS into your favorite search engine. Example for Google type in... "Methyl Ethyl Ketone" MSDS (including the quotes.) You will get multiple sites with the MSDS for that one. Why should you care about MEK? MEK is a potent solvent used in the hardener for body filler and fiberglass and in many adhesives and cleaners. Purple Pipe Cleaner for PVC plumbing is mostly MEK as is the adhesive.

Several makers like Exxon Mobil have web sites just for MSDS, same for Chevron Texaco and other brands.

Exxon Mobil MSDS Site
Chevron Texaco MSDS Site
SIRI MSDS Index Thanks to RTNmsds
Some companies, like Gumout, link to the parent in this case the Shell web site.