Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS): Definition and Purpose

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All chemicals and reagents containing hazardous ingredients in a concentration greater than 1 percent are required to have a material safety data sheet (MSDS)on file in  the work area. By law, vendors must provide these sheets to purchasers; however, it is the responsibility of the facility to obtain and keep them available to employees. An MSDS contains information on physical and chemical characteristics, fire, explosion reactivity, health hazards, primary routes of entry, exposure limits and carcinogenic potential, precautions for safe handling, spill cleanup, and emergency first aid. Containers of chemicals that pose a high risk must be labeled with a chemical hazard symbol representing the possible hazard, such as flammable, poisonous, corrosive, and so on. State and federal regulations should be consulted for the disposal of chemicals.