Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is a document that provides information about a given chemical product. It includes the name, composition (chemicals in the product), hazards, first aid measures, fire fighting measures, information regarding the proper steps to take with spills, handling and storage.
The MSDS is an easy reference for information on hazardous substances. The MSDS must be “readily accessible” to workers exposed to hazardous substances.
MSDS are not standardized but should include:
- Name and make up of chemical
- Emergency telephone number(s)
- Name of the manufacturer and distributor
- Location of manufacturer and distributor
- Signal word (Danger, Warning, Caution)
- Regulatory information
- Hazardous ingredients
- First Aid procedures
- Health hazard information
- Control for exposure (Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required)
- Physical hazard information
- Spill or emergency directions
- Disposal Information
To find out more information about MSDS, visit these sites below.
AmerisourceBergen
Wholesaler site provides MSDS for products purchased by their customers. A login and password are required for access to the “Business Efficiency Tools” which includes pdf MSDS documents.
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
Provides MSDS on over 90,000 products. Database available from Marriott Library database page, and is restricted to users on the University of Utah campus.
Household Products Database from the NIH
Links over 5,000 consumer brands of common household products to health effects from Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and allows scientists and consumers to research products based on chemical ingredients.
MSDS Online
MSDSonline develops on-demand products and services to help Environment Health & Safety professionals around the globe, access, manage and deploy material safety data sheets (MSDS) and safety information.
MSDS Solutions
From 3E Company, Registration/login is required to view the sheets which are available in a variety of MSDS formats (OSHA, ANSI, WHMIS).
MSDSXchange
MSDSXchange is the largest and most comprehensive reference collection of chemical manufacturer and distributor listings available on the web. In addition to this extensive collection, there are over 1 million manufacturer’s original material safety data sheets (MSDS) available for meeting compliance with OSHA’s Hazardous Communication Standard, Canada’s WHMIS, the EPA, DOT and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
Occupational Health & Safety Agency for Healthcare in British Columbia (OHSAH)
Links to approximately 5000 MSDS sheets for products used in North America.
Seton MSDS Hazard Communication Library
Full text searchable - Chemical name, formula, manufacturer, CAS #, symptoms of exposure
Vermont SIRI MSDS Archive
SIRI - Safety Information Resources ont the Internet. Links to MSDS information for approximately 180,000 products.
Where to Find MSDS on the Internet
Lists links to free MSDS sheets on the web, and fee-based MSDS services. It has additional information about how to read an MSDS and a glossary of terms used in MSDS information.