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The MSDS provides workers and emergency personnel with the correct
procedures for handling and working with substances in a safe manner.
Material safety data sheet or MSDS is a form, which contains vital
information concerning the specific properties of a given substance. It
is an important and mandatory component of all workplace safety. The
MSDS provides workers and emergency personnel with the correct
procedures for handling and working with substances in a safe manner.
This information includes the physical data such as the melting point,
boiling point, flash point, of the substance, as well as its toxicity,
health concerns, suggested first aid, reactivity, how the substance is
to be stored, and disposed of correctly.
The information also states any required protective equipment needed in
handling the substance and how to properly handle a spill. MSDS must
also include the name of a HAZMAT chemical's manufacturer.
In the United States, the Occupations Safety and Health Act, or OSHA
requires that MSDS be made available to all employees for potentially
harmful substances handled as stated under the "Employee right to know"
rules. The MSDS exists to protect the employee.
OSHA's mission is the prevention of work-related injuries, illnesses,
and deaths by enforcing standards of workplace safety and health. The
same act that created OSHA also created the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health, a research agency who determines the
major hazards in the workplace and who devise ways of controlling and
preventing them.
If, the MSDS states that an employee must wear goggles if exposed to a
particular chemical and these safety measures are not available for the
employee, then the employee has the right to contact OSHA and depending
on the severity has the right to sue for damages. It is vitally
important that a facility complies with all OSHA standards and the MSDS
as much as the MSDS is compliant with OSHA regulations and standards.
A Well-Organized MSDS:
Not every MSDS is the same. Because the MSDS contains a large amount of
vital information and it is also important that this information be
easily accessible, it is necessary that the MSDS be well organized. Many
facilities these days, have transferred the information from their MSDS
to databases located either on their a web-based or a network-based
environment.
Having the MSDS on the computer makes it simpler for employees to
located information fast. Though it is still necessary to also provide a
hardcopy MSDS. The hardcopy is often times harder to locate relevant
information. MSDS software permits the user to quickly jump to
significant pages through hyperlinks or by using a search engine. Lastly
having the MSDS on the computer is easier to update and verify that the
correct information has replaced the correct outdated information.
material handling equipment pages |
Terms for use
References -
material handling equipment 1 |
material handling equipment 2
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