Importance of Material Safety Data Sheets in Laboratories and Warehouses

You can commonly find a material safety data sheet in manufacturing facilities or laboratories that operate with chemicals. Despite being a standard document in these sectors, several people are not aware of what MSDS is and its purpose.

Here we have collected all the information regarding MSDS so you will be able to understand its use and importance in labs and warehouses handling chemicals. Let’s begin with what are MSDS sheets.

What Is MSDS?

The safety of workers in laboratories and warehouses storing chemicals is a joint responsibility of all. This statement is often boldly displayed in concerned departments.

However, every laboratory or warehouse worker cannot be expected to know the properties and hazards of all materials and therefore it is important to realize that safety can be implemented only when awareness on the hazards posed by chemicals and other materials is shared between all those concerned.

A material safety data sheet or MSDS, as it is often referred to, is a document that serves this purpose. It lists out details of physical and chemical properties, technical data, trade and common names, hazards, remedies on exposure and safe handling practices on chemicals to users and those involved in their handling and transportation.

With MSDS guidelines in hand, anyone can handle different situations without any hassle. It means all workers will be kept safe in emergencies or any other condition.   

These sheets can also serve as the starting point to full-fledged health and safety program for the laboratories and warehouses. This is possible because MSDS has more detailed data about the chemicals than what is mentioned on their labels. Moreover, the sheets’ information is accurate and reliable as the guidelines get designed by the manufacturer or the supplier. 

Now let’s see ‘what is MSDS report’ and the type of data you can find on it. 

Information available in MSDS

A material safety data sheet provides details that should not be overlooked or ignored by anyone involved in handling, transportation or laboratory usage of chemicals. It becomes all the more important to familiarize yourself with MSDS before you decide to use or handle a new chemical. Before proceeding further it is necessary to familiarize with the type of information available in the MSDS.

Chemical Properties

• Class of chemical, chemical name and trade name(s)
• Physical description of material along with its characteristic physical properties
• The decomposition behaviour and release of dangerous decomposition products, if any
• Common chemical properties and reactivities with incompatible materials
• Hazard properties and flammable limits of volatile and explosive materials
• Guidelines on safe disposal
• Recommendations on use of safe packaging materials.

Handling and Storage

Each material requires precautions in its handling and storage. MSDS lists out:

• Special handling procedures
• Recommended storage conditions such as air conditioning, humidity, temperature and exposure to light
• Safety practices in case of spills, accidental release, fires, etc
• Requirement of safety gear and special material handling tools

Toxicological Properties

The effects of exposure to a material may not be evident immediately but long-term effects can prove to be detrimental to health. MSDS lists out such effects, particularly:

• Short-term and long-term exposure hazards
• Safe limits of exposure
• Entry routes into the body and resulting damages to different body organs
• Recommendations on protective safety gear and how to prevent exposure
• Safe disposal practices to prevent adverse effects on environment

Transportation Guidelines

Transportation staff is also susceptible to dangers when transporting hazardous substances. Even the onlookers in event of accidents can suffer severe damages in case of accidents during transportation. MSDS provides the required guidelines for safe transport of such materials

• Need for hazard warning information and prominent display of hazard sign on transport vehicle
• Precautions during loading and unloading of containers
• Special packaging requirements for safe transport
• Need for protection against natural elements such as sunlight and rain during transportation

Fire Hazards

Fires resulting from chemicals can lead to widespread damage inside warehouse or a laboratory. Information on fire hazards of a product must be known to all concerned. MSDS lists out the following:

• Type of fire resulting from a product and requirement of class of fire extinguisher
• Personal fire protection for firefighting staff especially if toxic or corrosive fumes result from such fires
• Storage conditions and practices to prevent fire accidents

First aid measures

• First aid remedies in case of injuries or poisoning resulting from mild or high exposure
• Immediate first aid steps to be adopted before seeking expert medical attention
• Steps to be taken to handle emergencies
• Information on contacting for expert advice in case of exposure to special chemicals

Other Aspects of MSDS Guidelines 

Now that you have understood ‘what are MSDS sheets and their purpose,’ you must look into a few more aspects related to it. Firstly, you should know that it can be a little challenging to read the MSDS sheets. It usually happens because this document was designed for professionals in the first place.

However, it can also come in handy to several workers in today’s time. These people find it difficult to read the information. That is why you need to first match the chemical name on its label with the one mentioned on the sheet. Then you can read more about its usage, handling, and safety hazards. 

Secondly, you need to ensure that the material safety data sheet is up to date. When you work with a chemical for more than three years, the MSDS sheet tends to get old. For this reason, it becomes crucial to get it renewed from the manufacturer or the supplier to avoid any trouble.

The sheet can also be updated if any new information becomes available with the manufacturer about a specific chemical. This way, everyone will get aware of that information. 

Along with all this, you must understand that different material safety data sheets can look different. You should not worry here as you just need to go through them to understand them. They are not much different. 

We can say that the MSDS guidelines are a document developed by the manufacturer or supplier to aware the user of chemical hazards and other information. They are crucial for workers involved in handling, transporting, or operating the chemicals. It keeps them safe in all circumstances. 

The MSDS provides highly valuable information on safe handling of materials used in laboratories. It is therefore necessary that all should be made aware of the importance of MSDS sheets and should have easy access to them at all times.