Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2000 - 18

*
*
LOOKING for NUTRITION
In the Alphabet Soup
*

by
he purpose of this article is to
provide readers with an introduction to Material Safety Data Sheets
(MSDS), and will attempt to de-mystify some
of the alphabet soup that often surrounds
chemical safety discussions and literature. The
article will include advice on finding the important infOl11lation contained in an MSDS, interpreting that infOl11lation, and suggestions for learning
more about MSDS and chemical safety.
We should begin with some background
information. Material Safety Data Sheets are one
component of the Hazard Communication Standard (also identified as 29 CFR 1910.1200)
which is one facet of the Occupational Safety
and Health Act of 1970. Interpretation and enforcement of the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) and oOler Job Safety and Health
standards is handled by Ole Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA), a division
of the U.S. Department of Labor.
The HCS addresses the use of chemicals
in the workplace, and is based on the belief
that employees have the right to know the
identity of any chemicals they are working
with, and what hazards are associated with exposure to those chemicals. The HCS is also
concerned \vith the education of employees regarding appropriate safety practices when
handling hazardous chemicals and Ole personal
protective measures 010se workers need to observe. In order to achieve Olese objectives, Ole
HCS requires chemical manufacturers to accurately label and develop an MSDS for each of
the hazardous chemicals that they produce.
Employers are required to develop a written
hazard communication program specific to
their workplace, pro\~de information and
16

M MER

o

0

0

TZ>&T

training about the hazardous chemicals in the
workplace for their employees, and maintain
an MSDS for every hazardous chemical. The
standard also requires that employers ensure
that the MSDS are "readily accessible during
each work shift to employees when they are in
their work area(s)." [29 CFR 1910.1200 paragraphs (e) through (h)]
What this all means, is that we have a government standard in place that outlines a
structured flow of information about chemical
hazards from the manufacturers who produce
the chemicals, through the distribution system
to the employers, who are required to share
that information with their employees. The
manufacturer determines the hazards associated \\~th the chemicals in their product, and
repol1s that information via a label on the
product container and an MSDS. Disllibutors
pass along copies of the MSDS as they distribute the product. Employers receive the product and the MSDS, educate their employees
about the hazards associated with using the
product and how to protect themselves from
those hazards, and make the MSDS available
for the employees to read as necessary.
So far, so good, but here is where things
begin to get complicated. In an attempt to ease
the burden of compliance for manufacturers
and employers, the Hazard Communication
Standard was written as a "performance-oriented" standard. This means that it was intentionally written in general terms, and allows
manufacturers and employers the freedom to
interpret the requirements of the standard and
comply in a way that best fits their particular
workplace situation. Consequently, there is no
universal form for labeling chemical contain-

David C. Glowacki

ers, no specific format for reporting hazard information on an MSDS, and no concrete gUidelines for maintaining an MSDS file or
educating employees about the chemical hazards in the workplace. Manufacturers are free
to develop their own chemical labeling system
and MSDS forms. Most will use a common fOl~
mat for all of their products, but, as we will
see, there can be considerable variance between different manufacturers.
There is a section of the Hazard Communication Standard that lists the information
manufacturers are required to repol1 when
developing an MSDS for a product (29 CFR
191O.1200(g) (1)-(5) for those of you keeping track). The required information is:
- Chemical identity of the product
- Nanle, address, and telephone number of
the manufacturer or inlporter
- Date the MSDS was prepared or last revised
- Specific chemical nanles and conU11on
names of all hazardous ingredients
- Physical and chemical characteristics of the
product
- Potential physical hazards from exposure
- Potential health hazards from exposure
- Primary routes the chemical takes to enter
body (inhalation, skin contact, etc.)
- Recommended exposure limits
- Whether or not the chemical is considered
carcinogenic
- Safe handling and use precautions
- Emergency and first aid procedures in case
of overexposure
- Applicable control measures (safe storage
and spill containment/cleaning).
As the HCS was being written, OSHA also
developed a suggested MSDS format (OSHA
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2000
