What The !@#$%^&*
Is A MSDS?
How to Read and Interpret a
Material Safety Data Sheet!
•Objective
 to concisely inform you about the
hazards of materials you work with so
that you can protect yourself and respond
to an emergency
 acts as a “crystal ball” - if you study it,
you will see the future
•Purpose
 the material’s physical properties or fastacting health effects that make it
dangerous to handle
 the level of protective gear you need
 the first aid treatment to be provided
when you are exposed to a hazard
 the preplanning needed for safely
handling spills, fires, and day-to-day
operations
•A Material is Considered
Hazardous If- specifically listed in the law, 29CFR Part
1910, Subpart Z, Toxic and Hazardous
Substances (the Z list)
 assigned a Threshold Limit Value (TLV)
by the American Conference of
Governmental Industrial Hygienists, Inc
(ACGIH)
 determined to be cancer causing,
corrosive, toxic, an irritant, a sensitizer, or
has damaging effects on specific body
organs
•The MSDS Format
 must be in English
 have a heading
 cover 16 different informational
categories
•Heading
 name and address of
the manufacturer
 telephone numbers
 transportation
emergency number
 nontransportation
information and
emergency numbers
•Categories of Information
1. Chemical Production Information
 product name
 product code
 chemical family
 chemical name
 synonyms
 formula
Chemical Product
Information
Categories
2. Composition/Information on Ingredients
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ingredient name
CAS number
exposure limits
concentration (%)
names of hazardous ingredients
Composition/Information
on Ingredients
Categories
3. Hazards Identification
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emergency overview,i.e.,Danger! Toxic
potential health effects
routes of entry
human effects & symptoms of overexposure
acute effects of overexposure
chronic effects of overexposure
carcinogenicity
medical conditions aggravated by exposure
Hazards Identification
Categories
4. First Aid Measures
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first aid for eyes
first aid for skin
first aid for inhalation
first aid for ingestion
note to physician
First Aid Measures
Categories
5. Fire Fighting Measures
 flash point
 flammable limits
 upper explosive limit (UEL)(%)
 lower explosive limit (LEL)(%)
 extinguishing media
 special fire fighting procedures
Fire Fighting Measures
Categories
6. Accidental Release Measures
 spill or leak procedures
Categories
7. Handling and Storage
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storage temperature (min/max)
shelf life
special sensitivity
handling/storage precautions
Handling and Storage
Categories
8. Personal Protection
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eye protection requirements
skin protection requirements
ventilation requirements
respirator requirements
medical surveillance
additional protective measures
PPE
PPE
Categories
9. Physical and Chemical Properties
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physical form
color
odor
odor threshold
molecular weight
boiling point
melting/freezing point
solubility in water

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specific gravity
bulk density
% volatile by volume
vapor pressure
vapor density
Physical and Chemical
Properties
Categories
10. Stability and Reactivity
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stability
hazardous polymerization
incompatibilities
instability conditions
decomposition products
Stability and Reactivity
Categories
11. Toxicological Information
 Acute Toxicity
 oral LD50
 dermal LD50
 inhalation LC50
 eye effects
 skin effects
 sensitization
 Subchronic Toxicity
 Chronic Toxicity
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Carcinogenicity
Mutagenicity
Developmental Toxicity
Reproduction
Neurotoxicity
Toxicological Information
Categories
12. Ecological Information
13. Disposal Information
Categories
14. Transportation Information
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technical shipping name
freight class package
product label
DOT (Domestic Surface)
 proper shipping name
 UN/UA number
 packing group
 DOT product RQ lbs. (kgs)
 hazard label(s)
 hazard placard(s)
 IMO / IMDG Code (Ocean)
 proper shipping name
 hazard class division number
 UN number
 packing group
 hazard(s)
 hazard placard(s)
 ICAO / IATA (Air)
 proper shipping name
 hazard class division number
 UN number
 subsidiary risk
 packing group
 hazard label(s)
 radioactivity
 passenger air - max. qty
 passenger packing instructions
 cargo air - max. qty
 cargo passenger packing instructions
Categories
15. Regulatory Information
 OSHA status
 TSCA status
 CERLA Reportable Quantity
 SARA Title III
 Section 302 Extremely Hazardous Substances
 Section 311/312 Hazard Categories
 Section313
 RCRA Status
Regulatory Information
Categories
16. Other Information
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NFPA 704M Ratings
Reason for Issue
Prepared by:
Approved by:
Title:
Approval Date:
Supersedes Date
MSDA number
Other Information
Disclaimers
 no warranties,
expressed or implied
MSDS
 is an OSHA document
 not an EPA document
 not part of the labeling unless received at
the time of purchase
READ THE
LABEL!
Read The Label!
UNDERSTAND
THE
LABEL
FOLLOW
THE
LABEL
Their Legacy is the Land. May they
Find it as Beautiful and as Bountiful
as their Forbearers Did
Mary L. Grodner, Ph.D.
Pesticide Coordinator
LSU AgCenter
225/578-2180 phone
225/578-7829 fax
mgrodner@agctr.lsu.edu
www.agctr.lsu.edu