"Bob May" wrote in
:

How old are MSDS sheeta anyway? When did the government start
requiring them?

--
Bob May
Losing weight is easy! If you ever want to lose weight, eat and drink
less. Works every time it is tried!



1983

You can look it up in OSHA CFN 29 part 1920.1200. Or if your in
construction it is also included in 29 CFN part 1926.59 (Sub part D).

I took the time to scan my workbook on the part concerning MSDS issues,
these are general guides.



GENERAL INFORMATION
The Hazard Communication standard requires that chemical manufacturers and
importers evaluate their chemicals and determine if they are hazardous.

Employers shall develop, implement and maintain, at each workplace, a
written Hazard Communication Program consisting of at least the following
elements:

1. Labels and other forms of warning.

2. Material Safety Data Sheets.

3. Employee training and information.

4. List of known hazardous chemicals at workplace.

5. Methods used to inform employees of hazards.

On multi-employer workplaces, employers who produce, use, or store
hazardous chemicals at the workplace must ensure that the information about
these chemicals, in the form of MSDS, is available for their employees and
any other employees who may be exposed to these chemicals.

LABELS & OTHER FORMS OF WARNING

The chemical manufacturer, importer, or distributor must ensure that each
hazardous chemical is labeled, tagged or marked with the following
information before it enters the workplace:

1. Identity of the hazardous chemical.

2. Appropriate hazardous warnings.

3. Name and address of chemical manufacturer, importer or other
responsible party.

Once the hazardous chemical enters the workplace it is the responsibility
of the employer to ensure that each container is marked or labeled with the
following information:

1. Identity of the hazardous chemical.

2. Appropriate hazardous warnings such as words, pictures, symbols, or a
combination of all three.

For portable containers, which are used to transfer hazardous chemicals
from one labeled container to the point of use, the containers need not be
labeled.

The employer must ensure that the labels, and any other forms of warning,
are written in English and are prominently displayed on the container or
readily available in the work area throughout each work shift.




MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS

Chemical manufacturers and importers of hazardous chemicals must develop a
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each hazardous chemical they produce
or import into the country.

Employers must have available, at each workplace, an MSDS sheet for all
hazardous chemicals that are used.

MSDS sheets must be in English. MSDS sheets in other languages are
permitted, provided they are IN ADDITION TO those in English.

Each MSDS must contain at least the following information:

1. The identity of the chemical.

2. The chemical and common names of the hazardous substances
and ingredients.

3. Physical and chemical characteristics of the hazardous chemicals (flash
point, vapor pressure).

4. Physical hazards such as fire, explosion and reactivity.

5. Health hazards of the chemical such as, signs and symptoms of exposure
and medical conditions aggravated by exposure to the chemical.

6. Primary route of entry to the body.

7. OSHA permissible exposure limits, ACGIH-Threshold Limit Value, and any
other exposure limits.

8. Listing for known carcinogens such as, National Toxicology Program (NTP)
or International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

9. Any known safety precautions for handling the materials such as
appropriate hygienic and protective measures including procedures for
spills and leaks.

10. Any known control measures such as engineering controls, work practices
or PPE.

11. Emergency and first aid procedures.

12. Date the MSDS was prepared and date of subsequent reVISions.

13. The name, address and phone number of the chemical manufacturer,
importer or other responsible party who can provide additional
information.



Chemical manufacturers, importers and distributors must ensure that
employers are provided copies of the MSDS sheets with their initial
shipment and with the first shipment after the MSDS has been changed.

The employer must maintain in the workplace MSDS sheets for each of the
hazardous chemicals on site. MSDS sheets must be readily accessible, during
each work shift, to employees when they are in their work area. Electronic
access, such as computer databases, microfiche and other alternatives to
maintaining paper copies of the MSDS sheets are permitted, as long as no
barriers to immediate employee access in each workplace are created by such
options. In any event, MSDS sheets must be readily accessible during each
work shift to all
employees.

If employees are required to travel between workplaces during a shift, MSDS
sheets are permitted to be kept at the primary workplace facility. MSDS
sheets may be kept in any form, provided they contain all of the required
information as listed above.


EMPLOYEE INFORMATION AND TRAINING

OSHA requires that employers provide employees with effective training on
the hazardous chemicals in their work places at the time of their initial
assignment, and whenever new hazardous are introduced into the work place.

The required training shall cover at least the following topics:

1. The requirements of the Hazard Communication standard.

2. Operations in the employees area where hazardous chemicals are present.

3. The location of the written hazard communication program and MSDS
sheets.

4. Methods and operations to detect the presence of hazardous chemicals.

5. The physical & health hazards associated with the chemicals in their
work areas.

6. PPE available to the employees and other control measures they can use
to protect themselves.

7. Details of the employer's hazard communication program, including how to
use MSDS sheets and
proper PPE.


PPE stands for Personal Protective Equipment.



I hope this is some use to you.

Tim Johnson
IBEW Local 38