The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) provides information about the chemical substances in a product, its handling precautions,
and its known health effects. The responsibility for preparing the MSDS lies with the chemical manufacturer. All manufacturers are required to create an MSDS for every chemical compound they offer. The following information must be included:
• with the exception of trade secrets, the specific chemical name and common names for hazardous ingredients
• physical and chemical characteristics
• physical hazards
• health hazards
• primary routes of entry to the body
• OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) and any other recommended exposure limit
• whether the chemical is a confirmed or potential carcinogen
• precautions for safe handling and use
• emergency and first aid procedures
• name, address, and telephone number of the manufacturer or other responsible party.
MSDSs can be obtained from either the distributor or the manufacturer of the product in question.
What an MSDS Will Not Tell You
There is important information that an MSDS does not reveal. Thanks to the Trade Secrets Act, companies are not required to list ingredients they define as trade secrets. Although the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard requires that an MSDS list all health effects, the health effects of trade secret ingredients can be exempted.2 Furthermore, hazardous ingredients that are present in amounts of less than i percent and carcinogens present in amounts less than o. i percent need not be listed. Another significant omission is the lack of disclosure of “inert” ingredients, which can account for up to 90 percent or more of product volume. Some of these so-called inert ingredients are more hazardous than the active ingredients.3
Although the consumer is not allowed access to the unlisted information, one of the codes under the same law (OSHA Hazard Communication Standard 29, Code of Federal Regulation 1910.1200) permits physicians and other health care providers to access all product ingredient information for diagnostic and treatment purposes. Most doctors are unaware of their right to know.
The permissible exposure levels (PELs) set by OSHA and the threshold limit values (TLVs) established by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) are misleading. Industry interests have played a major role in establishing these exposure limits, most of which were set without prior testing.4 The small amount of testing that has been carried out was based on exposing rats to a single dose of a single chemical, with cancer or death as the end point. In reality, people are exposed to hundreds of chemicals at a time. These chemicals can accumulate in the body tissues over time and their effects can be synergistic. Monitoring for cancer or death does not take into account the many noncarcinogenic effects of chemicals, such as damage to the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. It is important to recognize that workplace standards are not set for the safety of the worker but rather for what is considered feasible for industry.
Health effects listed in an MSDS are often vague and misleading. They are most accurate when listing the acute, short-term effects, such as eye and nose irritation, rashes, and asthma. The data on chronic, long-term exposure are often lacking and do not take into account cumulative or synergistic effects.
