Where To Find High Quality MSDS Sheets

July 13, 2012 No Comments

 

 

All employers in the USA and Canada are required to obtain and maintain MSDSs (Material Safety Data Sheets) on all potentially hazardous chemicals that are used, generated, or stored in their workplaces.  The job of finding, organizing, and updating MSDSs often falls on the shoulders of the employers’ safety coordinator.    

Finding up-to-date, well written, comprehensive MSDSs is not easy.  Here are some tips on how to find good MSDSs quickly and economically.

The first source that I usually turn to is the vendor (or manufacturer) of the chemical product.  Often the vendor will have downloadable product MDSDs on their website.

If that does not work, or the chemical you are dealing with is generated at your workplace (e.g. carbon monoxide produced by propane fork trucks) do a Google search.   I just did a Google search using the words “carbon monoxide MSDS”.  It turned up dozens of MSDSs.  Which one should I use?  In this case, I felt that the first one shown was “OK”, but that the fourth one (by Airgas) was much better.

Google MSDS searches are often hit or miss, and usually time consuming.   For those who regularly do MSDS searches, you will save allot of time by using on-line MSDS libraries.  These services have already collected hundreds of thousands of MSDSs that you can access.   There are two types of on-line MSDS services:

• free on-line MSDS services 
• fee-based subscription on-line MSDS  services 

The free on-line MSDS services that I am familiar with are not worth your time.  They generally have poor quality MSDSs, are not well organized, have out-dated MSDSs, and many of their links don’t work.  

The fee-based, subscription, on-line services are much better.   They offer higher quality, up-to-date MSDSs, and are well organized.  

My favorite fee-based subscription MSDS service is from CCOHS .  Their annual subscription fee to access their excellent on-line database is $350.  Or, if you prefer, you can purchase their MSDSs on portable DVDs.   The DVD service is also $350.   While on-line service provides the most current information, the DVDs are nice if immediate MSDS access is required in the field. 

Another leading MSDS subscription service is MSDS Online.  While they have a nice website, a low price ($149/year) and a good product, they do not offer MSDSs on DVDs. 

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