New Uses For SDS Sheets

February 19, 2018 No Comments

  

 

SDS Sheets

Do your SDS sheets (formerly MSDS sheets just sit there collecting dust?  Your Safety Data Sheets (SDS) have lots of great information in them, but how can you put this terrific information to good use?  Here are fourteen ways that I have used SDSs that you might not have thought of –

• If an employee gets sick or is injured and you suspect a chemical might be involved, send the SDS sheet on that chemical to the clinic along with the employee.
• Have a chemical spill?  Look up the recommended emergency, PPE, and clean up procedures in the SDS on the spilled chemical.
• Will you, or someone else be doing air testing in the future?  Be sure to give copies of the SDSs on all chemicals being tested to the industrial hygienist who will be doing the air testing.
• Give SDSs on chemicals contractor employees will be working near to your contractor.
• Make extra copies of SDSs on the principle chemicals used in your plant and set them out on employee lunchroom tables.
• Have injured employees on light duty update and clean up your SDS ring binders.
• Make a second copy of all MSDSs and keep them on hand as a readily available back up should something happen to your original set.
• Have Hispanic employees?  Make a second complete set of SDSs in Spanish.
• In Canada, WHMIS requires that all SDSs must have been written within the last three years.  All SDSs should have the date they were published on them.  Replace any SDSs you have that are older than three years old (even if you are not in Canada).
• Review a different SDS sheet at each tool box safety meeting or department safety meeting.
• Do an “incompatibility audit” using your SDSs to find chemicals that might react dangerously if they should accidentally come in contact with each other.
• If you have a chemical spill kit,  put copies of the SDSs on those chemicals most likely to be spilled inside the kit.
• Ask your municipal fire department if they would like to have a copy of the SDSs on the main chemicals used in your facility.
• Laminate copies of SDSs and hang them near where that chemcal is used.

For even more information on chemical safety and toxicology, check out our toxicology webpage!

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