If you were to look into any popular publications or magazines, seeking some riveting reading material, you probably wouldn’t find many articles about Safety Data Sheets, aka SDS. The world is full of mind-numbing acronyms, but hardly any create such low excitement as the three letters SDS, especially if you are in the oil and gas business.
Safety Data Sheets. I can feel the excitement growing already.
I joke often about this topic. However, it is a resource that saves lives and prevents injury more than you realize. Let’s go ahead and delve into the benefits of Safety Data Sheets and their importance. I consider the Safety Data Sheets as the airbags for chemicals, saving lives just as automobile airbags do for auto passengers.
Seldom are airbags deployed in a person’s life, but when it does happen, usually a life is saved. Let’s get started as to what Safety Data Sheets are and the need to have them handy, Most everyone needs to be trained on this very topic.
In 2020, exposure to harmful substances or environments resulted in 424,360 nonfatal injuries and illnesses involving days away from work. In 2021, 798 fatalities were reported, according to the NSC.org, the national safety council.
The deaths and injuries are most frequent at home and at work. Most workplaces include training on Safety Data Sheets on all chemicals. Sadly, most homes do not include formal or informal training.
What information is on a Safety Data Sheet? Here is the official description:
Section 1 – Identification – identifies the chemical on the SDS as well as the recommended uses. It gives the common name and also provides the essential contact information of the supplier.
Section 2 – Hazard(s) identification – includes the hazards of the chemical and the appropriate warning information associated with those hazards.
Section 3 – Composition information on ingredients – identifies all the ingredient(s) contained in the product indicated on the SDS, including impurities and stabilizing additives. This section includes information on substances, mixtures, and all chemicals where a trade secret is claimed.
Section 4 – First-aid measures – describes the initial care that should be given by untrained responders to an individual who has been exposed to the chemical.
Section 5 – Fire-fighting measures – lists recommendations for fighting a fire caused by the chemical, including suitable extinguishing techniques, equipment, and chemical hazards from fire.
Section 6 – Accidental release measures – provides recommendations on the appropriate response to spills, leaks, or releases, including containment and cleanup practices to prevent or minimize exposure to people, properties, or the environment. Accidental release measures may also include recommendations distinguishing between responses for large and small spills where the spill volume has a significant impact on the hazard.
Section 7 – Handling and storage – provides guidance on the safe handling practices and conditions for safe storage of chemicals, including incompatibilities.
Section 8 – Exposure controls/personal protection – indicates the exposure limits, engineering controls, and personal protective equipment (PPE) measures that can be used to minimize worker exposure.
Section 9 – Physical and chemical properties – identifies physical and chemical properties associated with the substance or mixture.
Section 10 – Stability and reactivity – describes the reactivity hazards of the chemical and the chemical stability information. This section is broken into 3 parts: reactivity, chemical stability, and other.
Section 11 – Toxicological information – identifies toxicological and health effects information or indicates that such data are not available. This includes routes of exposure, related symptoms, acute and chronic effects, and numerical measures of toxicity.
Section 12 – Ecological information – provides information to evaluate the environmental impact of the chemical(s) if it were released to the environment.
Section 13 – Disposal considerations – provides guidance on proper disposal practices, recycling or reclamation of the chemical(s) or its container, and safe handling practices. To minimize exposure, this section should also refer the reader to Section 8 (Exposure Controls/Personal Protection) of the SDS.
Section 14 – Transport information – includes guidance on classification information for shipping and transporting of hazardous chemical(s) by road, air, rail, or sea.
Section 15 – Regulatory information – identifies the safety, health, and environmental regulations specific for the product that is not indicated anywhere else on the SDS.
Section 16 – Other information – indicates when the SDS was prepared or when the last known revision was made. The SDS may also state where the changes have been made to the previous version. You may wish to contact the supplier for an explanation of the changes. Other useful information also may be included here.
I can already tell how excited you are about this breakdown referring to a specific chemical. I know, my students in the training classroom feel the same way.
However, I compare SDS sheets to oxygen. You don’t think about breathing it until you need it.
It’s a given that it’s required/needed at work. The issue is, what do you use at home? What does husband, wife, or babysitter use when a child ingests, breathes or comes in contact with household chemicals? Naturally, 911 would be the first call. Poison control can assist. How many of you have prepared for a contingency plan of action?