Safety Data Sheets

In the event of an EMERGENCY where an individual has been exposed to a chemical immediately contact Safety at X4150 for help with SDSs. 

The Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) are among the most important documents needed when working with hazardous chemicals. These sheets provide valuable information on the chemical and physical properties of the chemicals with which you may be working. They also provide guidance on the proper protective equipment and emergency procedures for each chemical. The following are potential sources of SDSs.

Each Laboratory should have a designated file or binder where all of the SDSs used in that lab are stored. This is the quickest and most easily accessible place to find an SDS when you need it.

If your lab does not have an SDS area please encourage everyone to cooperate in the establishment and maintenance of such a collection.

There are many sites on the Internet which provide SDSs, including:

• Manufacturers and vendors of the hazardous chemical
• SDS clearing house web-sites; both general and governmental

There are four remote SDS stations on campus. These areas can be identified by the large yellow panel and a chemical hazard wall placard. Within the yellow panel there is a binder containing the SDSs for many of the most frequently used chemicals on campus. The stations are located in the following areas:

• Forchheimer, Ground Floor near ATM machine and Security Desk
• Forchheimer, Fourth Floor on the North side near 405 Forchheimer
• Kennedy, Ninth Floor
• Van Etten Building, Basement and 6th Floor

These stations are updated annually. If there is an SDS that is missing or that you feel should be added to these binders, please inform EH&S.

EH&S has many systems established to provide timely access to the MSDS of any chemical used on campus. These include:

• Vendor
• Internet links to useful SDS web-sites
• EH&S maintains an extensive file system containing hundreds of common SDS