Is a material safety data sheet (MSDS) required for a non-hazardous chemical?
MSDSs that represent non-hazardous chemicals are not covered by the HCS. Paragraph 29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(8) of the standard requires that "the employer shall maintain in the workplace copies of the required MSDSs for each hazardous chemical, and shall ensure that they are readily accessible during each work shift to employees when they are in their workarea(s)." OSHA does not require nor encourage employers to maintain MSDSs for non-hazardous chemicals. Consequently, an employer is free to discard MSDSs for non-hazardous chemicals.
Reference Interpretation and Compliance Letters:
To put it differently, why would they make us have one for sodium chloride or calcium carbonate (which is in our water at high levels actually) but not for water. Our water here is so high in calcium carbonate it's crazy - I could probably get enough for general labs just by boiling down regular tap water - though that of course would not be cost productive I know.
And I do know the reason. I was just stirring the pot.
It's Fryday ;)
Dave
> On Sep 23, 2016, at 2:01 PM, Ben Ruekberg <bruekberg**At_Symbol_Here**CHM.URI.EDU> wrote:
>
> My curiosity will not allow me to wait until April first, when it might be more excusable, to ask this question.
>
> There is a chemical which can be found in almost every laboratory. Most laboratories even have it piped in. There are (M)SDSs for this material and yet, while I am told that we are required to have the (M)SDS for each of the chemicals in our laboratory on hand, I don't believe that many laboratories keep a copy of the (M)SDS for this substance in print. I refer, of course, to water.
>
> OK, I hear you saying "Of course no one has the (M)SDS for water on hand. It's water." And I agree: I mean it's in the safety showers, we wash our hands with it before leaving the lab. But it's a chemical. I can understand why I would make an exception for it, but does OSHA?
>
> Can anyone tell me why safety documentation is not required for water? Or is it? Or is it, but no one makes a fuss about it?
>
> Thank you very much,
>
> Ben
>
> Virus-free. www.avast.com
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