Safety Data Sheets: Very Useful, Don't Overlook Them

Employers are required to provide Safety Data Sheets for hazardous or potentially hazards materials that are exposed at your workplace. E Light accomplishes this by having a log of the hazardous or potentially hazardous materials that are on a project on site, including approximately amount and where they are stored. We then provide all the actual Safety Data Sheets electronically on elightinformation.com so that any employee can access the SDS at anytime.

Unfortunately, many employees fail to take advantage of these important documents. Please keep in mind these documents are for your own safety and understanding. Supervisors and other personnel have a lot of information to remember and to share every day with their crews. It is easy to forget to remind an employee of the potential hazards of specific chemical. That is where the SDS comes into play. You should never assume that you have been told all the hazards of a chemical that you are working with, or for that matter, much like using the National Electric Code, you should never take anyone’s word for anything.  Look it up for yourself. Do the same with hazardous chemicals. Even if you are told the hazards and what to do, take a minute to look up the SDS yourself. 

The SDS contains certain very valuable and useful sections.  One section is the hazards of using the chemical and how to avoid those hazards. If the instructions you received do not match that section….use your stop work authority and speak up right away and make your supervisor aware of the SDS states.

Make sure you are always looking at the exact SDS for the product you are using.  For example, all PVC glue products are not the same. Each manufacturer and brand has an SDS specific to their product.

Another incredibly valuable section of the SDS is what to do in the event of exposure or a spill. If you are on a site and spill happens or someone is overcome or injured from a chemical or fumes, then report that right away, call 911 and while you are doing that, instruct someone to look up the SDS and read what to do in the event of a spill or what to in the event of an exposure. Be sure to show the SDS to emergency response personnel when they arrive.

One other thing to always keep in mind, if you are given a spray bottle or other container with a chemical and it is not marked with what is in the bottle, then use your stop work authority and find out what it is and then consult the SDS.  Anytime chemicals are transferred from their original container to another, the new container must be clearly marked with what is in the container by manufacture and trade name.  The name the DS is published under.

Always remember, Safety Data Sheets are NOT a formality. They are a practical, and very important document that are designed to keep you informed and safe. Use them. Regularly. Your safety and health and depend on it.

Ted "Smitty" Smith