Instructions for Geophysical Lab and DTM Personnel

Materials Safety Data Sheets and additional information on hazardous materials and laboratory safety may be found in the MSDS/HazCom Library (described below).  This database is available for searching on public workstations in the Research Building (1st and 2nd floor, central corridor), Cyclotron Building (2nd floor conference room), and Abelson Building (2nd floor library).  Just click the shortcut marked "MSDS."

Please contact the Library staff or your department's Safety Officer if you need assistance using MSDS/HazCom.

The MSDS/HMIS Hazardous Communication Library

The MSDS/Hazcom Library provides direct and indirect access to hundreds of thousands of  MSDS documents which are accessible using the MSDS Hazcom Library Viewer.

The MSDS/HazCOM Library is a hybrid Web and CD-Rom based system consisting of the following:

• The Hazardous Materials Information System consist of over 270,000 MSDS sheets. (HMIS) is a Department of Defense (DoD) automated system developed and maintained by the Defense Logistics Agency. HMIS is the central repository for Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for the United States Government military services and civil agencies. It also contains value-added information input by the service/agency focal points. This value-added data includes HAZCOM warning labels and transportation information. HMIS provides this data for hazardous materials purchased by the Federal Government through the Department of Defense (DoD) and civil agencies. The system assists Federal Government personnel who handle, store, transport, use, or dispose of hazardous materials.
   
• Manufacturers MSDS Sheets including Alfa Aesar, Exxon, Fisher Scientific, Texaco and thousands more.
   
• Internet Links to Manufacture and Distributors MSDSs on the Internet.
   
• The NIOSH Pocket Guide (NPG) - The NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards is compiled by the National Institute for Occupational Safety (NIOSH). The NPG is a practical source of information for recognizing and controlling workplace chemical hazards. It lists workplace exposure limits, recommends respirator selections and protective measures, identifies signs and symptoms of exposure, plus first aid treatment for hundreds of critical workplace chemicals. It also provides information on measurement methods, chemical and physical properties, incompatibilities and reactivity's.
   
• The Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG2000). ERG2000  was developed jointly by the US Department of Transportation, Transport Canada, and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico (SCT) for use by firefighters, police, and other emergency services personnel who may be the first to arrive at the scene of a transportation incident involving a hazardous material. It is primarily a guide to aid first responders in (1) quickly identifying the specific or generic classification of the material(s) involved in the incident, and (2) protecting themselves and the general public during this initial response phase of the incident. The ERG is updated every three years to accommodate new products and technology.
   
• 172.101 DOT Hazardous Material Table  The Hazardous Materials Table (Table)  designates the materials listed therein as hazardous materials for the purpose of transportation of those materials. For each listed material, the Table identifies the hazard class or specifies that the material is forbidden in transportation, and gives the proper shipping name or directs the user to the preferred proper shipping name. In addition, the Table specifies or references requirements in this subchapter pertaining to labeling, packaging, quantity limits aboard aircraft and stowage of hazardous materials aboard vessels
   
• Chemical Sampling Information. The Chemical Sampling Information file presents, in concise form, data on a large number of chemical substances that may be encountered in industrial hygiene investigations. It is intended as a basic reference for industrial hygienists engaged in OSHA field activity.
   
• Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH). IDLH are airborne concentrations that upon exposure are likely to result in death or immediate or delayed permanent adverse health effects or prevent escape from the exposure environment. These values are frequently used in an occupational setting to define respiratory equipment requirements and in the evaluation of procedures for entering exposure environments
   
• 2001 CERCLA Priority List Hazardous Substances. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) section 104 (i), as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), requires ATSDR and the EPA to prepare a list, in order of priority, of substances that are most commonly found at facilities on the National Priorities List (NPL) and which are determined to pose the most significant potential threat to human health due to their known or suspected toxicity and potential for human exposure at these NPL sites. CERCLA also requires this list to be revised periodically to reflect additional information on hazardous substances.
   
• LIST OF LISTS Consolidated List of Chemicals Subject to the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act.  This document provides a quick reference list of the toxic chemicals for which reporting is required under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) (also referred to as the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)). More specific information on the EPCRA section 313 reporting requirements can be found in the EPA document, “The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act: Section 313 Release and Other Waste Management Reporting Requirements”
   
• USFA Hazardous Materials Guide for First Responders. This guide is the result of an extensive study of available hazardous materials response resources for first responders undertaken by the United States Fire Administration (USFA) as part of the Firefighters' Safety Study Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-446). The study concluded that, while several excellent and technically accurate resources are available, none are directed to the specific needs of the first responder trained at the Awareness or Operational Levels of Training; the training levels of most first responders.
   
• Toxic Release Inventory List (TRI) -  This document provides a quick reference list of the toxic chemicals for which reporting is required under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).
   
• SMartPDF 29 CFR Volumes 5, 6, and 8 (OSHA 1910 - General Industry and OSHA 1926 Construction)