[CAUT] Material data safety sheets

[Fred Sturm]

On Mar 6, 2010, at 7:30 AM, Allan Schumacker wrote:

> Typically one contacts the manufacturer of the product for the MSDS  
> on the product in question. That said, try the manufacturer's web  
> page, if there is one. Some  manufacturers may have MSDS available  
> for download posted on their web site. That said, try the retailer  
> (Home Depot, Lowes, etc) that sells the product.  I've heard that by  
> law,  the retailer is required to carry the MSDS sheets for all the  
> chemicals they sell. I don't know if this requirement is state or  
> federal law. Collecting those MSDS sheets is a lot of work, but that  
> goes with the job.


What I have gathered concerning the law (which is federal, connected  
with OSHA, though there may also be state equivalents) is that
A) employer must have them on hand for employee reference
B) retailer must supply to customer on demand
C) manufacturer must supply to retailer on demand
	And there are a couple variables. I think they have up to X (30-45)  
days to provide them, for instance. Some things and amounts are  
exempt, but it isn't clear what (just like the IRS - you don't know  
for sure until you go through litigation, so it's often somebody's  
best guess). Apparently there was case law where a 2 oz bit of ammonia  
was required to have a MSDS, as an extreme example. [All the preceding  
came from half an hour or so nosing around the internet]
	Our safety people want to err on the side of caution, at least in  
their stated rules: "everything" must have one, more or less. How that  
would be interpreted in real life I don't know, and I am not going to  
ask them, because that would draw attention to myself (I prefer the  
current anonymity for some reason <G>)
	I realize I can go to every manufacturer and/or retailer and come up  
with them. I have visions of 100 or more of us each going through that  
hassle. I'm lazy. I figure it's better to come up with a common  
approach so nobody has to do anywhere near that much work.
	Anyway, my first step was to email Pianotech and ask if they can  
provide some for a few of the common products. The reply was that Bob  
M is a PNW conference and will contact me on return. When he contacts  
me, I will broach the possibility of him posting such items on his web  
site. Seems to me that would be a lovely solution to a good bit of the  
problem, if he is willing. If not, there are plenty of plans B, C, D ...
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm at unm.edu