FLORIDA RIGHT-TO-KNOW

All personnel have the legal right to know the hazards involved when working with chemicals. They also have the responsibility to follow all applicable regulations during and after the use of chemicals. OSHA regulates how to work safely with chemicals and EPA regulates the use and disposal of these chemicals. The State of Florida adopted the OSHA and EPA regulations as the "Florida Right to Know" Law (FS Chapter 442: Occupational Safety and Health) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA 40 CFR part 261-268). The regulatory agencies are the Florida Department of Labor and Employment Security-Division of Safety (DLES) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). 

All personnel have the legal right to know the hazards involved when working with chemicals. They also have the responsibility to follow all applicable regulations during and after the use of chemicals. This manual and training have been prepared to outline the basic requirements established by two federal agencies, OSHA and EP A. OSHA regulates how to work safely with chemicals and EPA regulates the use and disposal of these chemicals.

The State of Florida adopted the OSHA and EP A regulations as the "Florida Right to Know" Law (FS Chapter 442: Occupational Safety and Health) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA 40 CFR part 261-268). The regulatory agencies are the Department of Labor and Employment Security-Division of Safety (DLES) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Material Safety Data Sheets – MSDS – are chemical information sheets.  They give basic information about a product’s content, potential hazards and physical characteristics as well as providing information necessary to allow the product to be used safely.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) requires manufacturers or distributors of hazardous materials to assess the physical and health hazards of chemicals or products and provide that information in a MSDS.  The MSDS must be forwarded to the purchaser with the initial shipment of each product free of charge.  MSDS are not required to have a specific format but must contain the same basic information.

OSHA requires that MSDS be available for every chemical used in the workplace for employees to view during their work shift.

The following example is based upon the OSHA recommended MSDS format (Form #174) and explains each section of the MSDS.  It may be helpful to refer to one of the MSDS in your area as you review this information.

This line will give the name of the product as it is listed on the product label to allow you to easily match the appropriate MSDS to the product.

This section provides the name and address of the manufacturer as well as a telephone number to be used to obtain product information and a telephone number to be used for emergency information.

A date of preparation appears on each sheet to allow the user to be sure they have the most current information.

This section contains:

• the chemical name of hazardous ingredients or 
• if a mixture, the chemical names of the hazardous ingredients that make up at least 1% or the mixture (0.1% if the ingredient is a carcinogen (cancer causing) agent.)
• CAS Number: a unique number assigned to chemicals or materials by the Chemical Abstracts Service
• Synonyms and/or chemical formulas
• Exposure Limits (if available).  
• PEL Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Permissible Exposure Limit. See the OSHA Air Contaminants Standard 29 CFR 1910.1000 for a more detailed explanation or to view the PELs.
• The regulated maximum concentration an employee may safely be exposed to in any 8-hour working day as measured by a time-weighted average.
• Ceiling limits (C) indicate an exposure level that may not be exceeded for any length of time during the working day. 
• STEL or Short Term Exposure Limit indicates the average exposure level that may not be exceeded for a specified, short length of time (normally 15 minutes).
• A “Skin” notation indicates that the chemical may be absorbed through the skin. 
• TLV  American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Values. These values are not legal limits but are industry standard.  TLVs are more current than regulatory limits.  They are one source of industry standards used in creation of new regulations.
• REL National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Recommended Exposure Limits.  This is a government funded, non-regulatory source of current exposure limit recommendations.  They are one source of industry standards used in creation of new regulations.
• Corporate Exposure Limit   A recommended exposure limit based upon information gathered by the manufacturer or distributor.

This section outlines the physical properties of the material. This information may be used to determine conditions that may enhance exposure potential.

• Boiling Point: (BP) Temperature at which liquid changes to vapor state.
• Vapor pressure (mm Hg): As a rule of thumb, higher vapor pressure materials evaporate more quickly.
• Vapor density (Air = 1): The weight of a gas or vapor compared to weight of an equal volume of air. Density greater than 1 indicates it is heavier than air. Vapors heavier than air can flow along or hover just above ground, where they may pose a fire or explosion hazard.
• Solubility in Water: The percentage of material that will dissolve in water.
• Appearance and Odor/odor threshold: What should the product look like and or smell like.  Often a odor threshold is included indicating the smallest amount of the material that can be detected by the human nose.
• Specific Gravity (H20 =1): The weight of a volume of liquid or solid compared to the weight of an equal volume of water.  Materials with a specific gravity of greater than 1 will sink in water; less than 1 will float.
• Melting Point: Temperature at which a solid begins to change to liquid state
• Evaporation Rate: (Butyl Acetate =1) The rate at which a material evaporates when compared to a known material's evaporation rate
• Other physical information will be given as appropriate.