Why do detailers need MSDS?

togwt

The Old Grey Whistle Test
What are Material data sheets (MSDS)



Be aware of dangerous ingredients and request Materials Safety and Data Sheets (MSDS) from the manufacturer if there is any question. An (MSDS) is required under the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard. The MSDS is a detailed informational document prepared by the manufacturer or importer of a hazardous chemical. It describes the physical and chemical properties of the product. MSDS’s contain useful information such as flash point, toxicity, procedures for spills and leaks, and storage guidelines.



MSDS must include all chemicals used / stored and be kept available in a readily accessible binder. Chemicals or other ingredients that are included in a products formula that are considered non-hazardous are not required to be listed on an MSDS. It should be provided for the purpose of providing current health and safety information to your management and employees who work or may be exposed to this product. Read the data provided and then provide it to those people at your company who have the responsibility to insure compliance with both Federal and State Right to Know regulations, and to those employees that request information on this product.



The information given is designed only as guidance for safe handling, use, processing, storage, transportation, disposal and release and is not to be considered a warranty or quality specification. It relates only to the specific hazardous material designated and may not be valid for such material used in combination with any other materials or in any process, unless specified in the text.



Information included in a Material Safety Data Sheet aids in the selection of safe products, helps you understand the potential health and physical hazards of a chemical and describes how to respond effectively to exposure situations. Although there is an effort currently underway to standardize MSDS’s the quality of individual MSDS’s vary. It may be useful but it cannot substitute for prudent practices and comprehensive risk management.



An MSDS should be available for every chemical you use. Read these and follow the recommendations for safe use and disposal of the material. The target audience for information in a MSDS is the occupation worker who may be exposed to chemicals at work. However, much of the information is also relevant to consumers. MSDS are used to comply with OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910 and ANSI Z400-1-1998



An MSDS is a fact sheet developed by manufacturers and is required to state the chemical's risks, safety and impact on the environment and describes how to respond effectively to exposure situations by describing the hazardous chemical properties of a product. This information is required for the safe storage, handling and spill protection procedures and safe disposal of the material.

Read the manufacturers application instructions and then obtain and read the MSDS sheet to ascertain the chemicals used. Although it should be said that an MSDS is a document that only contains details of the hazards associated with a particular chemical and provides information regarding its safe use.



The distributor/marketing company must provide MSDS information to anyone who requests it. California law that states companies are required to give MSDS sheets to each distributor of their products if there is anything considered by NFPA or OSHA to be hazardous or contain anything that is considered carcinogenic. MSDS Sheets must be accessible to all employees who come into contact with the products as well as State Fire and Safety departments. Chemical Distributors are also required to give it to their customers upon request. MSDS should be readily accessible and stored in a ring binder or other storage system



• TLV-TWA: ACGIH Threshold Limit Value - Time Weighted Average

• PEL: OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit - Time Weighted Average

• TLV-STEL: ACGIH Threshold Limit Value - Short Term Exposure Limit

• ACGIH: American Conference of Industrial Hygienists - OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration



How to Read a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)[U]http://www.ringling.edu/fileadmin/content/ehs/pdf/Reading_Material_Safety_Data_Sheets.pdf[/U]



Definitions of Terms Used in Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) - Definition of Terms Used in Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS's)



Chemical Information (MSDS) A-Z- The Most Complete Free Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) list of chemical information on the Internet



MSDS Requirements by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Hazard Communication. - 1910.1200Hazard Communication. - 1910.1200




OSHA MSDS Regulations



Chemical importers and manufacturers are required to obtain or develop material safety data sheets for every hazardous chemical they import/produce. Employers must guarantee they have an MSDS for each hazardous chemical that is used or stored by their company
 
TOGWT said:
What are Material data sheets (MSDS)



Be aware of dangerous ingredients and request Materials Safety and Data Sheets (MSDS) from the manufacturer if there is any question. An (MSDS) is required under the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard. The MSDS is a detailed informational document prepared by the manufacturer or importer of a hazardous chemical. It describes the physical and chemical properties of the product. MSDS’s contain useful information such as flash point, toxicity, procedures for spills and leaks, and storage guidelines.



MSDS must include all chemicals used / stored and be kept available in a readily accessible binder. Chemicals or other ingredients that are included in a products formula that are considered non-hazardous are not required to be listed on an MSDS. It should be provided for the purpose of providing current health and safety information to your management and employees who work or may be exposed to this product. Read the data provided and then provide it to those people at your company who have the responsibility to insure compliance with both Federal and State Right to Know regulations, and to those employees that request information on this product.



The information given is designed only as guidance for safe handling, use, processing, storage, transportation, disposal and release and is not to be considered a warranty or quality specification. It relates only to the specific hazardous material designated and may not be valid for such material used in combination with any other materials or in any process, unless specified in the text.



Information included in a Material Safety Data Sheet aids in the selection of safe products, helps you understand the potential health and physical hazards of a chemical and describes how to respond effectively to exposure situations. Although there is an effort currently underway to standardize MSDS’s the quality of individual MSDS’s vary. It may be useful but it cannot substitute for prudent practices and comprehensive risk management.



An MSDS should be available for every chemical you use. Read these and follow the recommendations for safe use and disposal of the material. The target audience for information in a MSDS is the occupation worker who may be exposed to chemicals at work. However, much of the information is also relevant to consumers. MSDS are used to comply with OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910 and ANSI Z400-1-1998



An MSDS is a fact sheet developed by manufacturers and is required to state the chemical's risks, safety and impact on the environment and describes how to respond effectively to exposure situations by describing the hazardous chemical properties of a product. This information is required for the safe storage, handling and spill protection procedures and safe disposal of the material.

Read the manufacturers application instructions and then obtain and read the MSDS sheet to ascertain the chemicals used. Although it should be said that an MSDS is a document that only contains details of the hazards associated with a particular chemical and provides information regarding its safe use.



The distributor/marketing company must provide MSDS information to anyone who requests it. California law that states companies are required to give MSDS sheets to each distributor of their products if there is anything considered by NFPA or OSHA to be hazardous or contain anything that is considered carcinogenic. MSDS Sheets must be accessible to all employees who come into contact with the products as well as State Fire and Safety departments. Chemical Distributors are also required to give it to their customers upon request. MSDS should be readily accessible and stored in a ring binder or other storage system



• TLV-TWA: ACGIH Threshold Limit Value - Time Weighted Average

• PEL: OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit - Time Weighted Average

• TLV-STEL: ACGIH Threshold Limit Value - Short Term Exposure Limit

• ACGIH: American Conference of Industrial Hygienists - OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration



How to Read a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)[U]http://www.ringling.edu/fileadmin/content/ehs/pdf/Reading_Material_Safety_Data_Sheets.pdf[/U]



Definitions of Terms Used in Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) - Definition of Terms Used in Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS's)



Chemical Information (MSDS) A-Z- The Most Complete Free Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) list of chemical information on the Internet



MSDS Requirements by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Hazard Communication. - 1910.1200Hazard Communication. - 1910.1200




OSHA MSDS Regulations



Chemical importers and manufacturers are required to obtain or develop material safety data sheets for every hazardous chemical they import/produce. Employers must guarantee they have an MSDS for each hazardous chemical that is used or stored by their company





The requirement to carry these MSDS while traveling to a detail is why I no longer use Zaino products. That company makes it near impossible to obtain them. It's not worth the hefty citation if you don't have them.
 
then they must have something to hide



in Australia we never have that problem unless your working on marine craft (correct me if I'm wrong)

I never buy a product unless I can read the msds sheet before hand. lots of ingredients I refuse to let near me or use on paintwork

carcinogenic solvents from the skin care industry (polishes), nasty cheap solvents, industrial kerosene, PDS and DS and many more.



it pays to know whats in the stuff your using. bad for the car and yourself
 
Erik Mejia said:
The requirement to carry these MSDS while traveling to a detail is why I no longer use Zaino products. That company makes it near impossible to obtain them. It's not worth the hefty citation if you don't have them.



Easy enough to switch to Duragloss... :chuckle:
 
I carry them in a binder in my van at all times! It would be a COSTLY error to not have them, for sure. Also, I like to know what's going into my body! :)



Rob
 
What are the penalties for non-compliance with MSDS requirements?



Full compliance means that every employee that uses hazardous chemicals in the workplace (or who could be expected to be exposed in a "foreseeable" emergency, eg. customers) has "ready access" to an MSDS. If you are not compliant, you could face OSHA fines up to $70,000 or more depending how they count your violation(s) and whether they were "willful" violations.



Improper compliance with the Hazard Communication Standard (which includes MSDS's) is the most frequently cited violation in the manufacturing, transport, wholesale, retail and services industries, and it is in the top five in all other categories. Acccording to 1999 OSHA statistics, there were 3,642 inspections that reported violations of 1910.1200, resulting in 7,122 citations and fines totalling $1,563,556.81. That's an average fine of $219 per citation or $429 per inspection, although some of these citations carried no fine.



Note: In 2010, OSHA announced that the maximum fine for a serious violation capable of causing death would rise to $12,000 and the maximum penalty for a "willful" or knowing violation will rise to $250,000. In addition, OSHA announced a Severe Violator Enforcement Program which targets firms that have demonstrated indifference to their OSH Act obligations by willful, repeated, or failure-to-abate violations.



Serious stuff indeed. Keeping MSDS Sheets on hand is such a simple thing to do. Why risk it?
 
I have to keep MSDS paperwork on every single chemical that I bring into or store at our station.....no ifs, ands, or buts about it. I've heard of several EMS stations being forced to close down due to the amount of violations that resulted in fines that essentially wiped out their bank accounts. I couldn't even imagine the damage that would be done to a detail shop that doesn't have their duckies in order!
 
This is a perfect illustration of why-



[Buddy of mine asked me to bring the shine back to his diamond plate box for his truck. Thought no problem, I've dealt with a few of these. Upon inspection of it, Found its 10 years old and the lid is covered in spray paint. So start with my pile of chemicals (Least aggressive to Most) nothing was making this work. Went into the back closet got Zip Strip out (if you don’t know what it is, look it up! It’s harsh) I’ve used this to strip the paint off my leather helmet a couple of times, works great! But didn't know the troubles ahead.



I tested it on a corner of the top and after letting it sit for a few minutes, the spray paint came right off. So moved on to the rest of lid. Wearing very durable latex gloves, applied it all over. Came back and started to remove it and my arm was beet red and burning horribly. Washed it, then went back to work, about a minute later my hand tightened up and became a little numb and swollen. Cleaned them up real good, and everything went back to normal. After spending a good 4 hours of polishing the box, I started cleaning up.... and to my surprise, The Zip Strip ate through the concrete leaving a 2 x 2 inch crater]
– Dcox9 Autopiaforums.com





MSDS - http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/hwtr/workshops/DWAppendix/ZipstripMSDS720.pdf
 
TOGWT said:
This is a perfect illustration of why-



[Buddy of mine asked me to bring the shine back to his diamond plate box for his truck. Thought no problem, I've dealt with a few of these. Upon inspection of it, Found its 10 years old and the lid is covered in spray paint. So start with my pile of chemicals (Least aggressive to Most) nothing was making this work. Went into the back closet got Zip Strip out (if you don’t know what it is, look it up! It’s harsh) I’ve used this to strip the paint off my leather helmet a couple of times, works great! But didn't know the troubles ahead.



I tested it on a corner of the top and after letting it sit for a few minutes, the spray paint came right off. So moved on to the rest of lid. Wearing very durable latex gloves, applied it all over. Came back and started to remove it and my arm was beet red and burning horribly. Washed it, then went back to work, about a minute later my hand tightened up and became a little numb and swollen. Cleaned them up real good, and everything went back to normal. After spending a good 4 hours of polishing the box, I started cleaning up.... and to my surprise, The Zip Strip ate through the concrete leaving a 2 x 2 inch crater]
– Dcox9 Autopiaforums.com





MSDS - http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/hwtr/workshops/DWAppendix/ZipstripMSDS720.pdf



Wow, that is some really nasty stuff.



Even if you have MSDS on your products, be sure to read them. You could be using nasty stuff and not even realize it. There are extra precautions on some products like acids for a reason. Even degreasers can be particularly harmful if concentrated.
 
Nice topic. A note to add is that, in Europe, an MSDS is a legal requirement. It is not optional and a company refusing to provide one should be reported to the local health and safety body who will either set them straight or shut them down. This information is for the health and well being of the users and you should not feel bad reporting any company failing in this regard because they are putting their own concerns ahead of their legal obligation to your safety!
 
Same in the USA, same for WHIMIS in Canada.

However, most start up detailers are not business oriented and are more concerned about what polish brand their peers are using.
 
Ron Ketcham said:
Same in the USA, same for WHIMIS in Canada.

However, most start up detailers are not business oriented and are more concerned about what polish brand their peers are using.



One must ask then how several (at least one particularly well known) companies get away with being so stubborn and often outright refusing to supply MSDS!? Do the regulatory bodies simply not take notice or are the users simply failing to report failures in this area?
 
We got some strange things that go on in US. Consumer products (large multi-nationals) have strong lobby groups. Those are "supposed" to provide MSDS for all their products on "request". They are required to list any correct health or such warning on the label, but "not why or what chemical in the product may bring the warning about.

Professional use products are more "regulated", but even that is suspect.

I recommend that any one who requests a MSDS and it is not provided in a timely manner, contact OSHA through their website to register a complaint regarding such companies.

I have also recommended that detailers, painters, anyone using chemical products, go to the goverment's OSHA website where there is a list of dangerous to health, toxic and such chemical substances and book mark it so when they do obtain an MSDS, they know what a chemical listed is, and also learn to understand the "exposure" allowances for such.

It appears that, unfortunately, most are more concerned about some brand of product and how many of their peers use it rather than gain true and helpful knowledge of what is in the products before jumping off the end of the dock.
 
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