What is a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)?

A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) outlines any potential health, fire, reactivity, and environmental hazards of a product or chemical, and how to work safely with it. The purpose of an MSDS is to inform purchasers and users of the potential physical and chemical hazards that may arise from the use of a product. The manufacturer or the supplier prepares the MSDS. It features more information than the label, about the material. The MSDS requirements can be different in certain countries. The MSDS will be specific to each material or product. Read and review the MSDS before any use of a product.

You should know the hazards, storage instructions, and understand safe handling. Always make sure you are using an up-to-date MSDS. An MSDS for a controlled product should not be more than three years old. You can contact your supplier or manufacturer to request an updated MSDS if needed.

A few products we sell may have an MSDS

Link to Helium MSDS

Link to Hi-Float MSDS

The MSDS requirements can be different in certain countries (or named something else). In Canada, nine categories must be present on an MSDS. Categories include: 

1. Product Information: Product name, manufacturer, supplier name, addresses, and emergency phone numbers
2. Hazardous Ingredients 
3. Physical Data 
4. Fire or Explosion Hazard Data
5. Reactivity Data: Chemical instability information of a product and the substances it may react with 
6. Toxicological Properties: Health effects 
7. Preventive Measures
8. First Aid Measures 
9. Preparation Information: Person responsible for preparation and date of MSDS