469

469

Do you wonder what is in that detergent or cleaning product?  How green is it really? What do I do if it gets on my skin?

We have often cited Material Safety Data Sheets or MSDS in our analysis of cleaning and construction products. What are they?

What is a MSDS

They are documents used to describe a products ingredients, what they are, are they hazardous, how to store them, toxicity, health affects, what should be done if there is an accident, regulatory issues, etc. Vendors have to undertake manufacturing, distribution, use and disposal of hazardous materials and chemicals to complete these documents.  There are even MSDS docs for things like Mustard gas, VX Nerve gas!

OSHA and the EPA set up regulations that require MSDS documents on certain products.

Where can I find MSDS documents

Often vendors have links to MSDS documents on their website or require you to email them asking for them.  This site has links to many MSDS docs.  NIH has a database of Household Products.

When checking out the greeness of a product, be sure to look for its MSDS document and READ it.