Employers that use chemicals are currently required to maintain material safety data sheets (MSDS) on the premises for each and every chemical substance. These sheets are cumbersome and must be updated regularly. However, the House of Representatives recently approved a bill that would permit employers to maintain an electronic version of the MSDS, easing the storage and updating processes for employers and making it easier for employees to access MSDS.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) hazard communication standard requires manufacturers and suppliers of chemicals to provide MSDS with their chemicals to alert workers to health and safety hazards, handling and storage procedures, and requirements for the use of necessary protective gear. Employers that use chemicals, such as pharmaceutical companies and research and development firms, must also maintain the MSDS for reference and use by their employees.
The House of Representatives recently approved a bill that would amend the hazard communication standard to permit employers to substitute their MSDS binders with electronic versions. The change is designed to enhance worker safety, but it will also be advantageous to employers who may subscribe to an electronic service that would maintain and update all of its MSDS for a few hundred dollars a year.
The bill also requires an "emergency overview" to appear on the front page of the MSDS for each chemical. The emergency overview would provide the manufacturer's name, address and telephone number, the identity of the chemical, appropriate hazard warnings, instructions for safe handling, and first aid instructions in case of contact or exposure requiring immediate treatment. For employers who are required to prepare and provide MSDS to their customers, the bill would allow 18 months to make the necessary changes to any new MSDS and 36 months to change existing MSDS.