What is MSDS and Why is it Important?

What is MSDS and Why is it Important?

Often, when you call a shipping line to book a hazardous shipment, one of the questions they may ask (or should ask) is: Do you have an MSDS for the goods? The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is a fundamental document; it is so important that hazardous materials cannot be shipped without it. Therefore, in this article, we provide the meaning of MSDS, its purpose, its importance in the shipping of hazardous materials, and who is responsible for issuing it.

Meaning of MSDS:

MSDS stands for Material Safety Data Sheet, which is a document related to the chemical safety of the shipment. In European countries, MSDS is also known as Safety Data Sheet (SDS). Meanwhile, the United States, Canada, Australia, and many countries in Asia use the term MSDS.

MSDS is essential for providing important information about the potential hazards of chemicals, along with safety procedures and precautions necessary for handling them safely.

What is MSDS?

It is a comprehensive legal document about the chemical properties provided by chemical production or sales companies to clients, as required by law, to clarify various information about the physical and chemical properties. For example:

• Health hazards.
• Spill handling procedures.
• Product handling guidelines.
• Personal protective equipment to be used.
• Safe storage methods.
• Safe disposal methods.
• First aid measures.

Purpose of MSDS:

Its purpose is to provide detailed data on the physical and chemical properties, and the manufacturer must provide the MSDS with laboratory results to the seller or importer.

Thus, the MSDS serves as a reference for all handling or reprocessing of hazardous goods in the future, even if they are no longer the “property” of the manufacturer.

China has established MSDS standards relevant to international standards, preparing chemical safety data sheets in a comprehensive booklet, stipulating that MSDS should contain sixteen sections focusing on hazard warnings and safe operational guidelines.

Sections of the Sheet:

1. Identification of the company and chemical product.
2. Information about the components.
3. General summary of hazards.
4. First aid measures.
5. Fire-fighting measures.
6. Accidental release measures.
7. Handling and storage.
8. Exposure controls and personal protection.
9. Physical and chemical properties.
10. Stability and reactivity.
11. Toxicological information.
12. Ecological information.
13. Safe disposal.
14. Transport information.
15. Regulatory and legal information.
16. Explanation of other information.
    

If the MSDS or the Material Safety Data Sheet provided to the relevant authority is incorrect or if the information is incomplete and inaccurate, it will be subject to legal accountability; therefore, you must obtain the sheet from the manufacturer.

Before anything else, the MSDS is crucial for any office in any shipping line to consider the acceptance of this shipment for loading onto their vessels.

The MSDS is a required document for transporting hazardous goods, customs clearance, and obtaining other permits.