MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS

Introduction

A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is an informational document prepared by the manufacturer or importer of a hazardous chemical which describes its physical and chemical properties, its physical and hazards and recommended precautions for handling, storage and disposal. Click here to get Information on How to Read MSDS.

Below are several links to MSDS web sites that you should find helpful. The first two web sites can be accessed by Berkeley Lab employees or guests only.

If you are unable to find an MSDS for a particular material, contact the manufacturer. The manufacturer's name and other contact information can normally be found on the container label. If you are still unable to find an MSDS, contact the EHS Industrial Hygienist assigned to your division for assistance.

Use these sites as your primary source of hazard information:

ChemWatch Material Safety Data Sheets

http://lbnl.chemwatchna.com/ ChemWatch ChemWatch is a database containing detailed information for a vast number of chemicals. It contains 150,000 unique ChemWatch MSDSs and approximately 3,500,000 MSDSs supplied by vendors. In addition to MSDSs, there are links to regulations and literature resources. It is also available in several languages. You must have Mozilla 1.7.3 (or greater) or Mozilla Firefox and you have to set your browser's pop-up blocker feature to accept this website.

UC ChemQuik UC ChemQuik The University of California’s National Laboratories and campuses combined efforts and resources to create a ‘one-stop’ source for chemical safety information.  This search engine will continue to grow as UC routinely adds major chemical vendors into its integrated database. To access this site, you must be connected through a recognized LBNL or  UC Berkeley campus computer

• Click here for instructions on downloading Mozilla Firefox
• Click here for instructions on how to set Mozilla Firefox pop-up blocker to accept the ChemWatch website
• Click here for instructions on how to set Mozilla's pop-up blocker to accept the ChemWatch website

Other Sources for MSDSs and Chemical Hazard Information