A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is a document that contains information on the potential hazards (health, fire, reactivity and environmental) and how to work safely with the chemical product. It is an essential starting point for the development of a complete health and safety program.

The hazard class and category will be provided in Section 2 (Hazard Identification) of the SDS. Each hazard class or category must use specific pictograms and other label elements to indicate the hazard that is present, and what precautionary measures must be taken.

Hazard Classification is a process required under paragraph (d) of 29 CFR 1910.1200 (the OSHA Haz-com standard) Specifically: Classification lists the specific Classes of hazards, for example carcinogenicity or flammable solid. Within the Hazard Classes the degree of hazard is indicated with a Category.

A product is considered hazardous if it has one or more of the following properties:

• Flammable/combustible. can easily be set on fire.
• Explosive/reactive. can detonate or explode through exposure to heat, sudden shock, pressure or incompatible substances.
• Corrosive.
• Toxic.

Types of workplace hazards include chemical, ergonomic, physical, psychosocial and general workplace. Luckily, there are ways to mitigate the risks from these hazards such as through planning, training and monitoring.

A hazard is something that can cause harm, e.g. electricity, chemicals, working up a ladder, noise, a keyboard, a bully at work, stress, etc. For example, working alone away from your office can be a hazard. The risk of personal danger may be high.

• 1 Physical hazards. Physical hazards are those substances or conditions that threaten our physical safety.
• 2 Biological hazards.
• 3 Chemical hazards.
• 4 Cultural/practice-related hazards.
• 5 Social hazards.

Examples of engineering controls for physical hazards include: Providing safety equipment to employees that reduces their exposure to the physical safety hazard. Reduce noises and vibrations present in the workplace. Place barriers between employees and physical hazards such as radiation or microwaves.

In the workplace there are two types of chemical hazards: health hazards and physicochemical hazards.

There are four basic types of military agents that can be used for chemical terrorism: choking agents (chlorine, phosgene), blister agents (mustard, Lewisite, phosgene oxime), blood agents (cyanide, hydrogen cyanide), and nerve agents (tabun, sarin, soman, VX).

Exploding Bomb: Explosives, including organic peroxides and highly unstable material at risk of exploding even without exposure to air (self-reactives). Flame Over Circle: Identifies oxidizers.

Health Hazard Also known to mean caution. This is the closest replacement to the previous harmful and irritant classifications. The symbol is an exclamation mark.

A pictogram, also called a pictogramme, pictograph, or simply picto, and in computer usage an icon, is a graphic symbol that conveys its meaning through its pictorial resemblance to a physical object. Some pictograms, such as Hazards pictograms, are elements of formal languages.

On another occasion, a pictogram is created where each picture represents two birds. Reading and interpreting the data is clearly explained. The captivating language helps to reinforce the mathematical concepts and vocabulary associated with data handling and pictograms.

A pictogram is a chart that uses pictures or symbols to represent data so you don’t have to look at lots of numbers. You have to read pictograms carefully so you understand what the symbols mean.

Standard Pictogram. The Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) requires pictograms on labels to alert users of the chemical hazards to which they may be exposed. Each pictogram consists of a symbol on a white background framed within a red border and represents a distinct hazard(s).