Australia's Science Forum

Hi All
I hate to do this to you but you don't have to have a hard copy of a MSDS as after you have printed it of it could be out of date just like that.
The Dept (Glen Sawle said yesterday that we have chemwatch and that is all you need son stop printing the MSDS's of labbies and all you need to say is I can get them on Chemwatch)
The only time you need to print a MSDS is if the teacher wants one for a class that day and then you put it in the bin because it may be out of date by the end of the day)
I am sorry the bring you this news if you have already printed them
Noona
P.S. this is for Dept school

Then why does the audit ask to see where they are stored, with a correct label etc, and have they been updated.

Hi Sue
If you talk to Glen he will explain it better that me it is what he told us yesterday Sorry
Noona
glen.sawle@det.nsw.edu.au
I am just telling what he told us

I must say that at audit, I have never been asked for MSDS, just a chemical register/stocktake. And have never printed off MSDS for that very reason, that chemwatch is a few clicks away.

I think this Glen guy should put this in writing so that we have a leg to stand on when we get audited and the demand to see the MSDS. Until I am 200% positive and have heard from more than one source, I think its best to be on the safe side and stick to RA and MSDS. More work for me but at least my a-s will be safe

Sass

Yes sorry Noona, it was good of you to tell us, I am sorry.

I should have added, thanks Noona for clarifying both of those issues for us. I feel better now about the decisions I made ages ago about not my responsibility to do RA's and that MSDS are better on a computer than a massive hard copy file.

Yes thank you Noona

I have another question, what happens if there is an accident and you cannot get onto chemwatch??? The number of times that I have not been able to get on to the chemwatch site... What do you do then. And there could be other computer problems, not to mention internet failures... What happens in those situations?

Sass

SASSI,
WE MUST BE TWINS SEPARATED AT BIRTH THOUGH BORN IN DIFFERENT COUNTIRES AS i WAS THINKING THE SAME THING ALSO CHEMWATCH CAN BE SO SLooooW AT TIMES THAT IT IS JUST EASIER TO PICK A FOLDER OFF THE SHELF.

Lorrae

Hi everyone,
I am totally confused as one of the things that they picked us up on at our audit before last was the fact that even though we had a chemical register and a spare copy at the front office we only had MSDS copies in science. We were told we needed to have them at the front office for the fire brigade, police etc.
They said you need to have a hard copy in case of fire etc when (as people have said) the computer may not be working.
Perhaps Glen Sawle and the dept. could send out a letter to all principals clarifying this issue.
Helen

I have emailed Glen, just to let you all know, but unsure as to when I will get a answer from him.

Yes, wouldn't that be a great idea. Ever since this CSIS was introduced there has been confusion as to what is actually required!

Hi everyone, can i ask a question? When people say they have had an audit is that audit done by the dept or worksafe or the NSW equivelent.
Here audits involving risk assessments or msds are done by worksafe, the dept is not involved at all
Narelle Divola
Irymple Secondary College
Irymple Vic

I will have to ask the SAM, I have no idea where they came from, just know they come each year or so.

This is taken from CSIS on line, I have not over typed on any thing, I just copy & Pasted, but it may only add to the confusion.

Chemtalk, please have a great weekend.

C

Could I raise an important issue with this,

What happens when the computer network is down or there is/are power outages. Etc.


Cheers,

Robb.....

I was told, for the reason Robb raises, that we must have hard copies of all MSDSs in Science AND also in the clinic.

What confusion!

Robbie

I think perhaps the key word is HAZARDOUS materials. Not every substance we use is classed as hazardous.

As for keeping them in case of fire - do you really think the firefighters are going to look at 3 binders full of MSDS's reading every fire precaution before they start putting out the fire? A chemical register is probably all they would be interested in (if at all) and then they get the info from experts over their radios.

The labels on each container should have the important safety info on them - most of ours do. Eg, "In case of contact with skin flush with water" or "if swallowed seek advice from Poisons Information Centre (with the number which I can't think of off the top of my head...)" so for minor incidents around the lab I would imagine this is enough information. If you really desperately feel the need to look something up, the CSIS has most chemicals in it with all the information you could need without all the excess rubbish contained in an MSDS. Much easier to find what you're looking for.

May I point out that all of the above is personal opinion and not based on anything I've seen/read or legislation or anything else.

Please check back a page and read the CSIS, see what you think.

Has anyone actually read the MSDS for water? I think I have mentioned this on Chemtalk before.

"CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS
Long-term exposure to the product is not thought to produce chronic effects adverse to the health (as classified by EC Directives using animal models); nevertheless exposure by all routes should be minimised as a matter of course."

exposure by all routes should be minimised as a matter of course

Someone needs to tell this to those people who tell us to drink several litres a day...