Guidelines for care & Use of Dry Solvent Stills [Example]

2. HMIS / NFPA Chemical Hazard Ratings on Departmental MSDS Sheets
Although the OSHA Laboratory Standard is the particular law applicable to an academic
laboratory setting, it should also include the requirements for hazardous chemical assessment contained in
the previous standard, the Hazard Communication Standard.
“....Chemical manufacturers and importers shall evaluate chemicals produced in their workplace
or imported by them to determine if they are hazardous. Employers are not required to evaluate
chemicals unless they choose not to rely on the evaluation performed by the chemical
manufacturer or importer for the chemical to satisfy this requirement.”
“Chemical manufacturers, importers, or employers evaluating chemicals shall describe in
writing the procedures they use to determine the hazards of the chemical they evaluate. The
written procedures are to be made available, upon request, to employees, their designated
representatives, the Assistant Secretary and the Director. The written description may be
incorporated into the written hazard communication program....”
“The hazard determination requirement of this standard is performance-oriented. Chemical
manufacturers, importers, and employers evaluating chemicals are not required to follow any
specific methods for determining hazards, but they must be able to demonstrate that they have
adequately ascertained the hazards of the chemicals produced or imported in accordance with the
criteria set forth....”
“The standard’s design is simple. Chemical manufacturers and importers must evaluate the
hazards of the chemicals they produce or import. Using that information, they must then prepare
labels for containers, and more detailed technical bulletins called material safety data sheets
(MSDS).
Chemical manufacturers, importers, and distributors of hazardous chemicals are all
required to provide the appropriated labels and [MSDS] to the employers to which they ship the
chemicals. The information is to be provided automatically. Every container of hazardous
chemicals you receive must be labeled, tagged, or marked with the required information. Your
suppliers must also send you a properly completed....MSDS....at the time of the first shipment of
the chemical, and with the next shipment after the MSDS is updated with new and significant
information about the hazards.
You can rely on the information received from your suppliers. You have no independent
duty to analyze the chemical or evaluate the hazards of it.”
(29 CFR Chpt. XVII (7-1-95 Edition), 1910.1200 and Appendices C and E).
OSHA generally endorses a universal method of hazard assessment originated by the National Paint and
Coatings Association.
This department rates all newly received chemicals with the National Paint and Coatings
Association‟s Hazardous Materials Identification System (HMIS). The laboratory manager has
determined that this practice serves as a convenient system for listing individual “particularly
hazardous substances” (that is, carcinogens/mutagens/teratogens/acutely toxic compounds). The
HMIS system is similar in most respects to the National Fire Protection Association system (NFPA). The
NFPA system lists various hazards which are included in the HMIS numerical classification already. See
page 49 of Prudent Practices, 2nd edition. A commercial HMIS “Implementation Manual” is also kept in
the Chemistry Department stockroom, room # 110. Both systems serve as a nationally recognized method
of rating hazards. All lab chemical suppliers and manufacturers publish Material Safety Data Sheets
(MSDS) for chemicals they sell and many supply HMIS / NFPA ratings either on the MSDS or the chemical
bottle label.
This department maintains a set of complete MSDS sheets in the stockroom, room # 110, with
HMIS / NFPA ratings printed in the upper right-hand margin on the first page of each sheet set. They are
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