MU Environmental Health and Safety: Material Safety Data Sheets

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and hazard communication labels are the first place to look for information concerning hazardous properties of chemical products. The OSHA Hazard Communication Standard requires that all chemical manufacturers and importers supply an appropriate MSDS to their customers. Chemical manufactures typically develop their own MSDS. All users should be able to access an MSDS for all hazardous chemicals used.

MSDS Management at MU

The University of Missouri is taking a two-pronged approach to MSDS Management. Colleges, Departments and Units can choose to manage MSDSs electronically (either on their own or through the MU-Sponsored method) or with physical paper copies. The MU-Sponsored Method is a commercial product which has been purchased called MSDSonline. Complete information about this program is available on the MSDSonline portal page

Users that wish to create their own solution should probably include links to the common manufacturers found in their workspace such as Fisher Scientific, Sigma-Aldrich, & Mallinckrodt/ Baker. These sites, plus other useful links, can be found in the "Related Links" box on this page.

User that prefer to manage paper copies (aka "hard copies") of MSDSs may continue to do so. However, keep in mind that the more chemicals you are managing, the more difficult it becomes to keep your hard copies current. You may decide to only keep the most frequently used or most hazardous chemicals used in hard copies, while also participating in one of the electronic solutions described above.

What does an MSDS Contain?

Most modern MSDS contain 16 sections. In the "Related Links" box, you can access the MSDS Guide, a PDF that describes MSDSs in detail. If you need this information in another format, please don't hesitate to contact EHS by phone at (573) 882-7018 or by e-mail at .