Getting MSDSes

MSDSes are Material Safety Datasheets - the standard thing used in industry to make statements about a product's safety.

It is the manufacturer's responsibility to provide MSDSes for their products, and many retailers and distributors have the MSDSes at the point of purchase. However knowing this does not make the task of locating an MSDS any easier, and we predict that the cashier at your local hardware shop will give you a blank stare when you ask for an MSDS for the tube of Goop you are buying. Fortunately there are a few other ways to obtain MSDSes:

• Check out these websites:
  

  Where to get MSDSes on the Internet

  MSDS online

• Many manufactures provide MSDSes on their websites. Some manufactures are hesitant to reveal secret formulas to the world, so they provide an e-mail contact for you to request the MSDS. At any rate, check out the web site for the glue you have just purchased. You never know what you might learn.
• Phone the manufacture and ask for an MSDS. You should find their name and usually their number on the package.

Other points:

• Make sure that you request the formula specific to the county in which you are purchasing the adhesive. Many large chemical companies have manufacturers all over the world that have formulas that differ slightly.
• Getting a current MSDS is a challenge. They should not be more than three years old if you providing them for a place of employment.

Once you get your MSDS the next step is knowing how to understand what it is you are reading! But that is for another page.