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Safety Data Sheets
Safety Data Sheets (SDS) are guides to hazardous materials. These are often created and distributed by chemical manufacturers, distributors, or importers.
In 2012 the Occupational Safety & Health Administration required SDSs to be presented in a standardized 16 section format (you can see an example here). These sections include:
- Properties of each chemical
- Physical, health, and environmental hazards
- Protective measures
- Safety precautions for handling, storage, and transportation
Below are some resources for finding MSDSs or SDSs. You can find similar property information in databases like SciFinder Scholar.
- Hazard Communication Standard OSHA StandardAn outline on the elements included in the new OSHA standardized SDSs.
- Fisher Scientific SDS SearchSearch for SDS by Fisher Scientific Catalog Number, CAS number, chemical name, or supplier part number
- 3E SDS SearchSDS Search, run by 3E.
Lab Safety
- Compressed Gas Association (CGA)The professional organizations representing all facets of the compress gas industry. Develops and promotes safety standards and safe practices in the industrial gas industry.
- Laboratory Safety InstituteLSI's mission is "to make health and safety an integral and important part of science education, our work, and our lives." There site provides links to safety guidelines, checklists and other sources for lab safety. There are links to seminars, workshops, internships, sabbaticals, a listserv and an online newsletter.
- Laboratory Techniques VideosVideos from the University of Alberta demonstrating laboratory techniques. Good demonstrations, but lacking in some safety procedures.
Hazardous Chemicals Information
- TOXNET (NIH)TOXNET was retired in 2020, and information has been integrated into other National Library of Medicine product and services. This is a list of where that information has been integrated.
- NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical HazardsThe Pocket Guide provides industrial hygiene information fro 677 chemicals or substance groupings. It is searchable by chemical name, trade name or CAS registry number. Presents information for 677 chemicals or substance groupings in tabular form.
- Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances (RTECS)Run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, RTECS is composed of data from open scientific literature. According to the CDC, it covers six types of data: "(1) primary irritation; (2) mutagenic effects; (3) reproductive effects; (4) tumorigenic effects; (5) acute toxicity; and (6) other multiple dose toxicity."
- Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) ProgramA publicly available Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) database that tracks certain toxic chemicals that may pose a threat to human and environmental health. Read the About page for more information on how the data is collected.
- Toxic Substances PortalThe Department of Health and Human Services's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Web site. Provides an alphabetic list of substances and includes information about characteristics, exposure risks, associated health effects and related CDC and ATSDR health studies and assessments.
Federal Sources for Safety
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is part of the CDC and focuses on research and recommendations for the prevention of work related injury and illness. Includes information on industries & occupations, hazards & exposures, diseases & injuries, chemicals, and more.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)The US Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration Website. Includes a section on Laboratories and what standards apply as well as a chemical database, a complete A-Z list and other safety related information
- EPA Substance Registry ServiceThe Substance Registry Service (SRS) is the system used by the EPA to keep information about substances tracked or regulated by the EPA. Includes information on chemicals, biological organisms, and other substances of interest to the EPA and partners.
- Specialized Information Services: Chemical & Drug InformationContains ChemIDplus, a database of 400,000 chemicals with links to various governmental sources for each substance.