1. Material
Safety
D ata
Sheet

2. What is a Material Safety Data Sheet?
A MSDS is a document prepared by
the manufacturer of a hazardous substance.
A MSDS describes the properties and
uses of a particular hazardous substance.

3. A MSDS will contain the following details :
identity of the substance
chemical and physical properties
of the substance
health hazard information
precautions for use and safe
handling information
Occupational Health and Safety (Safety Standards) Regulations 1994, regulation 6.05

4. Why do I need a Material Safety Data Sheet?
There are tens of thousands of chemicals used in
workplaces, ranging from metal dusts and fumes
to cleaning agents.
Not all chemicals are alike, some chemicals are
necessary to support life, for example amino
acids are the building blocks of our bodies.
Other chemicals such as hydrogen
cyanide, a naturally occurring
compound, can end life very quickly.

5. Why do I need a Material Safety Data Sheet?
To assess the risks to health that these chemicals
may pose we need information on the hazardous
nature of the chemical substance.
A MSDS is designed to provide this information.
Without a MSDS the user could remain ignorant of
the hazardous nature of the substance, how it
could affect their health or
safety and what to do in case
of an emergency.

6. Why do I need a Material Safety Data Sheet?
For employers, there is a legal obligation to obtain
a MSDS on or before the first supply of the
hazardous substance.
This MSDS must be made readily available to all
persons that use the substance or have
reasonable need for requesting the information.

7. Where does the Material Safety Data
Sheet come from?
The hazardous substance regulations require
suppliers of hazardous substances to workplaces
to provide a copy of the MSDS.
The MSDS should be provided on the first supply
of the substance to a workplace or should be
available upon request.
The manufacturer can be contacted for a copy of
the MSDS if one is not available from the supplier.

8. What if the supplier will not provide a
Material Safety Data Sheet?
There are four reasons why a MSDS is not available for a
substance:
1. the substance has been determined not to be hazardous according to
the Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC) (formerly
NOHSC) document Approved Criteria for Classifying Hazardous
Substances
2. the substance is old stock, is no longer produced and no MSDS is
available
3. the substance is a mixture that contains hazardous substance(s) but the
proportion is below the cut off limit used to determine whether the
mixture is hazardous
4. the supplier is not complying with the law.

9. How do I know what should be on a
Material Safety Data Sheet?
1. company details
2. sufficient information
to identify the product
3. the recommended
uses of the product
4. the physical and
chemical properties
5. the ingredients

10. How do I know what should be on a
Material Safety Data Sheet?
6. health hazard information such as the health effects and
first aid procedures
7. precautions for use, such as exposure standards, use of
personal protective equipment and flammability
8. safe handling information, such as storage and transport,
dealing with spills and disposal, fire hazard
9. the manufacturer’s contact point.
National Code of Practice for the Preparation of Material Safety Data Sheets.

11. When do I need a Material Safety Data Sheet?
It is a minimum mandatory requirement to have
a MSDS for a hazardous substance in the
workplace.
However it is good OHS management practice
to have MSDS on all substances being used by
employees, not just the designated hazardous
substances.
Occupational Health and Safety Act 1991

12. Current OH&S Legislation:
From 24 April 2008, the information
provided in an
MSDS must conform with the requirements
of the
National Code of Practice for the
Preparation of
Material Safety Data Sheets
[NOHSC:2011(2003)].
The national code is
available at
www.ascc.gov.au

13. How can I tell if a Material Safety Data Sheet
does not conform?
1. Must be written in English, translation into other languages is not
acceptable
2. Must be written in plain English and should not contain
abbreviations
3. There should be no blank spaces under any headings
4. Must be an Australian MSDS, overseas information is not
acceptable
5. Must not be more than 5 years old
6. All pages must be numbered and the total number of pages
given eg page 1 of 4 etc
7. Must not be marked ‘confidential’ or ‘not to be copied’
8. Must show a date of issue in ‘month/year’ format