Information is the Key!

Your first line of defense in protecting yourself against hazardous chemicals is knowledge of the chemical itself.  All chemical containers in your workplace must have a proper label, which identifies the chemical and gives some information about its hazards.

Also, Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) must be kept in the workplace for each chemical used.  These documents provide you with much more detailed hazard information and warnings.

First, let's talk about the information found on container labels, then we'll look at MSDSs in more detail.