Dispelling Myths and Dispensing Facts: CCOHS First Aid Guide is Vital to MSDS Writers

Many products requiring a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) are unique in their formulation, and in the hazards they represent to users. This fact, combined with possible confusion regarding the appropriateness of some first-aid procedures, poses a barrier to providing safe and effective first-aid advice within the context of an MSDS.

The CCOHS publication titled The Material Safety Data Sheet: A Practical Guide to First Aid, was created expressly to assist in the preparation of MSDS documents, and help ensure that proper first-aid measures are recommended according to specific characteristics of the product being addressed. Following its step-by-step procedures will provide an MSDS writer with clear guidelines to establish product-specific, first aid procedures in the event of inhalation, ingestion, or exposure to skin or eyes.

The document begins by outlining basic parameters, such as defining the role of first-aid providers; relating first-aid procedures to the established health effects of the product in question; avoiding overstatement of worst case scenarios; and other guidelines.

Next, several misperceptions of first aid are explored, especially those related to the use of oxygen; the advisability of inducing vomiting; and neutralization with acids or bases. The document clearly establishes instances where these procedures are called for, and where they may actually threaten the victims well being.

Finally, a series of easy-to-follow Decision Trees are supplied to guide the MSDS writer in determining recommended first aid for exposure via inhalation, ingestion, or contact with skin and eyes. These Decision Trees introduce questions requiring a "Yes" or "No" response, such as: Is the substance non-irritating and low toxicity? The resulting response leads to either specific recommendations or new queries: Is the material flammable? Does it pose an immediate health threat? Does it represent a significant long-term health concern? Each response narrows the various first-aid procedures down to a series most suitable for the product, its hazards and properties, and the type of exposure under consideration.

"The Practical Guide to First Aid is the closest thing we've seen to a do-it-yourself first-aid manual. Proper first-aid procedures are important issues for both the manufacturers and users of potentially hazardous substances. The recommended actions incorporated in many MSDS documents are often too generalized and non-specific. By following the Decision Trees in this guide, first-aid measures can be tailored to the unique risks posed by the substance, and the MSDS writer can determine the best actions to be taken in the event of an accident," says Len Hong, CCOHS President.

The Material Safety Data Sheet: A Practical Guide to First Aid is available free on the CCOHS website www.ccohs.ca.

Recognized internationally as an innovative and authoritative resource, CCOHS is a national non-profit organization, established in 1978 by the Government of Canada, to foster and improve the prevention of work-related injuries and illnesses in Canada. CCOHS collects, evaluates and distributes information on workplace health, safety and environmental issues from sources around the world. CCOHS is governed by a council comprised of representatives from employers, labour and government; and is committed to providing impartial and accurate information to all clients.

The Centre represents Canada for the International Labour Organization's CIS National Centre Program, and is a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre.

For more information, please contact CCOHS at 1-800-668-4284 or (905) 572-2981, by e-mail at clientservices@ccohs.ca or visit www.ccohs.ca.