From: ILPI Support <info**At_Symbol_Here**ilpi.com>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] A Conundrum
Date: Sat, 24 Sep 2016 13:45:24 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 26430592-8319-436F-A66F-C5F0969CA724**At_Symbol_Here**ilpi.com
In-Reply-To <46tib1cg4x0oh4kgjkhl92o7.1474719397248**At_Symbol_Here**email.android.com>


Eddie, you're wrong on that.  SDS's are only required for substances that meet the OSHA definition of hazardous as defined in 29 CFR 1910.1200, the Hazard Communication Standard. Water does not meet this definition which "means any chemical which is classified as a physical hazard or a health hazard, a simple asphyxiant, combustible dust, pyrophoric gas, or hazard not otherwise classified."  See http://www.ilpi.com/msds/osha/1910_1200.html#1910.1200(c) and the pertinent definitions within that definition.

Hot water scalds and slipping on spilled water are insufficient grounds to classify water as a physical hazard and do not meet the definition of a Hazard Not Otherwise Classified. From an OSHA interpretation letter dated 03/04/2014 (see http://www.ilpi.com/msds/osha/I20140304a.html ):

"The term physical effect generally refers to a material impairment of health or functional capacity caused by the intrinsic hazard(s) of a particular chemical in normal conditions of use or foreseeable emergencies. Scalds caused by exposure to chemicals at high temperatures, and slips and falls caused by treading on a solid chemical shaped in a rounded form or spilled liquids are not covered physical effects under the HNOC definition. By way of example, water is not classified as an HNOC merely because an employee might be scalded by contact with boiling water or because an employee might contract hypothermia by being immersed in cold water for a long period of time. Similarly, water is not classified as an HNOC by virtue of the fact that an employee might be injured when slipping and falling on a wet surface or when sprayed by water at high pressure. The foregoing examples of adverse physical effects that are outside the scope of HNOCs are designed to assist in better understanding the concept of HNOCs. They are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to chemicals, such as water, which are not hazardous chemicals."

You are correct that both scalds and slipping are hazards, but these exists for any liquid substance and are extrinsic hazards, which are not part of the HCS.  HCS deals specifically with intrinsic hazards of materials.

Best wishes,

Rob Toreki

 ======================================================
Safety Emporium - Lab & Safety Supplies featuring brand names
you know and trust.  Visit us at http://www.SafetyEmporium.com
esales**At_Symbol_Here**safetyemporium.com  or toll-free: (866) 326-5412
Fax: (856) 553-6154, PO Box 1003, Blackwood, NJ 08012




On Sep 24, 2016, at 8:22 AM, McGrath Edward J <Edward.McGrath**At_Symbol_Here**REDCLAY.K12.DE.US> wrote:

I think Edward Movitz has answered the conundrum:  it boils down (sorry, couldn't resist) to the origin.  If water is purchased from a chemical supply company,  the company must provide an SDS according to GHS.  If water is piped in through the plumbing,  there are regulations for what comes out of the spigot.    I keep a copy of an SDS of H2O as liquid water on hand for my schools.  

However,  recognizing that my world is the K-12 science classes, the two main hazards posed by water (absent other chemicals) are 1) dangers of boiling water and 2) the slippery and almost invisible nature of water spilled on a linoleum floor.  Neither of these appears on the SDS but both have resulted in student (and teacher) injuries. 

One more water joke:

Johnny was a chemist's son
But now he is no more.
For what he thought was H2O
Was H2SO4.

Cheers everybody

Eddie McGrath 



Sent from my Galaxy Tab =AE A


-------- Original message --------
From: Edward Movitz <movitz**At_Symbol_Here**OLEMISS.EDU>
Date: 9/24/16 8:06 AM (GMT-05:00)
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] A Conundrum


On Sep 24, 2016, at 5:28 AM, Patricia Redden <predden**At_Symbol_Here**SAINTPETERS.EDU> wrote:

You might want to check out the website www.dhmo.org, which has an MSDS for dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO).

Pat Redden

On Fri, Sep 23, 2016 at 2:01 PM, Ben Ruekberg <bruekberg**At_Symbol_Here**chm.uri.edu> wrote:

My curiosity will not allow me to wait until April first, when it might be more excusable, to ask this question.

 

There is a chemical which can be found in almost every laboratory.  Most laboratories even have it piped in.  There are (M)SDSs for this material and yet, while I am told that we are required to have the (M)SDS for each of the chemicals in our laboratory on hand,  I don't believe that many laboratories keep a copy of the (M)SDS for this substance in print.  I refer, of course, to water.

 

OK, I hear you saying "Of course no one has the (M)SDS for water on hand.  It's water."  And I agree: I mean it's in the safety showers, we wash our hands with it before leaving the lab.  But it's a chemical.  I can understand why I would make an exception for it, but does OSHA? 

 

Can anyone tell me why safety documentation is not required for water?  Or is it?  Or is it, but no one makes a fuss about it?

 

Thank you very much,

 

Ben


Virus-free. www.avast.com
--- This e-mail is from DCHAS-L, the e-mail list of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety. For more information about the list, contact the Divisional secretary at secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org

--- This e-mail is from DCHAS-L, the e-mail list of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety. For more information about the list, contact the Divisional secretary at secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
--- This e-mail is from DCHAS-L, the e-mail list of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety. For more information about the list, contact the Divisional secretary at secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
--- This e-mail is from DCHAS-L, the e-mail list of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety. For more information about the list, contact the Divisional secretary at secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org

Previous post   |  Top of Page   |   Next post



The content of this page reflects the personal opinion(s) of the author(s) only, not the American Chemical Society, ILPI, Safety Emporium, or any other party. Use of any information on this page is at the reader's own risk. Unauthorized reproduction of these materials is prohibited. Send questions/comments about the archive to secretary@dchas.org.
The maintenance and hosting of the DCHAS-L archive is provided through the generous support of Safety Emporium.