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M10.2 Blog about MSDS and ToxNet

Obtain a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) from your workplace or from the workplace of a family member or friend.   Material Safety Data Sheets are chemical information sheets created by chemical manufacturers that all employers are required to obtain and keep for any potentially hazardous chemicals in the workplace.

 For this blog post, I tried to find a material safety data sheet (MSDS) from UCSF. The MSDS I found is for "Equi-soft Foam Antimicrobial Handsoap" 
Here is a link to the MSDS: https://cleanhands.ucsfmedicalcenter.org/docs/Product%20information/Arichive/Equi-soft_Foam_MSDS.pdf
Review the MSDS and answer the following questions:
  • What are the health risks associated with this chemical?
There are four chemicals in the antimicrobial handsoap: 2-methylpentane-2,4-diol; amines, coco alkyldimethyl, n-oxides; Polyethylene Glycol; and benzalkonium chloride. The health risk associated with these chemicals is they can cause eye irritation and redness.

  • Is the chemical a carcinogen?
According to the MSDS, no ingredient in this product has components that are carcinogenic at the levels in the product.

  • What personal protective equipment or special precautions should be taken when working with this chemical?
There are no personal protective equipment or special precautions indicated on the MSDS when working with this chemical. 

  • If this is a chemical found in your workplace, what training/education were you given about any risks associated with this chemical?
This is a chemical found in my workplace and I was not given any training or education regarding any risks associated with this chemical. However, I do think there are labels on the hand soap dispensers that say they may cause eye irritation. 

Look up the chemical using the ToxNet databases you mastered while viewing the enviRN-EVIDENCE program. Were there any discrepancies regarding the potential health effects noted in the MSDS?

There were no discrepancies regarding the potential health effects noted in the MSDS compared to the ToxNet databases. In fact, on the UCSF website where they list all the different MSDSs they have, they also include a link to ToxNet so you can find and verify additional information. 
In your BLOG, write about your findings - about the potential dangers associated with the chemical/product you looked up. Was the MSDS an adequate tool for a worker to use to gain an understanding about the potential health risks and how to protect him/herself? (Consider that the general public reads at a reading level at or below 6th grade, and that's if English is their first language.)

 I think the MSDS was difficult to read and navigate. I think it is appropriate for people working in healthcare settings who are used to reading materials like this, but I would advocate for a more user-friendly version that is more accessible to the general public. 

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