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Hazardous Materials and Safety Data
Many chemical compounds are hazardous and require special care when handling. Various sources of information regarding potential hazards and safety precautions for chemical compounds are available. One of the most common resources consulted for this type of information is the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). MSDSs, which are required by law for any hazardous substance, include information on potential health effects if exposed to the chemical as well as proper use, storage, handling, and emergency procedures.

Below is a select listing of the best sources (print and electronic) for MSDSs or other resources that contain similar hazard and safety information..

Print Resources / Online Resources

Print Resources

Genium's Handbook of Safety, Health, and Environmental Data for Common Hazardous Substances
This three volume set provides a summary of physical properties, toxicity data, reproductive/teratogenic, mutagenic, or tumorigenic data for commonly-used hazardous substances. Each entry also provides a "hazard overview" that includes health, flammability/combustibility, reactivity, and carcinogenicity information. Use the name or CAS RN index in Volume 3 to locate a specific chemical.
Ref T55.3.H3 G46 1999 (3 volumes)
Ref T55.3.H3 G46 1999 DISC

Hazardous Substances Resource Guide
This guide includes a section that contains chemical profiles for common hazardous substances. This profile lists the danger (mutagen, carcinogen, poison, corrosive, etc), uses, appearance, odor, effects of exposure, first aid, and proper storage. Use the chemical name index to locate entries for a specific substance.
Ref T55.3.H3 H444 1997

Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials
This resource supplies hazardous information on workplace substances. Information includes toxicity data, safety profiles, and hazard ratings. Locate substances by using the CAS RN or synonym indices in Volume 1. Use the introduction in Volume 1 to decipher numerous abbreviations used in each entry.
Ref T55.3.H3 L494 2000 (3 volumes)

Online Resources

Hazardous Substances Data Bank
The HSDB is a database of chemicals focusing on providing hazardous substances information pertaining to human health effects such as toxicity and carcinogenicity, environmental fate and exposure, environmental standards and regulations, and occupational exposure standards. This database is produced and maintained by the National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine. It is a part of the ToxNet collection of databases.
http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?HSDB

Sigma-Aldrich
Sigma-Aldrich (chemical supplier) supplies MSDSs for all of the hazardous chemical substances that they list in their catalog. Search for MSDSs by name, formula, or CAS registry number. MSDSs can be found in the "Related Documents" section on the left-hand side of the product detail page.
Note: Often substances have more than one entry, as Sigma-Aldrich provides various forms based on a variety of conditions (purity, sterility, etc.).
http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/search/AdvancedSearchPage

J.T. Baker
J.T. Baker, a chemical supplier, has a specific section of their website devoted to searching current MSDSs of the chemicals they sell. Searching can be done by product (chemical) name, molecular formula, or CAS RN.
Note: Often substances have more than one entry, as Baker provides various forms based on a variety of conditions (purity, sterility, etc.).
http://www.jtbaker.com/asp/Catalog.asp

NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards
This guide provides "general industrial hygiene information" regarding occupational chemical hazards. Browse entries by chemical name or CAS registry number. Information listed for each substance includes personal protection recommendations, first aid procedures, exposure routes, symptoms and target organs.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npg.html

Household Products Database
This database supplies health and safety information about everyday household items such as cleansers, personal care products, pet care products and lawn products. Browse through product categories or by product name or search for a specific brand name, type of product or manufacturer. An MSDS search based on effect, such as headache or dizziness, is available. However, the MSDS itself is not available through this database. Each entry includes a section on health effects and first aid as well as handling and disposal.
http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/

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