The Data Sheets in this collection represent all of the chemicals and chemical products used at Western New England College that are considered "hazardous" by OSHA. It should include all chemicals that are still in use including some that may not have been purchased recently.  

 
Western New England College Electronic Binder (eBinder).

Access:

The E&SC Home page contains a blue "Direct Access" button that will give direct your browser to the College's eBinder. This access can be obtained from any computer with internet access whether on or off campus. This unlimited access was created so that emergency responders and medical personnel can have the most immediate and complete information possible. (NOTE: In the event that our computer system is not operating and/or in the event of an electrical power failure, the College's Master file, which is a paper backup of all of these documents, is accessible thought the E&SC Office during business hours or through Public Safety at other times.)

Search Screen:

A search screen will appear that will allow searching of all of the MSDS for Western New England College. (This does NOT search all of the MSDS available on the internet.) Each MSDS is indexed by several tags: Product Name, Manufacturer/Distributor, Building, and Department as well as the notation of a revision date. Each search will produce a list of all of the MSDS that fit that search criteria. 

First try the search with the most general term on the label such as "paint" or "acid". Be sure to use the term used on the product label. What you call a "cleanser" may be indexed as a "scouring powder", or a "paint thinner" may be sold as a "brush cleaner". If the resultant list is too long, add a more of the product name or add the manufacturer. It is very helpful to note that the search will work with partial words. A search like "spray clean" will produce a list of products with that sequence of letters in the name such as "carburetor spray cleaner" to "spray cleaning polish". 

It may be easier to search for an MSDS by using the manufacture's name only. This search is done with the "Manufacturers" tab.  A list of all of the manufactures in the eBinder will appear.  Selecting one will generate a list of all MSDS from that manufacturer.  Your target MSDS may be discernable from that list. A search for the manufacturer "Buckeye" will result in a list of MSDS from the Buckeye International, Inc. only half of which use the word "Buckeye" in the product name.  Note that some manufactures may issue MSDS from several different divisions. 

A search can also be done by building and department.  The tab "Campus Location" will list the major buildings on campus and the departments within each building that have MSDS in the eBinder.  The departments that work throughout campus; Housekeeping, HVAC, Buildings, Grounds, and Public Safety are listed only in their main location.

Search Results:

Each successful search will result in a list of one or more MSDS. To look at one just double click on the PDF icon for that line. An Adobe Acrobat Reader window will appear and the MSDS will be visible. All of the Acrobat Reader functions are enabled. The page can be maximized, pages turned, and so on. The page can also be printed or e-mailed to another location. 

It is important to read the Product Identification (usually the first section) carefully. The product name used in indexing an item may not be detailed enough to identify the item you are dealing with. This is most common among laboratory reagents where many grades and concentrations exist.  Most suppliers like Aldrich and Fisher will identify their products with a specific catalog or product number as well as the name.

Common problems:

More than one MSDS with the same product name:

1. Different revision dates. Choose the data sheet with the most recent revision date.
2. Some common chemicals may be purchased from several different vendors. Ethyl alcohol in the laboratories or SAE 30 motor oil at Transportation are examples. Check for the manufacture's name on the container label.
3. Some chemicals come in different levels of purity such as "Reagent Grade" or "HPLC Grade". Look for these distinctions on the label.
4. Some chemicals may be packaged for different application methods such as cleaners listed as a "Concentrate" or "RTU" (Ready to Use), or the same paint available as "aerosol" or "brush on".

1. May be "Nonhazardous" under OSHA definitions. Some manufacturers will still produce a MSDS that says "no OSHA hazardous ingredients" but most will not bother. 
2. May have been brought onto campus or purchased without going through the College's procurement system. Please notify the E&SC Office of these chemicals.
3. You may be too specific with the product name. Some products with many slight variations such as paints or inks may have one MSDS for that type of product rather than one for each color.  Use a more generalized product name.
4. The product name may be indexed using abbreviations. Some examples are HD for Heavy Duty oils or cleaners, SG for semi gloss paints, and INT or EXT for interior or exterior paints.
5. The brand name on the label may not be the company producing the MSDS. The company Sigma-Aldrich sells chemicals manufactured by Sigma or Aldrich as well as Fluka and Riedel-de-Haen.  Krylon spray paints are made by the Sherwin Williams Company.  Check the back or bottom of a label to see if there is a  name different than the brand name.