HOW TO READ A WHMIS SAFETY DATA SHEET
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SECTION 3: COMPOSITION/INFORMATION
ON INGREDIENTS
This section describes the makeup or ingredients the hazardous product is
composed of. It also describes whether the product is a pure substance or
mixture, what components are present, proportions/concentrations, as well as
whether any byproducts or impurities are present. In some cases, confidential
business information rules may apply resulting in one or more components
being withheld (trade secrets).
Chemical
Name
CAS
Number
Concentration
(% W/Vol)
Common Name/
Synonyms
Other
Identifiers
Methanol 67-56-1 80-90% Methyl Alcohol,
Wood Alcohol,
Carbinol, Wood
Spirit, Wood
Naphtha
Index
Number
1234532
Methanoic
Acid
64-18-6 10-20% Formic Acid,
Aminic Acid,
Hydrogen
Carboxylic Acid
Index
Number
567563
Chemical Name: The manufacturer has indicated that this product is
composed of two different ingredients: Methanol and Methanoic Acid.
The CAS Number is a unique identification number, assigned by the
Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS). It is used as a consistent and reliable
way of identifying chemical materials, despite the numerous names that
may exist for them. It is similar to how "Serial Numbers" or "SIN Numbers"
are used as identifiers.
The CAS Number can be used to identifiy specific Occupational Exposure
Limits (OELs). These can be matched and identified in the following:
Current occupational exposure limits for Ontario workplaces under
Regulation 833.
The Concentration refers to the proportion of a hazardous ingredient
present in a mixture. The manufacturer has expressed these values as a
percentage (%) weight per volume. In this example, the majority of the
mixture (higher concentrations) contains Methanol (80-90%) as opposed
to Methanoic Acid (10-20%).
Concentration directly influences the reactivity, properties and behaviour
of materials.
The higher the concentration of a hazardous ingredient:
– The more hazardous it can be.
– The more we will need to implement controls to safeguard workers.
– The more we should prioritze exposure monitoring (e.g. air sampling).
