Lincoln Electric is moving to enhance the value of its current Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and to comply with OSHA's revised Hazard Communication Standard and the Global Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS).

Soon, we will replace our current MSDS with a multi-page 16 section Safety Data Sheet (SDS). The new SDS format will contain enhanced technical environmental, health, safety and regulatory information and will no longer be included in the product packaging.

The new SDS will be sent to our customers electronically and made available on our website. To replace the MSDS in each package, Lincoln Electric has developed a new Safe Use Guide. These Safe Use Guides will be found in each package of welding consumable and are much more user friendly, providing product specific health, safety and hazard information that is more practical for the end user's reference. The documents will be available in multiple languages.

This section describes the manufacturer, the product, and contains the general company contact information. The enhanced SDS is specific to each product and size specification. This provides the most accurate information possible to the customer because product composition and % make-up can vary by product diameter. This way, the information that will be the most useful to the customer for hazard communication or regulatory reporting will have the highest level of accuracy and specificity.

This section serves as an overview that summarizes the key hazards involved with product handling and usage. This information provides a quick reference to the more detailed information contained within the main body of the SDS.

Section 3 provides a breakdown of the product's hazardous ingredients as defined according to applicable regulations or Lincoln Electric policy. This section lists the hazardous ingredients (of the unused product) on a percent by weight basis. Other hazardous constituents may be formed when the product is used. Subsequent sections of the SDS will provide byproduct ingredient and hazard information, in accordance with our long standing policy to provide the most detailed, accurate and up-to-date hazard information possible.

The First Aid section defines the basic emergency treatment guidelines that relate to the product's acute hazards.

This section obviously designed to describe applicable fire response information. Welding consumables used for metal joining are not flammable, however, the act of welding can produce sparks and hot material that can, in turn, ignite other flammable or combustible materials. Therefore, we reference ANSI Z49.1. ANSI Z49.1 provides sound recommendations for fire prevention in the welding environment.

Section 6 is typically designed to reference material spill control measures. This section is most often not applicable to Lincoln products.

This section provides basic hazard awareness information pertinent to product handling and storage.

This is one of the largest and most important SDS sections for hazard communication compliance. In the first part of our enhanced SDS's Section 8, we list all the current applicable exposure limits established by regulatory entities, and recognized health science organizations. Included are specific references listed by country, state and province. The second part lists exposure limits for chemical species produced only during use or decomposition, biological exposure indices, as well as additional information regarding exposure guidelines, engineering controls, and personal protection.

This section lists the basic material properties such as pH, flammability, etc. Most of the standard property fields listed do not apply to finished product welding consumables.

The Stability and Reactivity Section contains a summary of the chemical and physical hazards, including the hazardous decomposition byproducts to which the customer's workers might be exposed, and lists the variables affecting exposure potential. This information can be a useful reference for EHS professionals or others responsible for workplace safety.

Section 11 provides detailed information about material or decomposition constituent toxicology and the potential health effects that could result from both acute or long-term overexposures. The section lists any materials that exhibit potential carcinogenicity, mutagenicity or may include a potential to cause reproductive effects. This information can be a useful reference for industrial hygienists, safety personnel, and/or occupational health professionals.

Similar to Section 11, Section 12 describes the ecotoxicity potential of various materials or decomposition constituents. Most of these values define the relative concentration or dose toxicity for fresh water or marine species that often serve as scientific indicators of environmental health. This information can be useful to customer environmental compliance and emergency response personnel. (Due to the nature of welding products, the potential for a significant environmental release is extremely remote).

This section provides guidance for proper disposal of waste materials that may be generated by the welding process.

Transportation Information refers to regulatory categorization and classification that may be necessary for proper transportation and shipping placards, labels and manifesting. Welding consumables are generally not classified as being regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation, or similar bodies in other countries.

This section is also a good resource for customer EHS staff or consultants. This section provides a summary of regulations that may be applicable to the product constituents or the decomposition byproducts listed. Also defined are hazard definitions, environmental CERCLA and SARA reporting, and applicable regulatory lists such as state Right-to-Know and California Proposition 65 lists.

Section 16 is reserved for all other information that the manufacturer may want to provide. Welding products are somewhat unique compared most to other products in that the hazards are not inherent in their properties as received by the customer. The hazards typically occur only during product use (the welding process itself). Therefore, this section is an important source of customer information and it contains Lincoln's Maximum Fume Exposure Guideline™ (MFEG)™ and Maximum Dust Exposure Guideline™ (MDEG)™, as applicable. The section also defines these values for the customer which can be useful to their EHS personnel responsible for maintaining safe exposure levels in the workplace. Welding-specific reference information may also be provided for the benefit of our welding customers.