I work for a paint manufacturer, and one of our customers has asked us to provide them with the standard European Union format for their MSDS's.  I have been working on this issue for over a month now, and feel like I've hardly made any progress.

Has anyone had to do this inhouse?  I have the basic formatting down (16-point format, must include risk and safety phrases, etc) but have had serious trouble being able to correlate the EU format to our US OSHA format to make sure that we're including all of the necessary information.

Also, how does our HMIS/NFPA information translate into the EU format?  How do our "warning phrases" (flammable, handle with care, etc) translate, if at all? 

I have the formula breakdown for product the customer is requesting, and have found all of the danger classes, and risk and safety phrases for the CAS numbers included.  Now, how do I determine which of those phrases need to be listed for the formula as a whole, and which ones take precedence over others?

I would greatly appreciate any assistance in this matter.

Thank you!

Carla G.

Hi Carla,

Here's the ANSI format for the 16-header format that can be used in the EU and most countries with little modification.
   1. Identification :
          * Name of the substance or preparation
          * Name, address and telephone number of the company/supplier/undertaking
   2. Composition and information on ingredients
   3. Hazards identification
   4. First-aid measures
   5. Fire-fighting measures
   6. Spillage, accidental release measures
   7. Handling and storage
   8. Exposure controls and personal protection
   9. Physical and chemical properties
  10. Stability and reactivity
  11. Toxicological information
  12. Ecological information
  13. Disposal considerations
  14. Transport information
  15. National regulations and references
  16. Other information

The EU requires that Risk and Safety Statements ( R- and S-phrases) and a symbol appear on each label and safety data sheet for hazardous chemicals.
    * R-phrases consist of the letter R followed by a number.
    * S-phrases consist of the letter S followed by a number.
R- and S-phrases are used internationally and not just in Europe.

S-Phrases: Safety advice concerning dangerous substances and preparations and R-phrases: Nature of special risks attributed to dangerous substances and preparations were consolidated and republished in Directive 2001/59/EC.

These lists can be found at http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2001:225:0001:0333:EN:PDF

I hope this helps.

 Ana