WHMIS Symbols

Class A compressed gas	Class B flammable and combustible material	Class C oxidizing material
Class D1 poisonous and infectious material: materials causing immediate and serious toxic effects	Class D2 poisonous and infectious material: material causing other toxic effects	Class D3 poisonous and infectious material: biohazardous infectious material
Class E corrosive material	Class F dangerously reactive material

How to read a MSDS...

Employers must keep Material Safety Data Sheets for any hazardous material used in the workplace and must place them where workers like you can find and read them.

A MSDS tells you about the hazards of a material, how to use the material safely and what to do if there is an emergency.

When you read a MSDS, look for answers to these questions:

• Do you have the right MSDS for the material you're working with?
• Is the MSDS up-to-date? (If it's more than 3 years old, it's out-of-date.)
• What is (are) the material's hazard(s)?
  • Can the material burn or explode?
  • Is the material an unstable chemical? What conditions make it unstable?
  • Is the chemical reactive with other chemicals? Which ones? What happens if they get mixed?
• How can the material harm you?
  • What happens if you breathe the material or get it on your skin?
  • What kind of injury or illness can the material cause?
• Do you need protective equipment when handling or using the material? What equipment? Where do you find it? Do you know how to use it?
• Are there any special handling precautions?
• What are the emergency procedures for an accident, for instance, if the material burns, explodes, spills or leaks?
• What emergency equipment is required and where is that equipment located?