Included is an in depth listing of chemicals most often used in the conservation laboratory which are arranged in a safety data sheet format. Although these list only the components which are hazardous, this information can be a valuable clue to decoding commercial products. MSDSs are subdivided into 10 parts. Section One identifies the product by its chemical name, commercial name and formula. Hazardous components are inventoried and the percent of their weight in the formulation is given.
Physical data is tabulated, including the boiling point, specific gravity and evaporation rate.
There is a section on fire and explosion hazards, flash point, flammable limits and how to combat a fire. Health hazards are listed with TLVs or TWAs of the components. Emergency first aid procedures are listed. There is a section on reactivity data, including general stability, known incompatibilities and hazardous decomposition products. Another section describes how to clean up a spill or leak and how to dispose of collected material.