UC Merced students and staff members should always review a new chemical's safety data sheet (SDS) before beginning work.
SDSs are available at manufacturer's websites or at https://ehs.ucop.edu/sds/
Use multiple sources to develop safe work procedures. Contact the Office of Environmental Health & Safety at 228-7864 if you have any questions.
SDSs are an important source of health and safety information, but they should not be the only tools used to evaluate chemical hazards.
Gather chemical hazard information from a variety of sources. The following links are good sources of chemical information:
- New Jersey right-to-know chemical fact sheets
- NIOSH international chemical safety cards
- CCOHS
- Canada's National Occupational Health & Safety Resource
- RTECS® database
- TOXNET Web search
- ATSDR ToxFAQs
- Proposition 65, carcinogen and reproductive toxin list
- Environmental Defense Fund chemical scorecard
- NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards
- Select Agents Program
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Controlled substances and listed chemicals
