Do safety data sheets (SDS) and chemical labels effectively communicate safety hazards and precautions? An initial appraisal report with special reference to reproductive toxicant chemicals used in biotechnology applications.

This article presents a preliminary commentary on the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and chemical labels of reproductive toxicant chemicals frequently used in biotechnology laboratories. This included six chemicals (chloroform, acrylamide, cobalt chloride hexahydrate, dimethyl formamide, boric acid, and 6-benzylaminopurine) and the main chemical mixture (comprising 60-100% formamide by weight) used in next sequencing generation (NGS). Section 2 (hazard identification), Section 3 (composition), Section 4 (first aid measures and reported health effects), Section 8 (recommended engineering controls and personnel protective equipment/PPE), and Section 11 (toxicological information) of the SDS were evaluated. SDS exhibited some inadequacies with a few inaccuracies and unspecific information in the hazard classifications. Description of the prevention precautionary statements was poor in the SDS. Irrespective of the described health hazards, all SDS described the first aid measures to be taken for all routes of chemical exposure. SDS of the reviewed chemicals and mixtures are not providing enough information relating to occupational health and safety aspects. Recommendations to assess the ways in which SDS and chemical labels are written, monitored, regulated, and used are suggested in this paper.