[Nfb-science] [rehab] MSDS Sheets/Training?

[Leisa Sekhon]

Yes, I think you are correct in that the chemical manufacturers should
put this info out in accessible format.  I wish I had time to take on
that industry! *smile*

Anyone got a bunch of time on their hands?

Leisa


-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-science-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:nfb-science-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michael Whapples
Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2007 7:47 AM
To: NFB Science and Engineering Division List
Subject: Re: [Nfb-science] [rehab] MSDS Sheets/Training?

My comment about the law is more that the manufacturers if they provide
an 
electronic copy should make an accessible electronic copy, eg. suitable
PDF, 
or html. I am uncertain that paper braille would be suitable in such a
case, 
thinking of sometimes how long it can take me to find appropiate
information 
from my course notes.

Yes I know the reality doesn't always reflect what should happen, but
unless 
people push for a change the situation doesn't improve. What should be
done 
probably be a question that might be unanswered for a long time, but 
accessible PDF/html wouldn't just improve the situation for blind people
as 
sighted people could refer to this resource as well (and from what you 
describe finding these documents at the critical time is far from
perfect 
for the sighted community as well).

From
Michael Whapples
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Bullis" <mabullis at hotmail.com>
To: "'NFB Science and Engineering Division List'"
<nfb-science at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2007 1:59 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfb-science] [rehab] MSDS Sheets/Training?


> Placing the law to one side for a minute, I'd just like to think
through 
> the
> practicality of the matter.  Many companies have hundreds of msds's
and
> they're constantly changing as products come and go.  The Safety
Officer 
> or
> some other person takes the MSDS's and copies them for placement in
the 
> msds
> book.  They have to be distributed to all plants where the products
are
> being used and lest we forget, the safety officer or some other person
is
> supposed to train people on new products and their safety issues.
>
> Needless to say, often companies don't send along an msds when they 
> deliver
> products.  Often the products are purchased from a store like a
grocery
> store or Home Depot for example and MSDS's aren't available. 
> Theoretically,
> there is a safety person designated to find the msds and place it in
the
> propper places in the company.  Again, needless to say, this often
doesn't
> happen.
>
> Now that we've described a very imperfect process that doesn't work
well 
> for
> anyone in business, let's think about access.
>
> There is a great disparity in the extent to which companies produce
their
> msds's accessibly.  Many do have them in PDF but what they've done is 
> really
> just paste an image into a pdf, so they aren't accessible through
acrobat.
> Potentially, they could be scanned and turned either into a text file
or a
> Braille file.
>
> Having said all this, I wonder if we really want to put our employers
to 
> the
> expense of turning every msds into a paper braille file.  In our
plants 
> the
> books would be dozens of volumes.  You probably couldn't find the msds
in
> time to do any good should your fellow employee splash some of the 
> chemical
> in his/her eyes.  So, just from a practical standpoint I don't see
what 
> good
> msds's in paper Braille would be.  On the other hand, as you point
out,
> perhaps an electronic braille file would be useful, assuming that the 
> person
> looking for the product's msds knows how to use electronic Braille.
Of
> course, there is one more issue of relevance.
>
> In a practical situation, virtually nobody actually goes and looks for
the
> msds's.  They're usually not handy or immediately available.  What is
> available is the can or container that the product comes in.  Usually
on
> this container there is information about what to do in case of
spills,
> ingestion, contact with skin, Etc.  Somebody quickly looks at the can
or
> bottle or box and finds the relevant information in order to take care
of
> the emergency.
>
> So, I guess what I'm saying is that perhaps the most practical thing
you'd
> like to have is the label.  Oh, I forgot to mention that often when 
> products
> are received by companies they are distributed in secondary
containers. 
> By
> law, these containers are supposed to be labeled with all the original
> information.  You can only guess how often this actually happens.  So,

> often
> in an emergency, what you have is everybody running around looking for
the
> original container or an MSDS.
>
> I guess I'm not sure where I'm going with this.  I just want to make
it
> clear that the current system doesn't work well for sighted employees
> either.  What we should demand legally is a question I also don't have
a
> complete answer for.  But, next time you go to the store and buy some 
> window
> cleaner or a bottle of ink, or a can of wd40, just remember that MSDS.
> Mike Bullis
> Baltimore Maryland
>

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