Material Safety Data Sheets now online at Conestoga College
Conestoga College, in conjunction with WellNet Solutions, has implemented an easy-to-use electronic data base containing MSDSs for WHMIS-controlled products on our premises. All employees and students who have access to an Intranet-enabled computer now have a direct link to important health & safety information.
What is an MSDS?
WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) regulations stipulate that all employers in Canada provide up-to-date information in the form of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) – on all hazardous or controlled products used in our workplace. These sheets include critical information on procedures for handling a particular substance, as well as possible health effects and first aid.
How do I find an MSDS?
On the Health & Safety homepage, click the Material Safety Data Sheets - Quick Search link.
You should be at the MSDS QUICK SEARCH Screen. The Quick Search Tutorial can be accessed by clicking on the link at the top right corner. We strongly recommend that you spend a few minutes going through this tutorial to assist you in searching the data base.
To search the entire collection of MSDSs at the college:
At the MSDS QUICK SEARCH screen, insert the product name or manufacturer (internal codes are not currently used), then
click search. The MSDS search results will display a summary of all corresponding MSDSs. You can click on “View MSDS” to read or print a PDF version. Clicking the
track button will bring up a list of college departments and indicate the one(s) where this product is located.
If your search results are not satisfactory, click
refine/expand search to return to the MSDS QUICK SEARCH screen – or see the Quick Search Tutorial for more information on using the
advance search feature.
At the MSDS QUICK SEARCH screen, click on main MSDS site. Then click on:
- the campus where the department is located
- the name of the department
- the name (again) of the department
You should be at a screen showing the department name at the top left and a “Safety Book Summary” further down. The top of this screen contains fields that allow you to search for a specific MSDS within the department. Insert the applicable data and click apply F8 to view the search results (clicking on the reset filters button will clear all data).
The middle of the screen allows you click on a letter of the alphabet to view all MSDSs in the department having product or manufacturer names beginning with it. The Safety Book Summary at the bottom of the screen shows the number of Active sheets. Clicking the browse button beside this will allow you to scroll through all MSDSs in the department.