My friend works at the UC Berkeley "Innovative Genomics Institute" and was telling me about a common chemical in her workplace, Imidazole
Imidazole:
- skin burns and irritation, eye damage, may harm unborn child
-not a carcinogen
-wear protective gear i.e. gloves and goggles, recommends wearing a respirator but does not stress this as mandatory (which is confusing since it states inhaling it is a hazard and to immediately get fresh air if inhaled)
-did not receive any education or training on this chemical, but was told to look up the SDS for further info and to not inhale it. Received a overall/general training on how to read hazard labels (pictograms) but nothing specific to chemicals.
-no discrepancies between the SDS and ToxNet
The MSDS (now called SDS) for Imidazole (or any other chemical I am sure) was not easy to read and comprehend. It was also difficult to find. If a worker (particularly someone with a low English proficiency) has to find and read this on their own, they will probably have a difficult time understanding.
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