Why a Chemist?
Some might ask why a chemist would make a good author of Material Safety Data Sheets, rather than an industrial hygienist, toxicologist or other safety professional.
Chemists are trained to understand the multiple, systematic naming conventions as well as older trivial names. This entire field of naming, or nomenclature, has specialized rules for organic and inorganic chemistry. The Chemical Abstracts Service Registry also provides unique identifiers (CAS Reg #) for all known substances, but many duplicates have crept into the system, requiring removal. Some users have erroneously adopted these deleted Registry numbers over the years.
Chemists receive training in searching the chemical literature for many properties and compilations of data.
Chemists are trained to understand substances, their properties and how they behave in mixtures. Some regulated characteristics are merely a matter a physical properties. Other regulated properties are reduced or eliminated by combining with other substances, but many are not. Sometimes regulated properties are reduced or eliminated when the offending substance's concentration falls below a specified limit, which can be calculated. Chemists also understand under what conditions the components might separate. Chemists can calculate some properties of mixtures based on the composition and the known properties of the pure materials.
Chemists understand the behavior of substances in a fire situation or other high-energy scenarios. Chemists can predict and identify the hazardous reaction products from combustion or other kinds of decompositions and reactions.
Chemists are trained to convert quantities and concentrations of substances measured in different units.
Many of the regulatory portions of the MSDS involve finding and reporting whether the chemicals in question are on one or more lists maintained by that regulatory body. Sometimes the name is a lttle different on each list.
Chemists are well-qualified to determine the best Proper Shipping Name and DOT hazard Class for a material or a mizture.
