1. Introduction

The role of the Répertoire toxicologique of the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CSST) is to inform Québec employers and workers of the health and safety hazards of chemical or biological substances used in the workplace.

The purpose of this guide is to facilitate the understanding and use of the information provided on a material safety data sheet by defining, for example, a product’s properties and by showing how to use the MSDS for prevention. A glossary of the main terms used in material safety data sheets, the measurement units, and the conversion factors most frequently used are also presented in the appendix.