Final answer:
Employers are required by OSHA to have MSDS for any hazardous chemicals, not just pesticides or those with warning symbols. This is to ensure workplace safety by providing important information on handling and exposure.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazard Communication Act requires employers to have Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for all hazardous chemicals. Under this act, an MSDS is mandatory for any chemical that poses a physical or health risk, not just pesticides or chemicals marked with a danger skull and crossbones. This includes a wide range of chemicals used in various industries beyond just pesticides, such as manufacturing, healthcare, and construction.
MSDS sheets are a critical component of workplace safety as they contain vital information about chemical properties, health and safety hazards, storage, handling precautions, protective measures, and spill cleanup procedures. It is essential for employee training and for the safety of the workplace. Employers must ensure that all hazardous chemicals in the workplace have an accessible MSDS for employees to reference when needed.