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Material safety data sheets for noninteracting mixtures

Summary A chemical company asked whether it could provide a cover sheet and separate component material safety data sheets for a mixture of chemicals that did not interact. OSHA said that approach was acceptable if the mixture's hazards were no different from the hazards of its components. The page also reproduces the incoming request.
Document
Federal opinion letter
Agency
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Document number
1984-08-01
Date issued
August 1, 1984
Status
Active
Status last verified October 10, 2026
Topics
Workplace Safety OSHA 1910 Hazard Communication Safety Data Sheets Chemical Mixtures
Source
View the official document

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About this page: The full text below is the official document from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Ezel adds the plain-English summary and tracks the document's status. The official source linked on this page is authoritative for any reliance.

August 1, 1984

Robert A. Wiesboeck, Manager
Atlanta Technical Center
USS, Agri-Chemicals,
Division of United States
Steel Corporation
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Wiesboeck:

This is in response to your inquiry dated June 22, concerning the completion of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazard Communication standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) for products that are composed of a mixture of non-interacting chemicals.

For such products, you propose that component chemical MSDS be attached to a cover sheet identifying the mixture product and listing all constituents.

This approach is acceptable as long as the hazards associated with the mixture are not different from that of its components.

Please contact us if further assistance is needed.

Sincerely,
John B. Miles, Jr., Director
Directorate of Field Operations

[Requester letter reproduced on OSHA page; omitted here.]

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