I think Edward Movitz has answered the conundrum:  it boils down (sorry, couldn't resist) to the origin.  If water is purchased from a chemical supply company,  the company must provide an SDS according to GHS.  If water is piped in through the plumbing,  there are regulations for what comes out of the spigot.    I keep a copy of an SDS of H2O as liquid water on hand for my schools.  

However,  recognizing that my world is the K-12 science classes, the two main hazards posed by water (absent other chemicals) are 1) dangers of boiling water and 2) the slippery and almost invisible nature of water spilled on a linoleum floor.  Neither of these appears on the SDS but both have resulted in student (and teacher) injuries. 

One more water joke:

Johnny was a chemist's son

But now he is no more.

For what he thought was H2O

Was H2SO4.

Cheers everybody

Eddie McGrath 

-------- Original message --------

From: Edward Movitz <movitz**At_Symbol_Here**OLEMISS.EDU>

Date: 9/24/16 8:06 AM (GMT-05:00)

To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU

Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] A Conundrum

You might want to check out the website www.dhmo.org, which has an MSDS for dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO).

Pat Redden

On Fri, Sep 23, 2016 at 2:01 PM, Ben Ruekberg <bruekberg**At_Symbol_Here**chm.uri.edu> wrote:

My curiosity will not allow me to wait until April first, when it might be more excusable, to ask this question.

 

There is a chemical which can be found in almost every laboratory.  Most laboratories even have it piped in.  There are (M)SDSs for this material and yet, while I am told that we are required to have the (M)SDS for each of the chemicals in our laboratory on hand,  I don’t believe that many laboratories keep a copy of the (M)SDS for this substance in print.  I refer, of course, to water.

 

OK, I hear you saying “Of course no one has the (M)SDS for water on hand.  It’s water.”  And I agree: I mean it’s in the safety showers, we wash our hands with it before leaving the lab.  But it’s a chemical.  I can understand why I would make an exception for it, but does OSHA? 

 

Can anyone tell me why safety documentation is not required for water?  Or is it?  Or is it, but no one makes a fuss about it?

 

Thank you very much,

 

Ben

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