How to decipher material safety data sheets: Analogies help workers remember complex technical information
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are designed to communicate hazard information to workers. Yet, workers' inability to understand the information contained exposes them to the very risks that MSDSs are meant to help them avoid.
According to studies done by OSHA, the language used in MSDSs is typically beyond the technical literacy level of the average worker. Teaching them to understand technical terms in MSDSs is difficult because many of these terms are abstract and unfamiliar. Analogies are a powerful tool in helping bridge this gap between the known and unknown and can help them understand and retain otherwise complex and unfamiliar terms.