International
Labour Organization

Your health and safety at work

CHEMICALS IN THE WORKPLACE

Appendix V: How to find the generic name(s) of a brand name chemical

Health hazards in the electronics indlistry, lnternational Metalworkers' Federation, Asia Monitor Resource Centre, Hong Kong, 1985.

• Look at the label on the chemical container or package to see if it states the generic name(s) or ingredients.
• If the generic name is not on the label, or if there is no label, ask the company management, the company supply clerk, or the chemical supplier for the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for that product. The MSDS will list the generic name(s) or ingredients. The MSDS can also be obtained by writing directly to the manufacturer of the chemical. Check the label for the name and address of the manufacturer. The local chemical supplier, a business library, or an industry trade development office should have a product catalogue which identifies the manufacturers of various brands.
• If there is still trouble obtaining the MSDS, help may be had from the local trade union, fire department, government factory inspectorate, or a medical or legal authority.
• There are some expensive directories which a business library or a government (trade, industry, or fire services) department may have that identify the generic names of brand name chemicals.
• It is important to keep in mind that each chemical may have many generic names (synonyms). Directories such as NIOSH's Register of toxic effects of chemicai substances and Sax's Dangerous properties of industriai materials list generic synonyms and identify the most commonly used generic name of a chemical substance.
• If all else fails, a final option is to give a sample of the chemical to a government or university chemist who can conduct laboratory tests to determine what it is.

According to the International Labour Organization, it is every employee's right to know the generic names of the chemicai substances to which he or she is exposed at work.