Reading and understanding Safety Data Sheets (SDS)

Safety Data Sheets or SDS provide hazard, transport and safety information on hazardous substances, including pure chemicals and chemical mixtures. You may come across the occasional reference to them by…READ MORE

Everything you need to know about CAS Numbers

What is a CAS number? CAS Registry Numbers® or CASRNs®, commonly referred to as CAS numbers, are unique numerical identifiers assigned to chemicals by the Chemicals Abstract Service (CAS: A…READ MORE

The Science Behind the Smell of Rain

Have you ever gone outside on a cloudy day and smelled that it was going to rain? Or, after a rainstorm, noticed that there was a certain smell in the…READ MORE

What are Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and why are they important?

Background: From Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) to Safety Data Sheet (SDS) Safety Data Sheets (SDS) were originally known as Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) until, in 2012, the Occupational…READ MORE

Chemical Acts, Regulatory Bodies, Codes and Standards: USA

The United States (US) has a variety of regulatory bodies, acts, standards, and pieces of legislation around chemical safety. These are largely concerned with the health and safety of the…READ MORE

SDS ARE USELESS!

Just kidding! What we meant to say is SDS by themselves are useless!  In fact, SDS are no longer the most important piece of the Chemicals Management System (CMS) puzzle.…READ MORE

Antibiotic resistance: What is it, how is it caused and what can we do about it?

Antibiotic resistance has been around since the discovery of the first antibiotic, and it’s prevalent today. Not all resistance is antibiotic-induced, but the over, and incorrect use, of antibiotics to…READ MORE

Will TBHQ in chips give you cancer?

TBHQ, or tert-butylhydroquinone, is a commonly used preservative in processed foods, particularly those containing fats or oils. However, the jury is still out on whether this preservative helps to preserve…READ MORE

Composting 101: What it is, how to do it, and why it’s important

In Australia, food waste is a major problem: it costs the economy about $20 billion each year. This equates to approximately 7.3 million tonnes of food being wasted, which is…READ MORE

Caffeine: Round off your breakfast with a side of psychoactive drugs

Have you had your dose of psychoactive drugs this morning? If you’ve had your morning cup of coffee, the answer is yes! In fact, caffeine is the most commonly consumed…READ MORE

Selecting Your Dream Stripper

Straight after walking through those hallowed doors, you can’t help but stare. After jostling through the crowds, all transfixed upon the objects of their desires, you finally make it to…READ MORE

What are the health effects of exposure to chemicals?

When handling or working with hazardous or non-hazardous chemicals, there is always the risk of exposure, whether via breathing, swallowing, or skin or eye contact. In some cases, exposure may…READ MORE

Why modern medicine needs the horseshoe crab

Remaining virtually unchanged since they first crawled the earth over 450 million years ago, these ancient creatures (sometimes referred to as living fossils) have outlived almost every other species—mostly thanks…READ MORE

Thalidomide: From wonder drug to medical disaster.

The tragic story of thalidomide is one of the most infamous cases of an apparent wonder drug turned medical disaster, the devastating consequences of which are still present today. Where…READ MORE

Exploring home food preservation by drying or dehydrating

Ever wondered about food preservation? Where did it all start? Why do we do it? And what are the best methods for drying food at home?  The origins of food…READ MORE

The Bad Side of BP-3

If you’ve never heard of oxybenzone, BP-3 or benzophenone-3, you’re not alone! Until recently, it’s been one of those hard-to-pronounce, but common ingredients in many sunscreens, lotions and cosmetics.  Lately…READ MORE

What is MSG and is it bad for you?

MSG is somewhat of a mysterious chemical compound. There has been a lot of hype about this common food additive, but exactly what is it and is it really bad…READ MORE

The science of souffle

Science is everywhere in cooking, but nowhere more so than in the majestic souffle.  The word ‘souffle’ comes from the French verb souffler, which means ‘to blow’. This is a…READ MORE

What are parabens and sulphates, and why should you avoid them?

Modern haircare is a minefield. The plethora of shampoos, conditioners and other products available, all promising shiny and healthy hair, make it very hard to know what’s actually good for…READ MORE

The chemistry of baking a biscuit

We’ve all heard that baking is a science, as much as it is an art. You can’t just throw ingredients into the bowl and expect everything to turn out well.…READ MORE

What Should You Do with E-waste?

E-waste and its toxic components are contaminating landfills and communities worldwide Now more than ever, we are all aware of the negative environmental impacts brought on by our modern lifestyles.…READ MORE

Acids in the kitchen? We look at four acids found in food

Acids are often thought of as highly destructive chemicals that cause corrosion, but they can also be found in everyday life where they perform incredibly useful functions such as unblocking…READ MORE

Interpreting commonly used regulatory and chemical initialisms

What is the STEL for that vPvB SVHC? To the layperson that sentence probably looks unintelligible. Perhaps there are a few vowels missing? In the world of chemical regulations, however,…READ MORE

What is dexamethasone and how does it treat COVID-19?

You might have seen this potent drug mentioned in the news quite a bit lately, especially as a COVID-19 treatment of choice for Donald Trump. In this article, we take…READ MORE

Part 3 – The truth about COVID-19 vaccines

I want COVID-19 to go away too, but you’re going to be injecting me with what?! You may have seen news articles regarding a number of vaccine candidates that have…READ MORE

Part 2 – The truth about vaccine production

I want COVID-19 to go away too, but you’re going to be injecting me with what?! If you were asked to describe 2020 in just a few words, ‘COVID-19’ and…READ MORE

Part 1 The truth about vaccines – I want COVID-19 to go away too, but you’re going to be injecting me with what?!

COVID-19 has certainly left its mark on 2020, and the race is on to create a vaccine that will see borders reopen, economies flourish, and most importantly, allow us all…READ MORE

Top five tips for designing an effective laboratory

When it comes to creating a safe, functional and effective space for scientists to carry out their research, there is a lot to consider. Lab design and planning requires a…READ MORE

Chemical safety equipment: what it is, why your lab needs it, and what to do with it

To ensure the safety of everyone working in your laboratory, it is imperative to have the appropriate chemical safety equipment. Like all equipment in the lab, chemical safety equipment should…READ MORE

Elastic Search

Lightning Fast Search Chemwatch has adopted new search technologies to improve your experience – you now have some of the fastest and most accurate chemical search tools available. The improvements…READ MORE

How to use chemical safety signs, pictograms and charts for hazard identification in your lab

While labelling is important, a picture really does speak a thousand words when it comes to identifying and communicating hazards in the laboratory and workspace. Aside from being easily recognisable…READ MORE

How to implement chemical safety and compliance in your workplace

Safety is paramount when working with chemicals—not only for compliance with government regulations, but also to prevent the devastating effects that chemical-related accidents can have on workers and on the…READ MORE

How to select suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) for working with chemicals

Safety first is the golden rule when it comes to choosing your wardrobe for working with chemicals, but how do you choose the right personal protective equipment (PPE) and clothing…READ MORE

Top 20 chemical safety tips for your workplace

The effects of chemical-related accidents can be devastating for workers and their families, as injuries may lead to loss of life, loss of career, pain, suffering and overwhelming medical costs.…READ MORE