Hi folks,
We've been receiveing Material Safety Data Sheets informing VOC levels, recicled content percentage and distances for MRc5 with expiration date and this seems to be common practice by manufacturers in Brazil. Some of them have really short windows, which means that, by the time of submisison to GBCI they will be expired.
In your opinion, is an expiration date for products such as steel, masonry, concrete, a relevant information for the LEED comitee? Should I worry about go through the hassle of contacting these manufacturers and asking them to change their MSDS templates??
Thanks!
Tristan Roberts
RepresentativeVermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
11478 thumbs up
January 16, 2013 - 11:52 am
Marcio, are the MSD sheets valid, i.e. not past their expiration dates, to the products at the time you purchased them?
Marcio Alberto Casado Pereira
181 thumbs up
January 16, 2013 - 12:53 pm
Tristan, at the time of the purchase the MSDS were valid, the expiration dates were beyond the date of purchase.
Tristan Roberts
RepresentativeVermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
11478 thumbs up
January 16, 2013 - 1:33 pm
Then I don't see any problem—the MSDS is an accurate document relative to the products you are documenting for LEED.
Michelle Rosenberger
PartnerArchEcology
523 thumbs up
January 16, 2013 - 1:56 pm
Hi Marcio and Tristan,
My unwelcome two cents, US experience only so it may be different for you. Ironically, we have had problems in reviews with MSDS sheets relative to VOC content and expired dates. I have been told by GBCI staff that MSDS sheets are voluntary in terms of what is included on them and how by industry and company and less preferred than product data and specific letters. I also frequently get MSDS sheets and product data with VOC content that don't agree. I'm not saying your approach won't work because given your situation it makes sense, but I'd be prepared with a narrative and ideally have a backup plan. Perhaps Tristan's answer would help such a narrative.
Marcio Alberto Casado Pereira
181 thumbs up
January 17, 2013 - 7:56 am
Hi Michelle
Not sure if I quite understood your comment...you said GBCI tend no to accept MSDS as a means of comprobatory documentation? Well, if this is it, I called MSDS in a lack of a better name I could remeber in english (sorry!). But what we actually have is sort of a letter with the description of the product (VOC, recycled content, regional info) signed by a responsible individual from the manufacturing entity. Such letters have an expiration date, but as I explained to Tristan above, their expiration dates are beyond the date of purchase.
Michelle Rosenberger
PartnerArchEcology
523 thumbs up
January 17, 2013 - 1:13 pm
Hi Marcio,
Sounds like you have what you need. MSDS typically means Material Safety Data Sheet, and here it's usually a multi-page very technical discussion of the chemicals in the product and what to do if you're exposed to them. Good luck.