Ever wonder how hazardous chemicals can affect you, your health, and the health and safety of those working around you? One way is to find the chemical Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), and read it! Every research lab should have an MSDS on-hand for each chemical they use. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) offers an excellent guide entitled, “MSDS 101 – Reading and Using Material Safety Data Sheets” to help comprehend the safety information of any chemical, as well as the steps involved in creating a MSDS library. A flow chart is presented to determine if a chemical is hazardous, and if so, how to gather the necessary information to create a hazardous communication plan and a disposal plan.