NIOSH is part of the U.S. federal government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). NIOSH's web site is http: //www.cdc.gov/niosh/. NIOSH is the only federal Institute responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related illnesses and injuries. Additional Info: NIOSH was created by the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970, the same Act that created OSHA. However, OSHA is responsible for creating and enforcing workplace safety and health regulations while NIOSH is in the Department of Health and Human Services and is a research agency. Examples of NIOSH activities include: (1) Investigating potentially hazardous working conditions as requested by employers or employees.See: How You Can Request One. (2) Evaluating hazards in the workplace, ranging from chemicals to machinery. (3) Creating and disseminating methods for preventing disease, injury, and disability. (4) Conducting research and providing scientifically valid recommendations for protecting workers. (5) Providing education and training to individuals preparing for or actively working in the field of occupational safety and health. Creating new ways to prevent workplace hazards is the job of NIOSH. MSDS Relevance: Many NIOSH-approved standards appear on MSDS's. Other examples of NIOSH's involvement with MSDS's or related information include: (1) NIOSH cooperates with other world agencies in providing International Chemical Safety Cards which, while not strictly MSDS's, provide workers with succinct information about the hazards of chemicals. (2) NIOSH plays a role in establishing PEL, TLV and STEL's for a variety of chemicals. (3) The NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (NPG). (4) NIOSH publishes Occupational Health Guidelines for Chemical Hazards listed by chemical. (5) The Registry for Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances (RTECS), a toxicology database containing over 140,000 chemicals substances. See also: ACGIH, OSHA, NFPA, RTECS