What Is a Safety Data Sheet (SDS)?
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Talk to our experts- Safety data sheet (SDS)
- A safety data sheet (SDS) is the written document a chemical manufacturer or importer must prepare for each hazardous chemical under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard. It follows 16 numbered sections, from identification and hazards to handling, exposure controls and transport, and distributors must pass it on to the employers and distributors they ship to.
Also called: material safety data sheet (MSDS)
How it works
The rule is 29 CFR 1910.1200, paragraph (g). Chemical manufacturers and importers obtain or develop an SDS for each hazardous chemical they produce or import. Employers must have one in the workplace for each hazardous chemical they use. The SDS must be in English, with the 16 section headings in a fixed order.
The document has to stay current. If the preparer becomes newly aware of significant information about a chemical's hazards, or ways to protect against them, it must be added to the SDS within three months.
The old name was material safety data sheet (MSDS). The National Library of Medicine notes it was changed to match the format OSHA requires for consistency with the UN Globally Harmonized System (GHS).
How an SDS moves down the supply chain
Chemical manufacturers and importers obtain or develop an SDS for each hazardous chemical they produce or import.
Distributors and employers get the SDS with their initial shipment and with the first shipment after it is updated.
Distributors provide SDSs and updated information to other distributors and employers, with the containers or before or at shipment.
Employers keep an SDS for each hazardous chemical, readily accessible to employees during each work shift.
Distributors have their own duties. Wholesale distributors must also provide SDSs to employers or other distributors on request. Retail distributors selling to employers with a commercial account must provide one on request and post a sign or otherwise tell them it is available. Employers may keep SDSs electronically, as long as that creates no barrier to immediate employee access.
What it contains
OSHA's Appendix D, Table D.1, sets the minimum information for each section:
- Sections 1 to 3: identification (product identifier, recommended use, the responsible party's U.S. address and phone, an emergency number), hazard identification, and composition and ingredients.
- Sections 4 to 8: first aid, fire-fighting measures, accidental release measures, handling and storage, and exposure controls and personal protection.
- Sections 9 to 11: physical and chemical properties, stability and reactivity, and toxicological information.
- Sections 12 to 15: ecological, disposal, transport and regulatory information. To be consistent with the GHS, the headings must be included in order, but Appendix D makes the sections non-mandatory and OSHA does not enforce their information requirements, as these areas are not under its jurisdiction.
- Section 16: other information, including the date of preparation or last revision.
Example
A jan-san distributor stocks a floor cleaner concentrate and sells it to 25 building service contractors with commercial accounts. Each account received the SDS with its first order. The manufacturer then adds new hazard information and issues a revised SDS.
Under paragraph (g)(7), the distributor has to send the updated SDS with the first shipment after the update. If all 25 accounts reorder, that is 25 shipments that each need the new revision. Section 16 carries the date of preparation or last revision, so the buyer can see which copy is newer.
On Shopify
Shopify metafields extend products, customers and orders with your own custom data. A File metafield accepts generic files under 20 MB and renders as a downloadable link in themes, so a PDF can sit on the product it belongs to. A Date metafield can hold the revision date beside it.
Shopify notes that warnings generally need to be easily accessed and viewed before a purchase is made. Its product disclosures display legally required warning or safety information on product pages and, if you select Cart in the display preferences, on the cart page. Shopify notes you are responsible for confirming that the warning content complies with the laws in your region.
How Uncap helps
On Uncap's janitorial and sanitation page, the current SDS revision sits on the product page and travels with the order, rather than living in a documents library a site supervisor has to go looking for during an inspection. The page is plain that SDS handling is scoped and priced as a build.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What's on a safety data sheet?
Sixteen numbered sections: identification, hazards, composition, first aid, fire-fighting, accidental release, handling and storage, exposure controls, physical and chemical properties, stability and reactivity, toxicology, ecological, disposal, transport, regulatory and other information.
What is included in section 11 of SDS?
Toxicological information: likely routes of exposure, symptoms, delayed, immediate and chronic effects, numerical measures of toxicity, and whether the chemical is listed as a carcinogen by the National Toxicology Program, IARC or OSHA.
Are SDS legally required?
Yes, in US workplaces covered by OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard. Manufacturers and importers must prepare one for each hazardous chemical, distributors must pass it on, and employers must keep one accessible for each hazardous chemical they use.
