A safety data sheet (SDS), material safety data sheet (MSDS), or product safety data sheet (PSDS) is a document that lists information relating to

occupational safety and health Occupational safety and health (OSH), also commonly referred to as occupational health and safety (OHS), occupational health, or occupational safety, is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at ...

for the use of various substances and products. SDSs are a widely used system for cataloguing information on

chemical A chemical substance is a form of matter having constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Some references add that chemical substance cannot be separated into its constituent elements by physical separation methods, i.e., wit ...

chemical compound A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds. A molecule consisting of atoms of only one ele ...

s, and chemical mixtures. SDS information may include instructions for the safe use and potential hazards associated with a particular

material Material is a substance or mixture of substances that constitutes an object. Materials can be pure or impure, living or non-living matter. Materials can be classified on the basis of their physical and chemical properties, or on their geolo ...

or product, along with spill-handling procedures. The older MSDS formats could vary from source to source within a country depending on national requirements; however, the newer SDS format is internationally standardized. An SDS for a substance is not primarily intended for use by the general

consumer A consumer is a person or a group who intends to order, or uses purchased goods, products, or services primarily for personal, social, family, household and similar needs, who is not directly related to entrepreneurial or business activities. ...

, focusing instead on the hazards of working with the material in an occupational setting. There is also a duty to properly

label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed d ...

substances on the basis of physico-chemical, health, or environmental risk. Labels can include hazard symbols such as the European Union standard symbols. The same product (e.g.

paints Paint is any pigmented liquid, liquefiable, or solid mastic composition that, after application to a substrate in a thin layer, converts to a solid film. It is most commonly used to protect, color, or provide texture. Paint can be made in many ...

sold under identical brand names by the same company) can have different formulations in different countries. The formulation and hazards of a product using a generic name may vary between manufacturers in the same country.

Globally Harmonized System

The

Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) is an internationally agreed-upon standard managed by the United Nations that was set up to replace the assortment of hazardous material classification and labelli ...

contains a standard specification for safety data sheets. The SDS follows a 16 section format which is internationally agreed and for substances especially, the SDS should be followed with an Annex which contains the exposure scenarios of this particular substance. The 16 sections are: *SECTION 1: Identification of the substance/mixture and of the company/undertaking **1.1. Product identifier **1.2. Relevant identified uses of the substance or mixture and uses advised against **1.3. Details of the supplier of the safety data sheet **1.4. Emergency telephone number *SECTION 2: Hazards identification **2.1. Classification of the substance or mixture **2.2. Label elements **2.3. Other hazards *SECTION 3: Composition/information on ingredients **3.1. Substances **3.2. Mixtures *SECTION 4: First aid measures **4.1. Description of first aid measures **4.2. Most important symptoms and effects, both acute and delayed **4.3. Indication of any immediate medical attention and special treatment needed *SECTION 5: Firefighting measures **5.1. Extinguishing media **5.2. Special hazards arising from the substance or mixture **5.3. Advice for firefighters *SECTION 6: Accidental release measure **6.1. Personal precautions, protective equipment and emergency procedures **6.2. Environmental precautions **6.3. Methods and material for containment and cleaning up **6.4. Reference to other sections *SECTION 7: Handling and storage **7.1. Precautions for safe handling **7.2. Conditions for safe storage, including any incompatibilities **7.3. Specific end use(s) *SECTION 8: Exposure controls/personal protection **8.1. Control parameters **8.2. Exposure controls *SECTION 9: Physical and chemical properties **9.1. Information on basic physical and chemical properties **9.2. Other information *SECTION 10: Stability and reactivity **10.1. Reactivity **10.2. Chemical stability **10.3. Possibility of hazardous reactions **10.4. Conditions to avoid **10.5. Incompatible materials **10.6. Hazardous decomposition products *SECTION 11: Toxicological information **11.1. Information on toxicological effects *SECTION 12: Ecological information **12.1. Toxicity **12.2. Persistence and degradability **12.3. Bioaccumulative potential **12.4. Mobility in soil **12.5. Results of PBT and vPvB assessment **12.6. Other adverse effects *SECTION 13: Disposal considerations **13.1. Waste treatment methods *SECTION 14: Transport information **14.1. UN number **14.2. UN proper shipping name **14.3. Transport hazard class(es) **14.4. Packing group **14.5. Environmental hazards **14.6. Special precautions for user **14.7. Transport in bulk according to Annex II of MARPOL and the IBC Code *SECTION 15: Regulatory information **15.1. Safety, health and environmental regulations/legislation specific for the substance or mixture **15.2. Chemical safety assessment *SECTION 16: Other information **16.2. Date of the latest revision of the SDS

National and international requirements

Canada

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

, the program known as the

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS; french: links=no, Système d'information sur les matières dangereuses utilisées au travail, SIMDUT) is Canada's national workplace hazard communication standard. The key elements of t ...

(WHMIS) establishes the requirements for SDSs in workplaces and is administered federally by Health Canada under the Hazardous Products Act, Part II, and the

Controlled Products Regulations Control may refer to: Basic meanings Economics and business * Control (management), an element of management * Control, an element of management accounting * Comptroller (or controller), a senior financial officer in an organization * Controll ...

European Union

Safety data sheets have been made an integral part of the system of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (

REACH Reach or REACH may refer to: Companies and organizations * Reach plc, formerly Trinity Mirror, large British newspaper, magazine, and digital publisher * Reach Canada, an NGO in Canada * Reach Limited, an Asia Pacific cable network company * ...

). The original requirements of REACH for SDSs have been further adapted to take into account the rules for safety data sheets of the Global Harmonised System (GHS) and the implementation of other elements of the GHS into EU legislation that were introduced by Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) via an update to Annex II of REACH. The SDS must be supplied in an official language of the Member State(s) where the substance or mixture is placed on the market, unless the Member State(s) concerned provide(s) otherwise (Article 31(5) of REACH). The

European Chemicals Agency The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA; ) is an agency of the European Union which manages the technical and administrative aspects of the implementation of the European Union regulation called Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restrict ...

(ECHA) has published a guidance document on the compilation of safety data sheets.

Germany

In Germany, safety data sheets must be compiled in accordance with REACH Regulation No. 1907/2006. The requirements concerning national aspects are defined in the Technical Rule for Hazardous Substances (TRGS) 220 "National aspects when compiling safety data sheets". A national measure mentioned in SDS section 15 is as example the water hazard class (WGK) it is based on regulations governing systems for handling substances hazardous to waters (AwSV).

The Netherlands

Dutch Safety Data Sheets are well known as veiligheidsinformatieblad or Chemiekaarten. This is a collection of Safety Data Sheets of the most widely used chemicals. The Chemiekaarten boek is commercially available, but also made available through educational institutes, such as the web site offered by the

University of Groningen The University of Groningen (abbreviated as UG; nl, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, abbreviated as RUG) is a public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. Founded in 1614, the university is the ...

South Africa

This section contributes to a better understanding of the regulations governing SDS within the

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

n framework. As regulations may change, it is the responsibility of the reader to verify the validity of the regulations mentioned in text. As globalisation increased and countries engaged in cross-border trade, the quantity of

hazardous material Dangerous goods, abbreviated DG, are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials ( syllabi ...

crossing international borders amplified. Realising the detrimental effects of hazardous trade, the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...

established a committee of experts specialising in the transportation of

hazardous goods Dangerous goods, abbreviated DG, are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the Natural environment, environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardou ...

. The committee provides best practises governing the conveyance of

hazardous materials Dangerous goods, abbreviated DG, are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials ( syllabi ...

and goods for land including road and railway; air as well as sea transportation. These best practises are constantly updated to remain current and relevant. There are various other international bodies who provide greater detail and guidance for specific modes of transportation such as th
International Maritime Organisation (IMO)
by means of the International Maritime Code and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) via the Technical Instructions for the safe transport of dangerous goods by air as well as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) who provides regulations for the transport of dangerous goods. These guidelines prescribed by the international authorities are applicable to the South African land, sea and air transportation of hazardous materials and goods. In addition to these rules and regulations to International best practice, South Africa has also implemented common laws which are laws based on custom and practise. Common laws are a vital part of maintaining public order and forms the basis of case laws. Case laws, using the principles of common law are interpretations and decisions of statutes made by courts. Acts of parliament are determinations and regulations by parliament which form the foundation of statutory law. Statutory laws are published in the government gazette or on the official website. Lastly, subordinate legislation are the bylaws issued by local authorities and authorised by parliament. Statutory law gives effect to the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1993 and the National Road Traffic Act of 1996. The Occupational Health and Safety Act details the necessary provisions for the safe handling and storage of hazardous materials and goods whilst the transport act details with the necessary provisions for the transportation of the hazardous goods. Relevant South African legislation includes the Hazardous Chemicals Agent regulations of 2021 under the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1993, the Chemical Substance Act 15 of 1973, and the National Road Traffic Act of 1996, and the Standards Act of 2008. There has been selective incorporation of aspects of the Globally Harmonised System (GHS) of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals into South African legislation. At each point of the chemical value chain, there is a responsibility to manage chemicals in a safe and responsible manner. SDS is therefore required by law. A SDS is included in the requirements of Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No.85 of 1993) Regulation 1179 dated 25 August 1995. The categories of information supplied in the SDS are listed in SANS 11014:2010; dangerous goods standards – Classification and information. SANS 11014:2010 supersedes the first edition SANS 11014-1:1994 and is an identical implementation of ISO 11014:2009. According to SANS 11014:2010:

United Kingdom

In the U.K., the Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations 2002 - known as CHIP Regulations - impose duties upon suppliers, and importers into the EU, of

. NOTE: Safety data sheets (SDS) are no longer covered by the CHIP regulations. The laws that require a SDS to be provided have been transferred to the European REACH Regulations. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations govern the use of hazardous substances in the workplace in the UK and specifically require an assessment of the use of a substance. Regulation 12 requires that an employer provides employees with information, instruction and training for people exposed to hazardous substances. This duty would be very nearly impossible without the data sheet as a starting point. It is important for employers therefore to insist on receiving a data sheet from a supplier of a substance. The duty to supply information is not confined to informing only business users of products. SDSs for retail products sold by large DIY shops are usually obtainable on those companies' web sites. Web sites of manufacturers and large suppliers do not always include them even if the information is obtainable from retailers but written or telephone requests for paper copies will usually be responded to favourably.

United Nations

The

(UN) defines certain details used in SDSs such as the

UN number A UN number (United Nations number) is a four-digit number that identifies hazardous materials, and articles (such as explosives, flammable liquids, oxidizers, toxic liquids, etc.) in the framework of international trade and transport. Some ha ...

s used to identify some

in a standard form while in international transit.

United States

In the U.S., the

Occupational Safety and Health Administration The Occupational Safety and Health Administration'' (OSHA ) is a large regulatory agency of the United States Department of Labor that originally had federal visitorial powers to inspect and examine workplaces. Congress established the agenc ...

requires that SDSs be readily available to all employees for potentially harmful substances handled in the workplace under the Hazard Communication regulation. The SDS is also required to be made available to local fire departments and local and state emergency planning officials under Section 311 of the

Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 is a United States federal law passed by the 99th United States Congress located at Title 42, Chapter 116 of the U.S. Code, concerned with emergency response preparedness. On Octo ...

. The

American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 155,000 members at all ...

defines Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Numbers (

CAS number A CAS Registry Number (also referred to as CAS RN or informally CAS Number) is a unique identification number assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS), US to every chemical substance described in the open scientific literature. It inclu ...

s) which provide a unique number for each chemical and are also used internationally in SDSs. Reviews of material safety data sheets by the

U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (USCSB), generally referred to as the Chemical Safety Board or CSB, is an independent U.S. federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. Headquartered in Washingt ...

have detected dangerous deficiencies. The board's Combustible Dust Hazard Study analyzed 140 data sheets of substances capable of producing combustible dusts. None of the SDSs contained all the information the board said was needed to work with the material safely, and 41 percent failed to even mention that the substance was combustible. As part of its study of an explosion and fire that destroyed the Barton Solvents facility in Valley Center, Kansas, in 2007, the safety board reviewed 62 material safety data sheets for commonly used nonconductive flammable liquids. As in the combustible dust study, the board found all the data sheets inadequate. In 2012, the US adopted the 16 section Safety Data Sheet to replace Material Safety Data Sheets. This became effective on 1 December 2013. These new Safety Data Sheets comply with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). By 1 June 2015, employers were required to have their workplace labeling and hazard communication programs updated as necessary – including all MSDSs replaced with SDS-formatted documents.

SDS authoring

Many companies offer the service of collecting, or writing and revising, data sheets to ensure they are up to date and available for their subscribers or users. Some jurisdictions impose an explicit

duty of care In tort law, a duty of care is a legal obligation that is imposed on an individual, requiring adherence to a standard of reasonable care while performing any acts that could foreseeably harm others. It is the first element that must be establ ...

that each SDS be regularly updated, usually every three to five years. However, when new information becomes available, the SDS must be revised without delay. If a full SDS is not feasible, then a reduced workplace label should be authored.

References

External links

{{Authority control Chemical safety Documents Environmental law Industrial hygiene Materials Occupational safety and health Regulation of chemicals in the European Union Safety engineering Toxicology