A safety data sheet (SDS) follows a fixed structure of 16 sections, set by the UN's GHS system. The EU applies it through Annex II of REACH, and the US through OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard, so the order is the same in most markets.
Who must provide an SDS, and when, is covered in what a safety data sheet is. This article walks through what each section should contain and what to check.
The 16 sections
- Section 1, Identification: product name, recommended uses, and the supplier's name, address and emergency phone number.
- Section 2, Hazard identification: the classification, pictograms, signal word, and hazard and precautionary statements.
- Section 3, Composition: the substances in the product, with CAS numbers and concentrations or ranges for hazardous ones.
- Section 4, First-aid measures: what to do after skin contact, eye contact, inhalation or swallowing.
- Section 5, Fire-fighting measures: suitable extinguishing media and hazards from combustion.
- Section 6, Accidental release measures: how to contain and clean up a spill.
- Section 7, Handling and storage: safe handling practice, storage conditions and incompatible materials.
- Section 8, Exposure controls and personal protection: exposure limits, ventilation and protective equipment.
- Section 9, Physical and chemical properties: appearance, pH, melting and boiling points, flash point, density and solubility.
- Section 10, Stability and reactivity: conditions and materials to avoid, and hazardous decomposition products.
- Section 11, Toxicological information: health effects and the data behind them.
- Section 12, Ecological information: effects on aquatic life, persistence and biodegradability.
- Section 13, Disposal considerations: how to dispose of the product and its packaging.
- Section 14, Transport information: UN number, proper shipping name, transport hazard class, packing group and marine pollutant status.
- Section 15, Regulatory information: the laws and listings that apply to the product.
- Section 16, Other information: revision date, changes since the last version and abbreviations.
The sections buyers should read first
Section 14 decides how your goods ship. If it gives a UN number and class, you are booking dangerous goods. If it says not regulated, the product ships as general cargo, and your forwarder may ask for a non-DG certificate.
Section 3 should match what you think you are buying. A product sold as one substance should not list unexpected components. Section 9 should agree with the technical data sheet and the certificate of analysis.
Section 16 shows the revision date. An SDS that has not been updated for many years may not reflect current classification rules.
Common faults in supplier SDSs
- The SDS is copied from another producer and names a different company in section 1.
- Sections 2 and 14 contradict each other, for example a corrosive classification with no transport class.
- Section 3 gives no CAS numbers, or gives ranges so wide they are meaningless.
- The format follows one country's rules while you are importing into another.
Next step
The importer is usually responsible for the SDS used in its market, so have a regulatory adviser confirm it. We check supplier SDSs against the product, the label and the transport documents. To start, book a free sourcing review.