Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

# Safety Data Sheet (SDS) A Safety Data Sheet is the standardised document that communicates the hazards of a chemical substance or mixture, together with safe handling, storage, transport and emergency measures. Built on a 16-section format defined by the UN Globally Harmonized System (GHS), the SDS is the core hazard communication tool for workplaces, emergency responders and downstream users across the world. ## Key facts - The SDS follows a fixed 16-section format established by the UN GHS, used in the EU, US and most other jurisdictions. - In the EU, REACH Annex II sets the content requirements, and suppliers of hazardous substances and mixtures must provide an SDS. - In the US, OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard requires chemical manufacturers and importers to provide SDSs to downstream users. - SDSs must be in the official language of the country of supply and be updated when new hazard information emerges. - Extended SDSs include exposure scenarios describing safe use conditions for registered REACH substances. - Employers must make SDSs readily accessible to workers handling hazardous chemicals and train workers on their contents. - An SDS is not a substitute for a product label: the label gives the immediate warning, the SDS gives the full picture. ## The 16 sections The GHS defines the SDS structure so that any user, anywhere, can find information in the same place. Section 1 identifies the substance or mixture and the supplier, with emergency contact details. Section 2 identifies the hazards, summarising the GHS classification, label elements and other hazards. Section 3 gives the composition, listing hazardous ingredients and their concentrations. Sections 4 through 6 cover emergencies: first-aid measures, fire-fighting measures and accidental release measures. Sections 7 and 8 address routine protection: handling and storage precautions, and exposure controls including occupational exposure limits and personal protective equipment. Section 9 lists physical and chemical properties, and Sections 10 and 11 cover stability and reactivity, and toxicological information. The final sections round out the picture: Section 12 ecological information, Section 13 disposal considerations, Section 14 transport information, Section 15 regulatory information and Section 16 other information, including the revision history. This structure means an emergency responder can turn straight to Sections 4 to 6, while a formulator studies Sections 9 to 11 and a compliance officer checks Sections 2, 3 and 15. ## Who must supply an SDS and when In the EU, REACH requires the supplier of a substance or mixture that is classified as hazardous, or that meets defined criteria such as containing certain hazardous components above thresholds, to provide an SDS to professional recipients. The SDS must be provided free of charge, on paper or electronically, at the latest on first delivery, and updated without delay when new information on hazards or risk management becomes available. Recipients must pass relevant information down the supply chain. In the US, OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard places the duty on chemical manufacturers and importers to classify hazards and produce labels and SDSs, and on employers to maintain SDSs for each hazardous chemical in the workplace and make them accessible to employees. The HazCom 2012 revision aligned the US system with GHS Revision 3, and the HazCom 2024 final rule further aligns it with GHS Revision 7, with phased compliance deadlines for the updated provisions. Other jurisdictions have equivalent duties built on the GHS building-block approach: each country adopts the GHS modules relevant to its system, so classification and SDS requirements are substantially harmonised but not identical everywhere. Suppliers operating globally maintain country-specific SDSs or carefully designed multi-jurisdiction documents, always checking that the classification matches each country's adopted GHS revision. ## Exposure scenarios and the extended SDS For substances registered under REACH at ten tonnes or more per year, the registrant must carry out a chemical safety assessment and document safe use conditions in exposure scenarios. These scenarios, describing operational conditions and risk management measures for each identified use, are annexed to the SDS, creating an extended SDS (eSDS) that can run to dozens or hundreds of pages. Downstream users have duties in return: they must check whether their use is covered by the exposure scenarios and, if so, implement the described conditions; if their use is not covered, they must inform the supplier, adapt their use or carry out their own chemical safety assessment. This two-way communication is one of REACH's most distinctive features, turning the SDS from a static document into a live link between registrants and users. In practice, managing eSDSs requires systems: tracking which scenarios cover which uses, communicating conditions to shop-floor level in usable form and updating assessments when processes change. Companies that treat the annex as unreadable boilerplate miss both the compliance duty and the operational value of the safe-use guidance. ## Quality, language and updating A compliant SDS must be accurate, complete and comprehensible. Common deficiencies found in enforcement include incorrect classifications, missing ingredients above disclosure thresholds, exposure limits that are out of date, and Sections 9 to 12 filled with "no data available" where data exists. Authorities in the EU check SDS quality in coordinated enforcement projects, and deficient documents can lead to fines and supply restrictions. Language requirements are strict: the SDS must be provided in the official language or languages of the member state where the substance or mixture is placed on the market. A single English SDS does not satisfy the requirement in France, Germany or Spain. Updates must be issued when new hazard information becomes available, when an authorisation is granted or refused, or when a restriction is imposed, and the update must be provided to all recipients supplied within the preceding 12 months. Version control matters. Each SDS should carry a revision date and version number, with Section 16 recording what changed. Recipients should be able to tell at a glance whether they hold the current version, and suppliers should keep records of which version was sent to whom. | Section | Content | Primary user | |---|---|---| | 1-3 | Identification, hazards, composition | Everyone, first reference | | 4-6 | First aid, fire-fighting, spill response | Emergency responders | | 7-8 | Handling, storage, exposure controls | Workers, safety officers | | 9-11 | Properties, stability, toxicology | Formulators, assessors | | 12-14 | Ecology, disposal, transport | Environmental and logistics staff | | 15-16 | Regulatory information, revision notes | Compliance officers | ## SDSs in the workplace For employers, the SDS is the input to chemical risk management, not the output. The process runs: collect SDSs for all hazardous chemicals on site, assess the risks of the actual tasks and exposures, implement controls following the hierarchy of elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative measures and PPE, train workers on the hazards and the SDS contents, and review when processes or products change. Workers have a right to access SDSs and to understand them. Training should cover how to read the 16 sections, what the pictograms and signal words mean, where to find first-aid and spill procedures and who to contact in an emergency. Pictogram and label comprehension should be tested, not assumed, particularly for multilingual workforces. Emergency planning uses the SDS directly: fire services want Sections 5, 9 and 10 before entering a chemical fire, and hospitals treating exposures need Sections 4 and 11. Keeping SDSs accessible to external responders, for example through site emergency files or online portals, is part of responsible operation. ## Frequently asked questions Does every chemical product need an SDS? No. The duty applies to substances and mixtures classified as hazardous and to defined borderline cases, supplied to professional users. Consumer products carry labels rather than SDSs, though professional users of the same product need the SDS. Can one SDS cover multiple countries? Only with care. Classification must reflect each country's adopted GHS revision, the language must match each country of supply and national exposure limits and regulations differ. Many companies use a core document with country-specific adaptations. How quickly must an SDS be updated? Without delay when new hazard or risk management information becomes available, and the updated version must go to recipients supplied in the previous 12 months. Do not wait for a scheduled review cycle. What is the difference between an SDS and a label? The label gives the immediate hazard warning on the container: pictograms, signal word and key statements. The SDS gives the complete hazard and safety information in 16 sections for trained users. Both are required; neither replaces the other. Who is responsible for the accuracy of an SDS? The supplier issuing it, normally the manufacturer or importer who classified the substance or mixture. Downstream distributors pass on the supplier's SDS and must forward update information, but the classification responsibility sits upstream. Are SDSs required for articles like electronics? Generally no, since articles are not substances or mixtures. Sector-specific information duties apply instead, such as REACH Article 33 communication for SVHCs. Some industries provide voluntary product information sheets for articles. ## Sources - OSHA Hazard Communication Standard - EU chemicals policy overview - EU Safety Gate rapid alert system