Using safety data sheets

A safety data sheet contains detailed information about a hazardous chemical’s health effects, its physical and chemical characteristics, and the safe practices for using it.

You must have a current safety data sheet for every product that your employees use that contains a hazardous chemical.

Employees must be able to review safety data sheets in their work area at any time. Keep safety data sheets in a notebook or on a computer – employees must be able to obtain the information immediately in an emergency.

One person should be responsible for managing all the safety data sheets at your workplace. The person should ensure the list of hazardous chemicals is current, the identity of each chemical on the list matches its identity on its safety data sheet, and incoming hazardous-chemical containers have safety data sheets.

Responsibilities of suppliers

Chemical manufacturers and importers must prepare a safety data sheet for each hazardous chemical product they produce. Distributors are responsible for ensuring that you have a safety data sheet for each hazardous chemical product they sell to you.

Information required on safety data sheets

Information about a hazardous chemical’s health effects and physical and chemical characteristics must be included on the SDS and must be organized under the following 16 headings:

1. Identification of the substance or mixture and of the supplier
2. Hazards identified
3. Composition or information on ingredients
4. First-aid measures
5. Firefighting measures
6. Accidental release measures
7. Handling and storage requirements
8. Exposure controls and personal protection
9. Physical and chemical properties
10. Stability and reactivity
11. Toxicological information
12. Ecological information
13. Disposal considerations
14. Transport information
15. Regulatory information
16. Information on preparation and revision of the SDS

Description of all 16 sections of a Safety Data Sheet