Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

The SDS is the main written source of detail behind the label. Where a label gives a short warning, the SDS explains the hazard classification, composition, first-aid steps, fire-fighting advice, spill response, exposure controls, physical and chemical properties, toxicology, ecology, disposal, transport, and regulatory information.

Under the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200), the 16 sections appear in a fixed order, so a worker who learns where to look on one SDS can find the same information on any other. The format comes from the GHS: the 2012 update aligned HazCom with GHS Revision 3, and the 2024 update aligned it primarily with Revision 7. Sections 12 to 15 are required by GHS but are outside OSHA's enforcement authority, though they usually still appear.

The supplier writes the SDS, so wording, level of detail, and revision dates vary from one supplier to another. Two products with the same ingredients can carry slightly different advice. Always use the sheet for the exact product and supplier you have, and treat any reference site as a guide only, never a replacement for the supplier's current SDS.

Employers must make SDSs readily accessible to workers in their work area during every shift, whether on paper or electronically, and must train workers to read them. When a supplier issues an updated sheet, the new one should replace the old.