SDS section 1 of 16
SDS Section 1: Identification
Section 1 of a safety data sheet identifies the product and the company behind it. It gives the product name exactly as it appears on the label, who made or imported it, an emergency phone number, and what the product is recommended for. It is the section you use to confirm that the sheet in your hand really belongs to the container in front of you.
Last updated by SDS Lookup
What OSHA requires in Section 1
OSHA enforces the content of Section 1 under the Hazard Communication Standard.
Appendix D of the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) lists what Section 1 must contain. The manufacturer, importer or other responsible party preparing the sheet has to provide:
- Product identifier used on the label. This is the name or number that links the sheet to the container, such as a trade name, a code number or a chemical name.
- Other means of identification, such as synonyms, alternative names or internal product codes.
- Recommended use of the chemical and restrictions on use, for example "industrial cleaner" or "laboratory reagent; not for consumer use".
- Name, U.S. address and U.S. telephone number of the chemical manufacturer, importer or other responsible party.
- An emergency phone number.
The product identifier on the SDS must match the one on the shipped container label. That match is the whole point of the first section: everything else on the sheet is only useful if you know it describes your product.
GHS Annex 4 and international differences
Annex 4 of the UN GHS describes the same core items and adds a few that regulators in some countries require. The GHS asks for the GHS product identifier, other means of identification, recommended use and restrictions on use, supplier details (name, address, telephone number), and an emergency telephone number. It also asks that any limits on the emergency service, such as its hours of operation or the types of emergency it covers, be stated clearly, and that restrictions on use include non-statutory recommendations by the supplier.
In the European Union, Annex II of REACH asks for more in this section, including the unique formula identifier (UFI) where one applies, relevant identified uses, the e-mail address of the person responsible for the SDS, and the national poison centre or advisory body. See the REACH Annex II SDS format for the EU layout. A sheet written for the US market is not required to carry those EU-only items.
What to look for and red flags
What to look for
- Does the product name match your container label character for character, including any grade, concentration or code?
- Is the supplier a real, reachable company with a street address and a phone number, not only a website?
- Is there an emergency number, and does it say when it is staffed and what language is spoken? A number that connects you to a general switchboard is not much use at 2 a.m.
- Does the stated use cover how you use the product? Section 1 sets the intended scope of the whole sheet.
Red flags
- A generic name that could describe several different products from the same supplier.
- No emergency number, or a number that has an obvious typo or a country code you cannot reach from your site.
- A revision date in Section 16 that is many years old while the supplier has clearly reformulated the product.
- A sheet for a family of products ("all grades") without telling you which grade it covers.
Worked example: typical fields
An illustrative layout for a laboratory solvent sheet. The values are placeholders; for real data see the identification section of the methanol page, which lists names, CAS number and sources.
- Product identifier
- Name and grade exactly as on the label
- Other identifiers
- Synonyms, catalogue or part number, CAS number if a single substance
- Recommended use
- For example "laboratory reagent, industrial solvent"
- Uses advised against
- For example "not for use in food or personal care products"
- Supplier
- Company name, street address, switchboard number
- Emergency phone
- Staffed emergency line, with hours and languages; in the US this is often a service such as CHEMTREC for transport emergencies
See how this looks on a real page: methanol safety data, identification section. Every chemical page uses these 16 sections with the same anchors, so you can compare any substance.
Common mistakes
- Filing the wrong sheet. Sheets for a "sibling" product (different grade, different concentration) look nearly identical. Section 1 is where the difference shows.
- Assuming the emergency number reaches your location. Some numbers only work from inside one country. Check before an incident, not during one.
- Ignoring the "uses advised against" line. Employers sometimes use a product outside its intended scope and then discover that the exposure controls in Section 8 were never written for that use.
- Treating a distributor's details as the manufacturer's. A reseller's name on the sheet can mean you have to ask the reseller for updates, so keep both contacts.
- Copying a label name into the SDS binder index by memory. Use the exact identifier, or the index will not help in an emergency.
Frequently asked questions
What must Section 1 of an SDS contain under OSHA?
Under OSHA Appendix D to 29 CFR 1910.1200, Section 1 must give the product identifier used on the label, other means of identification, the recommended use and restrictions on use, the name, U.S. address and U.S. telephone number of the chemical manufacturer, importer or other responsible party, and an emergency phone number.
Must the product name on the SDS match the label?
Yes. The product identifier on the safety data sheet has to match the one used on the container label, so that workers can link the label to the right sheet.
Is an emergency phone number mandatory in Section 1?
Yes. OSHA lists an emergency phone number as a required element of Section 1. Check that the number is staffed and reachable from where you work.
Who should I call if the supplier details on the SDS no longer work?
Contact the distributor you bought from, look up the manufacturer through its website, and ask for a current SDS. Our guide on how to get an SDS from a manufacturer walks through the steps.