What Is A Safety Data Sheet (Sds)?

Safety Data Sheet Image

The rubber information sheet, besides known as an SDS, is an essential component of the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard and of a worker'south right to know about the chemical hazards at his or her workplace.

In this article, we'll explain what an SDS is, how information technology's related to a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and to the GHS-alignment of Haz-Com, what you'll find in its 16 different sections, and even requite you some additional information nearly SDSs, including issues related to employer responsibilities and employee admission.

Safety Data Sheets for Hazard Advice

In 2012, OSHA changed their existing Hazard Advice, or Haz-Com, regulation, to more than closely align with the Globally Harmonized Organisation, or GHS.

As part of that modify, OSHA replaced the erstwhile, pre-2012 fabric safety data sheets, also known every bit MSDSs, with the new, mail-2012, GHS-aligned safety data sheets, also known as SDSs.

The master do good of the new safety data sheets, or SDS, is that the prophylactic information well-nigh the hazard chemical would appear in a consequent, standard, uniform, and easy-to-understand order.

16 Sections of the Safety Data Canvas (SDS)

In that location are the xvi sections of the condom data canvass, or SDS.

This sample from our online Hazard Communication training form explains the different sections of an SDS.

SDS Section 1: Identification

Identifies the chemical and provides contact information of the supplier.

Must include:

Production identifier on label and any other common names by which chemical is known
Name, address, and telephone number of the manufacturer, importer, or other responsible party, plus their emergency phone number
Recommended use of chemical plus usage restrictions

SDS Department 2: Hazard(s) Identification

Identifies the take a chance(south) of the chemical and gives appropriate warning information associated with those hazards.

Must include:

The chemical'due south hazard classification
The signal give-and-take
The hazard statement
Pictograms
Precautionary argument(due south)
Description of any hazards that are not otherwise classified (HNOC)
(For mixtures that contain an ingredient with unknown toxicity) A argument describing what percentage of the mixture consists of the ingredient with an unknown toxicity

SDS Department three: Composition/Data on Ingredients

Identifies ingredients in the production, including impurities and stabilizers. Includes information on substances, mixtures, and all chemicals where a trade secret is claimed.

Required information for substances, mixtures, and chemicals where are merchandise secret are claimed are listed below.

Substances:

Must include:

The proper name of the chemical
The chemical'due south common proper name and whatsoever synonyms
The chemical's Chemic Abstracts Service (CAS) number and any other unique identifiers
Impurities and stabilizers, which must be classified and which must contribute to the classification of the chemic

Mixtures:

Must include:

Yet information listed above for substances
The chemical proper name and concentration, expressed in terms of exact percentages, of all ingredients which are classified as health hazards and are (1) present above their cut-off/concentration limits or (ii) nowadays a health hazard below the cut-off/concentration limits
The concentration, expressed equally exact percentages, of each ingredient. Alternatively, "concentration ranges" may be used (one) for trade cloak-and-dagger claims, (two) where at that place is batch-to-batch variation, or (iii) when the SDS is used for a group of essentially similar mixtures.

Chemicals Where Merchandise Secrets Are Claimed:

For chemicals where trade secrets are claimed, must include a statement that the specific chemical identity and/or concentration (expressed as an exact percent) of composition has been withheld as a trade hugger-mugger.

SDS Section 4: Beginning-Aid Measures

Describes initial get-go-assistance that untrained responders should provide to a person who'due south been exposed to the chemic.

Must include:

Description of nearly important symptoms and effects, plus any symptoms that are acute or delayed
First aid instructions for various exposure routes (inhalation, skin contact, center contact, ingestion)
Recommendations for immediate medical care and special treatment, if necessary

SDS Section five: Fire-Fighting Measures

Lists recommendations for fighting a burn the chemical causes.

Must include:

Recommendations of appropriate fire-extinguishing equipment
Data nearly fire-extinguishing equipment that is Not advisable for a particular situation
Advice on specific hazards that develop from the chemical during a fire. For example, any hazardous combustion products created.
Recommendations on special protective equipment (PPE) or precautions for fire fighters

SDS Section half-dozen: Accidental Release Measures

Includes data on responding to spills, leaks, or releases, including containment procedures and cleanup practices. May also include recommendations that distinguish between efforts for big and small-scale spills when spill volume has a significant touch on on the run a risk.

Must include:

Recommendations for utilize of personal precautions and protective equipment to preclude contamination to pare, eyes, and clothes
Emergency procedures, including instructions for evacuations, consulting experts when required, and appropriate protective clothing
Containment methods and materials
Cleanup procedures

SDS Section 7: Treatment and Storage

Recommendations on safe handling practices and weather condition for safety storage.

Must include:

Precautions for safe handling. Must include recommendations for handling incompatible chemicals, minimizing the release of chemicals into surroundings, and advice on general hygiene practices (eating, drinking, and smoking in work areas)
Recommendations on safe storage conditions, including any incompatibilities, including specific storage requirements

SDS Section viii: Exposure Controls/Personal Protection

Lists exposure limits, applied science controls, and personal protective measures that can be used to reduce worker exposure.

Must include:

OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs), American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Values (TLVs), and any other exposure limit used or recommended by the chemical'southward manufacturer, importer, or employer preparing the SDS.
List of advisable applied science controls
Recommendations for personal protective measures to prevent harm from exposure, including PPE
Whatever special requirements for PPE, protective vesture, or respirators

SDS Section nine: Physical and Chemical Properties

Lists the physical and chemic properties.

Must include:

Appearance
Upper and lower flammability or explosive limits
Flash point
Flammability (solid, gas)
Auto ignition temperature
Initial boiling signal and boiling range
Evaporation range
Melting point
Freezing betoken
Odor
Olfactory property threshold
Vapor pressure
pH
Relative density
Solubility/solubilities
Partitioning coefficient: due north-octanol/water
Decomposition temperature
Viscosity

The SDS may omit one or more of the items listed above if it is not relevant or available. When that happens, though, a notation must be fabricated.

In addition, manufacturers may add other relevant backdrop. An example would be the dust deflagration index (Kst) for combustible dust.

The SDS may non contain every detail on the above listing considering data may not exist relevant or is not available. When this occurs, a note to that effect must be made for that chemic property. Manufacturers may also add other relevant properties, such as the grit deflagration index (Kst) for combustible grit, used to evaluate a dust'southward explosive potential.

SDS Section x: Stability and Reactivity

Describes the chemic's stability information and reactivity hazards.

This department is broken into iii smaller sections. Required data is explained beneath.

Reactivity:

Describes specific test data for the chemical(s). Information can be for a class or family of the chemical.

Chemical Stability:

Must include:

Indication of whether the chemical is stable or unstable under normal ambient temperature and atmospheric condition while in storage and while being handled
Clarification of any stabilizer that may exist needed for chemical stability
Indication of whatever safety problems that may arise should the physical appearance of the production change

Other:

Must include:

Indication of the possibility of hazardous reactions, including a statement whether the chemical will react or polymerize, which could release excess heat or pressure, or create other hazardous conditions, likewise as a description of the weather condition under which hazardous reactions may occur.
A list of all weather that should be avoided
A list of all classes of incompatible materials with which the chemic could react to produce a hazardous situation
A list of whatever known or anticipated chancy decomposition products that could be produced considering of utilize, storage, or heating. These should also be listed in Section v of the SDS, which covers burn-fighting measures.

SDS Section 11: Toxicological Information

Lists the toxicological and health furnishings data, or indicates that the information is not available.

Must include:

Likely routes of exposure, such equally inhalation, ingestion, skin contact, and/or eye contact. Must also indicate if the information is unknown.
Clarification of symptoms, including symptoms associated with everyman to most severe exposures
Clarification of immediate, delayed, or chronic effects from brusk curt-term and long-term exposure
Toxicity measures in numerical terms, such every bit median lethal dose
Indication of whether the chemic is listed in the the latest edition of the National Toxicology Plan (NTP) Study on Carcinogens or has been found to exist a potential carcinogen in the latest edition of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monographs or establish to be a potential carcinogen past OSHA.

SDS Section 12: Ecological Data (non-mandatory)

This section is not mandatory on the SDS. It provides information to help evaluate the environmental impacts of the chemical in one case its released into the environment.

Information may include:

Information from toxicity texts performed on aquatic and/or terrestrial organisms
Whether there is a potential for the chemical to persist and dethrone in the environment
Results of tests of bioaccumulation potential, including references to Kow and BCF when possible/bachelor
Potential for substance to move from soil to groundwater
Other adverse effects

SDS Department 13: Disposal Considerations (not-mandatory)

Another non-mandatory section, this one provides guidance on disposal practice, recycling or reclamation of the chemical and/or its container, and rubber handling practices.

This section should as well refer to Department 8 on Exposure Controls and Personal Protection.

May include:

Description of appropriate disposal containers
Recommended disposal methods
Description of physical and chemic properties that may bear on disposal
Language that discourages disposal into sewage
Whatsoever special precaution for disposing in a landfill or through incineration

SDS Section fourteen: Ship Information (non-mandatory)

Yet another non-mandatory department, this 1 lists guidance on classification information for shipping and transporting.

May include:

UN number (the four-figure identification number)
UN proper shipping name
Transport hazard class or classes
Packing group number, if applicative. This is based on the degree of the risk.
Environmental hazards
Guidance on bulk transport
Whatever special precautions employee should know or must comply with regarding transport and conveyance within or outside premises

SDS Department 15: Regulatory Information (non-mandatory)

And nevertheless another non-mandatory department, this 1 lists any EHS regulations specific for the product non indicated elsewhere on the SDS.

May include mentions of regulations from agencies such as :

OSHA
Section of Transportation (DOT)
Environmental Protection Agency
Consumer Product Rubber Commission

SDS Section 16: Other Information

Indicates when the safety data sheet was prepared or when the last known revision was made. May also explicate what changes were made from last version. May also include any other useful information.

More than About Rubber Data Sheets (SDSs)

Well, that's a LOT of information about safe data sheets, only nosotros'll add a few more than points below.

They should be created by chemic manufacturers
Employers should make sure they have a safety data canvas at the workplace for all hazardous chemicals
Employers must allow employees to access those safety data sheets at any time during their piece of work shift
Safety data sheets must be accessible to workers "in the piece of work area"
Information technology's OK to keep newspaper-based safety information sheets or to keep them digitally on a computer

Equally OSHA puts it:

The employer shall maintain in the workplace copies of the required safe information sheets for each hazardous chemical, and shall ensure that they are readily accessible during each work shift to employees when they are in their work area(s).

Decision: Safety Data Sheets Continue a Worker's Correct to Know

Safety data sheets, also known as equally SDSs, are a continuation of the OSHA Haz-Com's regulations to guarantee an employee's "right to know" about the chemical hazards in their workplace.

This online hazard communication training grade is a adept addition to your employee HazCom grooming program to help employees know just that.

Let us know if y'all have more questions about rubber data sheets or the OSHA Take chances Communication regulation.

Jeff Dalto, Senior Learning & Operation Improvement Manager
Jeff is a learning designer and performance improvement specialist with more than twenty years in learning and evolution, 15+ of which have been spent working in manufacturing, industrial, and architecture, engineering & construction training. Jeff has worked side-by-side with more than 50 companies as they implemented online training. Jeff is an advocate for using evidence-based preparation practices and is currently completing a Masters degree in Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning from Boise State Academy. He writes the Vector Solutions | Convergence Training web log and invites you lot to connect with him on LinkedIn.