What this is
What is a safety data sheet?
What is a safety data sheet?
A document supplied with a hazardous chemical, following a globally harmonised sixteen-section format, describing the substance's hazards, composition, handling, exposure controls, physical properties, toxicology and regulatory status.
Is a safety data sheet a risk assessment?
No, and treating it as one is the most consequential error in this area. The sheet describes the substance and gives generic handling advice written without knowledge of your process. A risk assessment describes exposure arising from your use: your quantity, method, duration, frequency and ventilation.
Scope
When is a safety data sheet required?
This is a supplier document held and used on site. It informs assessment rather than performing it.
Use this template when
- Holding the current supplier sheet for every hazardous chemical on site
- Informing the chemical risk assessment with hazard classification and exposure limits
- Emergency response reference for first aid, fire and spill measures
- Determining storage compatibility and incompatible materials
- Confirming classification changes when a supplier issues a revised sheet
Do not use it for
- The chemical risk assessment, which addresses your use of the substance rather than the substance itself
- Workplace labelling, which follows from the sheet but has its own requirements including secondary containers
- The substance register, which lists what is held on site and where
- Exposure monitoring records, which measure actual exposure against the limits the sheet reports
- Disposal and waste consignment documentation, which follows waste regulation rather than the sheet
Compliance mapping
Which WHMIS 2015 requirements does this satisfy?
The sixteen-section format is internationally harmonised, with jurisdictional variation in enforceability and detail.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| 29 CFR 1910.1200(g) | Safety data sheets obtained and maintained for each hazardous chemical, readily accessible to employees | Header |
| 29 CFR 1910.1200 App D | The sixteen-section format and required content for each section | Header |
| HCS 2024 final rule | Alignment with GHS Revision 7, with changes to sections 2, 3, 9 and 11 among others | 2. Hazard identification |
| 29 CFR 1910.1200(i) | Trade secret provisions, now requiring prescribed concentration ranges to be disclosed | 3. Composition and ingredients |
| WHMIS 2015 | Canadian requirements aligned with GHS, with the same sixteen-section structure | 15. Regulatory information |
| EU Reg 1907/2006 Annex II | REACH requirements for safety data sheets, including extended sheets with exposure scenarios | 8. Exposure controls and personal protection |
| 29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(2) | Sheets updated within a defined period when significant new information becomes available | 16. Other information |
| 29 CFR 1910.1200(h) | Employee training on the sheet format and label elements | How this is used on our site |
What it does not cover
- The chemical risk assessment, which addresses your use rather than the substance.
- Workplace labelling, including secondary containers, which has its own requirements.
- The substance register, recording what is held and where.
- Exposure monitoring, measuring actual exposure against the limits the sheet reports.
- Waste and disposal documentation, governed by waste regulation.
How to complete it
How to complete a safety data sheet, step by step
Hold the current sheet, read the sections that matter, and translate rather than distribute.
A sheet held for years may predate a reclassification, and suppliers are required to update sheets when significant new information becomes available. The 2024 alignment with GHS Revision 7 changes content in several sections, with compliance dates running into 2026 for substances and 2028 for mixtures, so revised sheets will continue arriving through that period.
Section 2 gives the hazard classification and label elements. Section 7 covers handling and storage, including incompatibilities. Section 8 gives exposure limits and control measures, and those limits are what any monitoring result is compared against. These three carry most of what a site actually needs; the remainder is largely for responders and regulators.
Stability and reactivity, including incompatible materials, is what determines what can be stored next to what. Segregation decisions made on the basis of container size or convenience, rather than on incompatibility, are a common cause of reactions during spills and fires.
The output people need at the point of use is short: what to wear for this task, what to do if it spills, what it must not touch, and what to do if someone is exposed. Distributing a sixteen-section document to an operator is a filing action; producing a task-level instruction from it is hazard communication.
What auditors find
Most common safety data sheet findings
Findings here concentrate on currency, accessibility and the gap between the sheet and the task.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Sheets held but not current after a supplier reissue. | 1910.1200(g)(2) | Suppliers must update on significant new information; check currency on receipt of each delivery. |
| Sheets not readily accessible to employees in the work area. | 1910.1200(g)(8) | Accessible during each shift and in the area, not in a manager's office. |
| Sheet treated as satisfying the risk assessment requirement. | COSHH reg.6 | The sheet describes the substance; the assessment describes your exposure. |
| Section 8 exposure limits not used in the assessment or monitoring. | 1910.1200 App D | These are the figures measured exposure is compared against. |
| Incompatibility in section 10 not reflected in storage segregation. | 1910.1200 App D | Segregate by incompatibility rather than by container or convenience. |
| Employees not trained on the sheet format after the 2024 changes. | 1910.1200(h) | The format and label elements changed; training obligations follow. |
| Substances on site with no sheet at all. | 1910.1200(g)(1) | Usually arrives via maintenance or contractors; control the entry route. |
| Sheet content not translated into task-level instruction. | 1910.1200(h) | Distributing the document is filing; producing usable instruction is communication. |
| Reliance on a sheet from a different supplier for the same generic product. | 1910.1200(g) | Formulations differ; the sheet must match the product actually supplied. |
| No process for reviewing what a reissued sheet changed. | 1910.1200(g)(2) | A reissue may reclassify; compare rather than replace silently. |
Case in point
Case in point: the sheet that arrived and changed nothing
A supplier reissued the safety data sheet for a cleaning chemical following a reclassification. The new sheet arrived by email, was saved over the previous version in the shared folder, and the folder was noted as current at the next audit.
The reclassification had added a skin sensitisation hazard. The chemical risk assessment for the task, the glove specification, the health surveillance decision and the training content had all been built on the previous classification and none were revisited.
Nothing in the site's process compared the new sheet against the old one. Replacing a document is an administrative act, and it had been performed correctly.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
19 sections
- Reference
- SAF-176
- Archetype
- Reference
- Record ID
- SDS-2026-000
- Scoring
- Not scored
- Direction
- n/a
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- WHMIS 2015, OSHA 1910.1200 App D
- Links
- Referenced by Chemical Register, Risk Assessment, Workplace Label, Availability Check
- Tags
- Chemical, Reference, WHMIS
- Sections
- 19
- Fields
- 191
- Follow up fields
- 1
- Repeating sections
- 1
- Links out
- 11
Header
12 fieldsSDS ID*
Auto sequence. Format SDS-2026-000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Version*
Date Of Issue*
Supersedes Version
Site
Site ID
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Maintained By*
An administrator or the chemical coordinator. Nobody else edits this record.
Next Review Due*
Three years is the usual maximum, or immediately on any supplier revision.
Source Of This Sheet*
Supplier issued, manufacturer issued, or transcribed from a supplied document.
People Read This, They Do Not Fill It In
An administrator enters each substance once from the supplier sheet. Everybody else opens it to find an exposure limit, a first aid step or an incompatibility. The value over a filed PDF is that the content is searchable, linkable and can be checked for currency.
Sixteen Sections, In Order
The order and headings are fixed by GHS and adopted by WHMIS 2015, OSHA 1910.1200 Appendix D and EU REACH. Sections 12 to 15 must appear even where the content is not required in your jurisdiction. Do not renumber, merge or omit a section, because inspectors check for exactly this structure.
1. Identification
12 fieldsProduct Identifier*
Exactly as it appears on the supplier label and the container.
Substance ID
Links to FDN-006 Substance ID
Product Code
Other Means Of Identification
Synonyms and trade names people on site actually use, so a search finds it.
Recommended Use*
Restrictions On Use
Supplier Name*
Supplier ID
Links to FDN-005 Vendor ID
Supplier Address
Supplier Telephone
Emergency Telephone Number*
A number answered around the clock. Test it yearly.
Emergency Number Availability*
Twenty four hours, business hours, or unknown.
2. Hazard identification
11 fieldsGHS Classification
Hazard classes and categories as classified by the supplier.
Signal Word*
Not Classified As Hazardous*
Some sheets exist for non hazardous products. Say so explicitly.
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Pictograms
Hazard Statements
The H statements in full, not just their codes.
Precautionary Statements Prevention
Precautionary Statements Response
Precautionary Statements Storage
Precautionary Statements Disposal
Other Hazards Not Classified
Combustible dust, asphyxiation risk or hot product hazards often sit here rather than in the classification.
Percent Of Unknown Acute Toxicity
3. Composition and ingredients
Repeats7 fieldsOne Row Per Disclosed Ingredient
Where a supplier withholds an identity as a trade secret, record the claim and its reference rather than leaving the row blank, so a clinician knows to ring the emergency number.
Ingredient Name*
CAS Number
Concentration*
A percentage or a range, exactly as the supplier states it.
Common Name Or Synonym
Trade Secret Claimed
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Trade Secret Reference
4. First aid measures
12 fieldsThe Section Read Under Pressure
Somebody opens this with a colleague already injured. Keep each route on its own line, put the immediate action first, and never write see a doctor without saying what to do in the meantime.
Inhalation*
Skin Contact*
Eye Contact*
Ingestion*
Most Important Symptoms And Effects*
Immediate Medical Attention Required*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Notes To Physician
Antidotes, contraindicated treatments and monitoring. This is what a hospital asks for first.
Specific Antidote Exists
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Eyewash Required Within Ten Seconds*
If yes, the eyewash location must be verified where this product is used.
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Emergency Shower Required*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
First Aiders Briefed On This Product
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
5. Fire fighting measures
9 fieldsSuitable Extinguishing Media*
Unsuitable Extinguishing Media
Getting this wrong makes the fire worse. Water on some chemicals is the classic case.
Specific Hazards From The Substance
Hazardous Combustion Products
Special Protective Equipment For Firefighters
Special Firefighting Procedures
Flammable*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Flash Point
Fire Service Informed Of This Product
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
6. Accidental release measures
9 fieldsPersonal Precautions And Protective Equipment*
Emergency Procedures
Environmental Precautions
Whether it may reach a drain matters more than any other line in this section.
Must Not Reach Drains*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Containment Methods*
Clean Up Methods*
Spill Kit Type Required
Absorbent Material Suitable
Reportable Spill Quantity
7. Handling and storage
10 fieldsPrecautions For Safe Handling*
Hygiene Measures
Conditions For Safe Storage*
Incompatible Materials*
Read alongside the storage compatibility check for the area it is kept in.
Storage Temperature Range
Storage Class Or Segregation Group
Suitable Container Materials
Requires Locked Storage
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Requires Bunding
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Shelf Life After Opening
8. Exposure controls and personal protection
17 fieldsThe Numbers That Set Your Monitoring
Exposure limits here drive whether air monitoring and health surveillance are required. If a limit exists and you have never measured against it, that is a gap rather than a low risk.
Occupational Exposure Limits
Give the value, the averaging period and the source, for example 25 ppm eight hour TWA, ACGIH.
Short Term Exposure Limit
Biological Exposure Index
Engineering Controls Required*
Local Exhaust Ventilation Required*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
General Ventilation Sufficient
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Eye And Face Protection*
Skin And Hand Protection*
Glove Material And Breakthrough Time
Material alone is not enough. A nitrile glove rated four minutes is not protection for a twenty minute task.
Body Protection
Respiratory Protection
Respirator Type And Filter
Fit Testing Required
- Yes3 pts
- Not applicable3 pts
- No0 pts
Air Monitoring Recommended
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Health Surveillance Recommended
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Skin Notation
A skin notation means absorption through intact skin is significant, so gloves are a primary control rather than a backup.
9. Physical and chemical properties
21 fieldsPhysical State*
Appearance
Colour
Odour
Odour Threshold
Where the threshold is above the exposure limit, smell is not a warning.
pH
Melting Or Freezing Point
Initial Boiling Point
Flash Point Value
Evaporation Rate
Flammability Solid Or Gas
Upper And Lower Flammable Limits
Vapour Pressure
Vapour Density
Heavier than air means it collects in pits, sumps and confined spaces.
Relative Density
Solubility In Water
Partition Coefficient
Auto Ignition Temperature
Decomposition Temperature
Viscosity
Particle Characteristics
10. Stability and reactivity
6 fieldsReactivity
Chemical Stability*
Possibility Of Hazardous Reactions
Conditions To Avoid*
Incompatible Materials Detail
Hazardous Decomposition Products
11. Toxicological information
15 fieldsRoutes Of Exposure*
Acute Toxicity Values
LD50 and LC50 with species and route.
Symptoms Of Exposure
Skin Corrosion Or Irritation
Serious Eye Damage Or Irritation
Respiratory Or Skin Sensitisation
Germ Cell Mutagenicity
Carcinogenicity
Name the listing body and category. A carcinogen classification changes the control regime entirely.
Reproductive Toxicity
Specific Target Organ Toxicity Single
Specific Target Organ Toxicity Repeated
Aspiration Hazard
Carcinogen Or Sensitiser*
Set this deliberately. It drives whether substitution and health surveillance must be considered.
Reproductive Hazard
Relevant to the new and expectant mother assessment.
- No3 pts
- Yes0 pts
Delayed Or Chronic Effects
12. Ecological information
6 fieldsEcotoxicity
Persistence And Degradability
Bioaccumulative Potential
Mobility In Soil
Other Adverse Effects
Harmful To Aquatic Life
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
13. Disposal considerations
5 fieldsDisposal Methods*
Waste Classification
Hazardous Waste Code
Contaminated Packaging Handling
Approved Waste Contractor Required
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
14. Transport information
8 fieldsUN Number
UN Proper Shipping Name
Transport Hazard Class
Packing Group
Marine Pollutant
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Special Transport Precautions
Dangerous Goods For Transport*
If yes, anybody shipping this needs dangerous goods training and the shipment record applies.
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Bulk Transport Provisions
15. Regulatory information
5 fieldsSafety Health And Environmental Regulations
Inventory Listing Status
Restricted Or Prohibited Substance
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Reporting Threshold Applies
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Chemical Safety Assessment Performed
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
16. Other information
8 fieldsDate Of Preparation Or Revision*
Key To Abbreviations
References
Changes From Previous Version
The most useful line on any revision. It tells a reader what to look at rather than rereading sixteen sections.
Disclaimer
Original Supplier Document
Keep the supplier PDF attached. This record is a searchable copy, not a replacement for the issued document.
Language Of Original
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Translation Held
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Related records
1 fieldRisk ID
The register entry the substance hazards roll into.
Links to FDN-012 Risk ID
How this is used on our site
17 fieldsThe Part A Filed PDF Cannot Give You
Everything above comes from the supplier. This section is ours, and it is what makes the sheet operational rather than archival.
Areas Where Used
Tasks Where Used
Approximate Quantity Held
Chemical Risk Assessment ID
Links to SAF-086 Assessment ID
Workplace Label Record ID
Links to SAF-177 Label ID
Approval Request ID
Links to SAF-091 Request ID
Available At Point Of Use*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Availability Check ID
Links to SAF-179 Check ID
Included In Chemical Training
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Substitution Considered
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Substitution Assessment ID
Links to ENV-048 Assessment ID
Sheet Review ID
Links to SAF-085 Review ID
Maintained By*
Signature*
Safety Lead*
Second Signature*
SAF-176 · record IDs look like SDS-2026-000 · Referenced by Chemical Register, Risk Assessment, Workplace Label, Availability Check
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The sheet is a supplier document. What fails is treating it as an assessment and replacing it without reading what changed.
Holds current sheets against the substance register, flags reissues for comparison against the previous version, and keeps them accessible at the point of use.
Watches supplier changes for formulation differences and raises assessment review when a reclassification appears in a reissued sheet.
Carries section 8 exposure limits into monitoring and surveillance decisions rather than leaving them in the document.
Delivers training on the sheet format and label elements, which the 2024 alignment made a live obligation again.
This template lives in KnowSafe — safety and compliance. Incidents, hazards, permits, inspections and the critical controls behind them.
Meet KnowSafe→Glossary
Safety Data Sheet definitions and key terms
- Safety data sheet
- The supplier document following a sixteen-section harmonised format describing a hazardous chemical.
- GHS
- The UN Globally Harmonized System of classification and labelling, to which national regimes align.
- Section 8
- Exposure controls and personal protection, containing the exposure limits monitoring is compared against.
- Section 10
- Stability and reactivity, including incompatible materials, which governs storage segregation.
- Extended safety data sheet
- An EU sheet with exposure scenarios attached, produced under REACH above a tonnage threshold.
- Trade secret claim
- Withholding exact composition, now requiring a prescribed concentration range to be disclosed instead.
- Reclassification
- A change in a substance's hazard classification, communicated through a reissued sheet.
- Secondary container labelling
- Workplace labelling of decanted product, a separate requirement the sheet informs.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about safety data sheet
Which sections actually matter operationally?+
Sections 2, 7 and 8. Section 2 gives the hazard classification and label elements, section 7 covers handling and storage including incompatibilities, and section 8 gives exposure limits and controls. Section 10 matters for storage segregation. The remainder is largely for emergency responders, regulators and transport, and it is still required to be present.
Is holding the sheets enough?+
No. Sheets must be obtained, maintained current and readily accessible to employees during each shift in their work areas, and employees must be trained on the format. Beyond compliance, the sheet describes the substance in isolation and cannot tell anyone what to do in a specific task, which is what the risk assessment produces.
What changed with the 2024 alignment?+
OSHA's final rule aligned the Hazard Communication Standard with GHS Revision 7, changing content in several sections including hazard identification, composition, physical properties and toxicology, and requiring concentration ranges where composition is claimed as a trade secret. Compliance dates were extended by four months in January 2026 and run into 2026 for substances and 2028 for mixtures.
What should happen when a sheet is reissued?+
Compare it against the version it replaces. Sheets are reissued because something changed, and a reclassification can affect the risk assessment, the PPE specification, health surveillance and training. Saving the new file over the old one is administratively correct and destroys the only record of what moved.
Can we use a sheet from a different supplier?+
No. Formulations differ between suppliers even for products with the same generic description, and the sheet must correspond to the product actually supplied. This becomes a live issue where purchasing switches supplier on price for a like-for-like product, which is precisely the change least likely to be flagged as a chemical safety event.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Chemical Safety and WHMIS
Spill Report
Records a release of chemical, fuel, oil or wastewater
Spill Response Record
Records what was done to contain, clean up and dispose of a spill
Chemical Substitution Assessment
Assesses whether a hazardous substance can be replaced by something safer, and what the substitute brings with it
Restricted Substance Compliance Record
Records compliance with restricted substance obligations covering ozone depleting gases, persistent chemicals and packaging materials
Explosive Atmosphere Zoning Record
Records the zoning of areas where flammable dust or vapour can form an explosive atmosphere, and the equipment permitted there
Chemical and Substance Register
Lists every chemical and hazardous substance held on site, with quantity, location and hazard class
More in Safety Data Sheets
Workplace Label Record
Holds the workplace label content for a product that has left its original container
Safety Data Sheet Request
Raised by anybody who finds a product with no sheet, an out of date sheet or one they cannot read
Data Sheet Availability Check
Checks that a data sheet can actually be found in the area, by the people working there, on any shift
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- 29 CFR 1910.1200 and Appendix D, safety data sheets, OSHA
- OSHA final rule aligning the Hazard Communication Standard with GHS Revision 7
- HCS 2024 compliance date extension notice, OSHA
- WHMIS 2015, Hazardous Products Regulations (Canada)
- Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 Annex II, requirements for safety data sheets (EU)
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.