GHS Safety Data Sheet

GHS

GHS Safety Data Sheet

Little Pro on 2016-01-06

Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is a very important document to inform its audience of the hazards of a chemical substance or mixture and provide advice on safety precautions. Some countries may still call this document Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). In countries that have adopted GHS, Safety Data Sheet (SDS) will be the only accepted name for the hazard communication document for chemicals.

When Is A GHS SDS Required?

An SDS should be prepared and provided for a substance or mixture meeting GHS classification criteria or for a mixture containing a hazardous ingredient exceeding the cut-off value limits given in the following table.

GHS Safety Data Sheet

Core Content of A GHS Safety Data Sheet

GHS has harmonized the format and content of Safety Data Sheets (SDSs). There are 16 sections in standard GHS safety data sheets (as shown below). GHS has also set the minimum info required for each section.

Section 1 Identification of the substance or mixture and of the supplier;
Section 2 Hazard identification;
Section 3 Composition/information on ingredients;
Section 4 First-aid measures;
Section 5 Fire-fighting measures;
Section 6 Accidental release measures;
Section 7 Handling and storage;
Section 8 Exposure controls/personal protection;
Section 9 Physical and chemical properties;
Section 10 Stability and reactivity;
Section 11 Toxicological information;
Section 12 Ecological information;
Section 13 Disposal consideration;
Section 14 Transport information;
Section 15 Regulatory information;
Section 16 Other information.

Please be noted that:

There is no rigid requirement on the sub-headings of each section;
An SDS usually needs to be prepared in the language of its destination country;
Some countries may have set additional requirements on some sections of GHS SDSs (for example, information disclosure in section 3, exposure limits in section 8, regulatory info in section 15);

GHS SDS Template Download

EuPhraC working group has developed a good GHS SDS template in English to help chemical industry comply with EU REACH regulation's requirements on safety data sheets. It contains more info than what a GHS SDS needs. You may click the following link to download this GHS SDS template and modify it for your own use in your own country.

http://www.esdscom.eu/download/GHS-safety-data-sheets-template.docx

List of SDS Regulations

Most of authorities have set requirements on the format and content of safety data sheets via their own regulations. Click here to download those SDS regulations.

Advanced GHS Topics

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