Safety Data Sheets

Safety Data Sheets

Handling information for the laboratory.

A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is the standardized document that communicates the hazards, handling, and emergency information for a chemical. Any laboratory storing research materials should keep the relevant SDS on file.

The 16 standard SDS sections

1. Identification
2. Hazard(s) identification
3. Composition / information on ingredients
4. First-aid measures
5. Fire-fighting measures
6. Accidental release measures
7. Handling and storage
8. Exposure controls / personal protection
9. Physical and chemical properties
10. Stability and reactivity
11. Toxicological information
12. Ecological information
13. Disposal considerations
14. Transport information
15. Regulatory information
16. Other information

For day-to-day work, sections 7 (handling and storage), 8 (exposure controls and PPE), and 6 (accidental release) are the practical core. Where an SDS is available for a material, its availability is identified with the applicable product information.

Learn more in How to Read a Safety Data Sheet.