Skip to main content

OSHA’s Safety Data Sheet Changes

One of the major changes that workplaces will see under OSHA’s new Hazcom 2012 regulations has to do with Material Safety Data Sheets. OSHA has decided to align their requirements with the UN’s Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) Safety Data Sheet (SDS) preparation requirements. What industry has historically called a Material Safety Data Sheet, or MSDS, will now be referred to as simply a Safety Data Sheet, or SDS.

Along with the new name, the SDS’s will have specific requirements for content. SDS’s under the Hazcom 2012 regulations are required to follow a 16 section format and include specific information in each section. The required sections are as follows:

  • Section 1, Identification
    • Includes product identifier; manufacturer or distributor name, address, phone number; emergency phone number; recommended use; restrictions on use.
  • Section 2, Hazard(s) identification
    • Includes all hazards regarding the chemical; required label elements.
  • Section 3, Composition/information on ingredients
    • Includes information on chemical ingredients; trade secret claims.
  • Section 4, First-aid measures
    • Includes important symptoms/effects, acute, delayed; required treatment.
  • Section 5, Fire-fighting measures
    • Lists suitable extinguishing techniques, equipment; chemical hazards from fire.
  • Section 6, Accidental release measures
    • Lists emergency procedures; protective equipment; proper methods of containment and cleanup.
  • Section 7, Handling and storage
    • Lists precautions for safe handling and storage, including incompatibilities.
  • Section 8, Exposure controls/personal protection
    • Lists OSHA’s Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs); Threshold Limit Values (TLVs); appropriate engineering controls; personal protective equipment (PPE).
  • Section 9, Physical and chemical properties
    • Lists the chemical’s characteristics.
  • Section 10, Stability and reactivity
    • Lists chemical stability and possibility of hazardous reactions.
  • Section 11, Toxicological information
    • Includes routes of exposure; related symptoms, acute and chronic effects; numerical measures of toxicity.
  • Section 12, Ecological information
    • Optional under Hazcom 2012.
    • Includes ecotoxicity; persistence and degradability; bioaccumulation potential; mobility in soil.
  • Section 13, Disposal considerations
    • Optional under Hazcom 2012.
    • Description of wastes and information on their safe handling and methods of disposal.
  • Section 14, Transport information
    • Optional under Hazcom 2012.
    • Hazardous Materials or Dangerous Goods shipping information according to 49CFR, IATA, etc.
  • Section 15, Regulatory information
    • Optional under Hazcom 2012.
    • Safety, health and environmental regulations specific to the product.
  • Section 16, Other information
    • Includes the date of preparation or last revision.

Chemical manufacturers, importers, distributors and employers must comply with the new SDS requirements no later than June 15, 2015.

One Comment

  • Sean Martinez says:

    Yes that means we all needs to update the SDS before June 15, 2015. Though I am new to in this industry and don’t have much idea about this MSDS but consider with an authorizations as ”
    International Chemical Safety Data Solution”

Welcome to ICC

Which site would you prefer?