A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) explains a hazardous chemical’s hazards, safe handling, protective equipment, and emergency measures in a standard format. Under OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200, employers must maintain an SDS for each hazardous chemical in the workplace and make it readily accessible to employees during every work shift.
Quick answer
- Chemical manufacturers and importers prepare SDSs. Distributors pass them downstream. Employers keep them available at the workplace.
- The familiar SDS format has 16 numbered sections. Current OSHA Appendix D mandates Sections 1 through 11 and 16; Sections 12 through 15 are non-mandatory under federal OSHA.
- A current SDS is needed for each hazardous chemical employees may encounter at work.
- Employee exposure records generally must be retained for 30 years under 29 CFR 1910.1020. The SDS itself does not always have to be the retained record.
- Electronic access is allowed if employees have immediate access and a backup covers likely outages or scheduled downtime.
Table of contents
- What is a Safety Data Sheet?
- What are the 16 sections of an SDS?
- How long do you have to keep SDS records?
- What does “readily accessible” mean?
- How should employees access an SDS during a shift?
- How Helios Comply helps
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
What is a Safety Data Sheet (SDS)?
A Safety Data Sheet is the standard document used to communicate detailed information about a hazardous chemical. OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910.1200(g) requires chemical manufacturers and importers to obtain or develop an SDS for each hazardous chemical they produce or import. Employers must keep the applicable sheets for hazardous chemicals used in their workplaces.
The SDS replaced the older Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) terminology and variable layouts when OSHA revised HazCom in 2012 to align with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS). You may still hear “MSDS,” but the current system uses SDS and a consistent section order.
Common covered products include degreasers, adhesives, paints, fuels, and industrial cleaners. A consumer product can be exempt when workplace use results in no greater exposure than normal consumer use in duration and frequency. Do not assume a product is exempt merely because anyone can buy it at a retail store.
An SDS is one part of HazCom. Employers may also need a chemical inventory, a written program, container labels, and employee training. See the full HazCom compliance requirements. If a sheet is missing, request one from your supplier and document the request.
What are the 16 sections of an SDS?
The standard SDS map runs from Section 1, Identification, through Section 16, Other Information. Employees can learn the map once and use it across products. Current OSHA Appendix D requires the content in Sections 1 through 11 and 16. Sections 12 through 15 may appear for GHS consistency but are non-mandatory under federal OSHA.
|
Section |
Name |
Plain-English purpose |
Required by OSHA Appendix D |
|
1 |
Identification |
Names the product, supplier, recommended use, and emergency contact. |
Yes |
|
2 |
Hazard identification |
Lists classifications, signal words, pictograms, and hazard statements. |
Yes |
|
3 |
Composition and ingredients |
Identifies hazardous ingredients and concentrations, subject to trade-secret rules. |
Yes |
|
4 |
First-aid measures |
Explains immediate care by route of exposure. |
Yes |
|
5 |
Fire-fighting measures |
Identifies extinguishing methods, fire hazards, and firefighter precautions. |
Yes |
|
6 |
Accidental release measures |
Covers spill response, containment, cleanup, and protective equipment. |
Yes |
|
7 |
Handling and storage |
States safe handling, storage conditions, and incompatibilities. |
Yes |
|
8 |
Exposure controls and PPE |
Lists exposure limits, engineering controls, and personal protection. |
Yes |
|
9 |
Physical and chemical properties |
Reports characteristics such as physical state, pH, flash point, and vapor pressure. |
Yes |
|
10 |
Stability and reactivity |
Explains stability, hazardous reactions, and incompatible materials. |
Yes |
|
11 |
Toxicological information |
Describes exposure routes, symptoms, health effects, and toxicity data. |
Yes |
|
12 |
Ecological information |
Addresses environmental effects and persistence. |
No |
|
13 |
Disposal considerations |
Gives disposal and contaminated-packaging guidance. |
No |
|
14 |
Transport information |
Provides shipping classifications and precautions. |
No |
|
15 |
Regulatory information |
Lists product-specific safety, health, and environmental regulations. |
No |
|
16 |
Other information |
Shows the preparation or last-revision date. |
Yes |
For an emergency, train employees to recognize Sections 2, 4, 5, and 8 first. A missing required section, a product name that does not match the container, or no preparation or revision date in Section 16 deserves follow-up with the supplier.
How long do you have to keep SDS records?
Keep a current SDS for every hazardous chemical in use. Separately, 29 CFR 1910.1020(d)(1)(ii) generally requires employee exposure records to be preserved for at least 30 years. OSHA treats qualifying SDS or MSDS records as employee exposure records, but paragraph (d)(1)(ii)(B) allows an alternative.
You may discard the old sheet if you retain a record of the substance or agent’s identity, where it was used, and when it was used for at least 30 years. This is why an active SDS library and a historical exposure archive are different:
- Active library: current sheets for chemicals employees can encounter now.
- Historical archive: the old SDS, or an equivalent record identifying the chemical plus where and when it was used.
The practical rule is simple: archive old SDSs with location and use dates instead of deleting them. If the business closes, 29 CFR 1910.1020(h)(1) requires records covered by the section to transfer to a successor employer. If there is no successor and disposal is planned, separate notice or transfer requirements can apply.
What does “readily accessible” mean for SDSs under OSHA?
Under 29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(8), SDSs must be “readily accessible during each work shift to employees when they are in their work area(s).” OSHA allows paper or electronic systems. The test is whether employees can get the information immediately, without a barrier.
Readily accessible means no locked office, no password employees do not have, and no asking a manager. A binder available only on day shift does not cover the night crew. A digital library that fails whenever the internet drops also leaves a gap.
OSHA’s electronic-access interpretation says employers need a backup for likely system malfunctions or scheduled shutdowns. That backup can be a paper binder or another method that preserves access. Compare paper and digital SDS options based on the actual conditions in each work area.
A three-question access test
- Can an employee reach the SDS without permission?
- Can the employee find the right sheet immediately?
- Will the method still work during a likely power or network outage?
How should employees access an SDS during a shift?
Employees need a known, trained route to the SDS wherever they work, including nights, weekends, remote jobsites, and mobile service calls. OSHA does not prescribe one device or storage method. It requires effective access in the work area and training under 29 CFR 1910.1200(h).
A workable setup may use a posted QR code, a shared tablet, employee phone access, or a local paper binder. Mobile crews need access in the field, not only at headquarters. Cleaning teams may pair phone access with cleaning product SDS books as a physical backup.
Train employees on where the library is, how to search by product name, which SDS sections matter in an emergency, and what backup to use when the primary method fails. See the requirements for training employees to read an SDS. Federal OSHA listed HazCom as its second most frequently cited standard across all industries in fiscal year 2025, so access and training should not be treated as binder housekeeping.
How Helios Comply helps
Helios Comply gives small teams one place to organize SDSs, manage chemical records across locations, and provide QR-code and mobile access. Offline access can preserve availability when a network connection drops. The platform also supports AI-assisted binder digitization, automatic SDS retrieval, GHS secondary-container labels, employee management, training tracking, and audit-ready reports.
Software does not replace the employer’s written HazCom program, inventory decisions, labeling duties, training, or responsibility for employee access. It can make the system easier to maintain and use. Read how digital SDS systems work, then start a free trial. For hands-on setup help, call (855) 920-5202.
Frequently asked questions
Who is responsible for creating an SDS?
Chemical manufacturers and importers must obtain or develop SDSs for hazardous chemicals they produce or import. Distributors transmit the information downstream. Employers maintain the sheets needed for hazardous chemicals in their workplaces.
Does every chemical need an SDS?
No. HazCom applies to chemicals known to be present in a way that may expose employees under normal use or in a foreseeable emergency, subject to specific exemptions. Retail availability alone does not create an exemption.
Do you have to keep every SDS for 30 years?
Not necessarily. For records covered by 29 CFR 1910.1020, an employer may retain the SDS or keep an alternative record identifying the substance plus where and when it was used for at least 30 years.
Can SDSs be stored electronically?
Yes. Electronic access is acceptable when it creates no barrier to immediate employee access in each workplace. Employers need a backup for likely system failures or scheduled downtime.
Can an SDS binder be kept in a manager’s office?
Only if employees can access it immediately during every shift without asking permission or encountering a lock or other barrier. In most workplaces, a manager-controlled office is a poor location.
The federal baseline is consistent, but OSHA-approved state plans may impose additional requirements. Requirements vary by industry, work setting, and chemical use.
Sources
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.1200, Hazard Communication
- OSHA, Appendix D to 29 CFR 1910.1200, Safety Data Sheets
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.1020, Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records
- OSHA, Hazard Communication Standard: Safety Data Sheets
- OSHA interpretation letter on electronic SDS access and backup systems, July 15, 1996
- OSHA interpretation letter on SDS retention, January 13, 1986
- OSHA interpretation letter on successor employers and record transfer, December 21, 2023
- OSHA, Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards, fiscal year 2025