How Best to Section Your Safety Data Sheets

Safety data sheets won’t do you any good if they don’t have the right information.

So how do you know what to include? We’ve put together this guide to help you learn the best way to section safety data sheets and keep your employees safe.

Let’s get started!

Keep Hard Copies in the Workplace

First things first, make sure you have a hardcopy of each and every safety data sheet in the workplace. Using a data sheet management website, such as online-msds.com can help you stay organized and give you backups, but you need to have copies on-site to fulfill the “ready access” requirement.

The Best Way to Section Safety Data Sheets

There is certain information you are required to have on your safety data sheets. Without it, you’re putting your employees (and your business) in unnecessary danger. Here’s a quick look at the best way to section your sheets.

Section 1

The first section should contain all the basic information about the chemical product. This includes things like the product’s unique identifier, the manufacturer, and their contact information. Make sure you also add an emergency number your employees can call if something goes wrong.

Section 2

If the chemical product has any hazards, list them here. You should also include all the necessary hazard labels.

Section 3

What ingredients are inside this chemical product? This section needs to include each one and safety information about them.

Section 4

If something happens during the use of this chemical product, your employees need to know what to do next. Make sure you write down the first-aid treatment and any symptoms they can expect to see.

Section 5

For any flammable products, this section should list the best methods to extinguish a fire. It should also explain what type of equipment employees should use if a fire starts.

Section 6

Accidents happen. Make sure you add this section about what to do if the chemical product was accidentally released, such as how to protect yourself, and how to clean it up.

Section 7

This section should explain how to handle the product and stay safe while doing it. Don’t forget to explain the best storage methods as well.

Section 8

Section 8 should let people know how to protect themselves (through equipment and practice) while handling the chemical product. It should also list how much of the product they can be exposed to before injury or illness.

Section 9

Provide a detailed summary of the chemical product’s characteristics. This should include both physical and chemical properties.

Section 10

To ensure anyone working with this product is prepared and educated, this section should give them a list of possible hazardous reactions. You should also explain the product’s chemical stability.

Section 11

This section should list any toxicology information. A list will change depending on the exact chemical product, but it could include things like routes of exposure, symptoms, effects (both acute and chronic), toxicity, etc.

Section 12-15

These sections aren’t mandatory, but they are good to include if you have this information. Here’s what each of these sections would include:

• Section 12: ecological information
• Section 13: Disposal information
• Section 14: Transportation information
• Section 15: Regulatory information

Section 16

If there is still other information you haven’t been able to include in another section, put it here. For example, you might want to write down any revisions that you’ve made to the sections.

Safety First

When it comes to section safety data sheets, it’s a good idea to be more detailed than you need. This will ensure everyone coming in contact with the chemical products stay safe and reduce the likelihood of an accident.

Want to learn more tips about workplace safety? Check out the rest of our blog to learn how you can improve your business today!