A Safety Data Sheet is the 16-section document that communicates the hazards, safe handling, storage, transport, and emergency response information for a chemical product. SDS is the format mandated by the United Nations Globally Harmonized System (GHS) and adopted in jurisdiction-specific implementations: EU CLP, US OSHA HCS, China GB/T 17519, Australia’s Hazardous Chemicals Information System. SDS replaced the older MSDS format as the global standard from approximately 2012 onward.
The 16 mandatory sections
Every GHS-aligned SDS contains these sections in this order:
| # | Section | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Identification | Product name, supplier, recommended use, emergency phone |
| 2 | Hazard identification | GHS classification, label elements, H-codes, P-codes, signal word |
| 3 | Composition / information on ingredients | Substance or mixture composition with CAS numbers |
| 4 | First aid measures | Inhalation, skin, eye, ingestion |
| 5 | Firefighting measures | Suitable extinguishing media, special hazards |
| 6 | Accidental release measures | Spill containment and clean-up |
| 7 | Handling and storage | Safe handling, incompatibilities, storage conditions |
| 8 | Exposure controls / personal protection | PPE, exposure limits, engineering controls |
| 9 | Physical and chemical properties | Density, melting point, flash point, vapour pressure |
| 10 | Stability and reactivity | Conditions to avoid, hazardous decomposition |
| 11 | Toxicological information | Acute toxicity, carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity |
| 12 | Ecological information | Aquatic toxicity, persistence, bioaccumulation |
| 13 | Disposal considerations | Waste classification and disposal routes |
| 14 | Transport information | UN number, IMDG class, packing group, marine pollutant |
| 15 | Regulatory information | Applicable national and international regulations |
| 16 | Other information | Date of issue, revision history, abbreviations |
Section 14 is the section the freight forwarder reads to file the DG declaration. Section 2 is the section destination customs reads to confirm hazard classification. Section 8 is the section the buyer’s safety team reads to set workplace controls. Each section serves a different reader.
SDS vs MSDS: what changed
MSDS was the older, looser format used before GHS adoption. The differences are not trivial:
- MSDS allowed any number of sections in any order. SDS mandates exactly 16 in this order.
- MSDS hazard language was unstandardised. SDS uses standardised H-codes (H225, H319, etc.) and P-codes (P210, P305+P351+P338) that mean the same thing in any jurisdiction.
- MSDS classifications varied by country. SDS uses GHS classifications that map cleanly across jurisdictions.
A Chinese factory still issuing a 9-section MSDS in 2026 has not updated their documentation since at least 2015. This is a quality flag. Reject the document and ask for a current SDS in the format required for your destination jurisdiction.
Jurisdiction-specific SDS variants
GHS is a global framework but each jurisdiction implements it slightly differently. The variants you will encounter:
- EU CLP SDS, mandatory format for cargo entering the EU. Sections 12 and 15 are more detailed than the US format. Must be in the official language(s) of the destination country.
- US OSHA HCS SDS, mandatory format for cargo entering the US under the Hazard Communication Standard. Section 12 (ecological) is required but not enforced as strictly as EU.
- China GB/T 17519, mandatory format for chemicals manufactured or imported in China. Often what a Chinese factory issues by default. Not directly accepted at EU or US customs without translation and reformatting.
- Australia HCIS / Safe Work Australia, generally accepts EU CLP or OSHA HCS SDS, with locally relevant exposure standards in section 8.
The buyer must specify which jurisdiction’s SDS is required on the purchase order. A factory issuing a GB/T 17519 SDS for a US-bound shipment is shipping documentation that does not satisfy US OSHA. The cargo can clear customs but the buyer’s destination workplace then runs without a compliant SDS.
How to verify a Chinese factory’s SDS before the cargo ships
Five checks to run on every SDS received before dispatch:
- The 16 sections are all present in correct order. Missing sections is a fatal flaw.
- Section 14 transport information matches the cargo. UN number, IMDG class, packing group, and proper shipping name on the SDS must match what is on the DG declaration, the bill of lading, and the container labels. Mismatches will be caught by the carrier or customs.
- Section 2 hazard classification matches your jurisdiction’s GHS adoption. The EU has adopted some hazard categories the US has not, and vice versa. A classification that exists in GB/T 17519 but not in OSHA HCS will need re-mapping.
- The revision date is current. SDS should be reissued at least every 5 years and immediately when classification or composition changes. A 2018-dated SDS in 2026 is suspect.
- The composition in section 3 reconciles with the COA. Same product, same composition. Discrepancies between the SDS and the COA mean one of the documents is stale.
When the SDS is wrong, the consequence
A wrong SDS at destination has three failure modes. Customs hold the cargo for documentation review, accruing demurrage. The buyer’s safety regulator (OSHA in the US, HSE in the UK, Safe Work in Australia) cites the buyer for a non-compliant workplace SDS. The buyer’s emergency response team uses the wrong handling and PPE guidance in an actual spill or exposure incident.
Of the three, the third is the most dangerous and the first is the most common.
Related terms
MSDS is the predecessor format. GHS is the global hazard communication standard SDS implements. UN number, packing group, and IMDG are the section 14 transport classifications.