The 16 sections of a safety data sheet
Every modern safety data sheet follows the same 16-section order, which is set by the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (Appendix D to 29 CFR 1910.1200) and mirrors Annex 4 of the UN GHS. Sections 1 to 11 and 16 are enforced by OSHA; Sections 12 to 15 appear in the format but OSHA does not enforce their content.
The fixed order is the reason an SDS is useful in a hurry. Whatever the supplier, country or product, you can find first aid in Section 4, spill response in Section 6 and gloves in Section 8. The table below summarises each section, who tends to use it most, and whether OSHA enforces the content. Select a section for the full guide: what the rules require, what to look for, common mistakes and a worked field list.
| No. | Section | What it contains | Used most by | OSHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Identification | Product name, supplier contact details, emergency phone number and recommended uses. | Everyone: purchasers, receiving staff, emergency responders, safety managers | Enforced |
| 2 | Hazard identification | GHS classification, signal word, pictograms, hazard and precautionary statements. | Workers, supervisors, safety managers, label writers | Enforced |
| 3 | Composition / information on ingredients | Chemical identity of substances, or the hazardous ingredients and amounts in a mixture. | Safety managers, occupational hygienists, allergy-conscious users, emergency physicians | Enforced |
| 4 | First-aid measures | Immediate steps after inhalation, skin, eye or swallowing exposure, plus key symptoms. | First aiders, supervisors, emergency responders, medical staff | Enforced |
| 5 | Fire-fighting measures | Suitable and unsuitable extinguishing media, fire-specific hazards, firefighter protection. | Fire brigades, emergency planners, facility managers, insurers | Enforced |
| 6 | Accidental release measures | Spill and leak response: personal precautions, emergency steps, containment and clean-up. | Spill response teams, warehouse staff, lab managers, environmental health and safety (EHS) officers | Enforced |
| 7 | Handling and storage | Safe handling practices, hygiene, storage conditions and incompatible materials. | Warehouse and lab staff, storekeepers, supervisors, auditors | Enforced |
| 8 | Exposure controls / personal protection | Occupational exposure limits, engineering controls, and PPE (gloves, eye, respiratory, body). | Industrial hygienists, safety officers, workers choosing PPE, supervisors | Enforced |
| 9 | Physical and chemical properties | Appearance, odor, pH, boiling and flash point, flammability limits, vapor pressure, solubility and more. | Process engineers, fire protection engineers, lab chemists, hygienists | Enforced |
| 10 | Stability and reactivity | Reactivity, chemical stability, hazardous reactions, conditions to avoid and incompatible materials. | Lab managers, process safety engineers, storekeepers, waste handlers | Enforced |
| 11 | Toxicological information | Health effects, routes of exposure, symptoms and toxicity data such as LD50 and carcinogenicity. | Toxicologists, occupational physicians, hygienists, regulators, students | Enforced |
| 12 | Ecological information | Ecotoxicity, persistence, bioaccumulation, mobility in soil and other environmental effects. | Environmental managers, EHS officers, regulators, waste handlers | Not enforced |
| 13 | Disposal considerations | How to dispose of the product, its residues and contaminated packaging. | Waste managers, EHS officers, lab staff, waste contractors | Not enforced |
| 14 | Transport information | UN number, proper shipping name, hazard class, packing group and environmental hazards for shipping. | Shippers, logistics staff, drivers, dangerous goods advisers, emergency responders | Not enforced |
| 15 | Regulatory information | Safety, health and environmental regulations specific to the product. | Compliance officers, regulatory affairs staff, importers, auditors | Not enforced |
| 16 | Other information | Date of preparation or last revision, change notes, abbreviations, references and disclaimers. | Document controllers, compliance staff, auditors, safety managers | Enforced |
Why OSHA does not enforce Sections 12 to 15
Appendix D lists Sections 12 (ecological information), 13 (disposal considerations), 14 (transport information) and 15 (regulatory information) so that the sheet follows the 16-section GHS order, but notes that other agencies regulate that information and OSHA does not enforce it. This does not make those sections optional in practice. Customers, regulators in other jurisdictions and the EU expect them, and the environmental and transport agencies enforce their own rules. If a sheet leaves them empty, ask your supplier why.
Grouping the sections by question
- What is it and who makes it? Sections 1 and 3.
- How dangerous is it? Sections 2, 9, 10 and 11.
- What do I do in an emergency? Sections 4, 5 and 6.
- How do I use it safely day to day? Sections 7 and 8.
- What happens afterwards? Sections 12, 13 and 14.
- What rules apply, and is this sheet current? Sections 15 and 16.
New to the topic? Start with the hub page How to read a safety data sheet, or browse the practical guides. To see the sections applied to real substances, open any chemical page; each uses these 16 sections as headings. If you have a sheet in front of you and want a plain-language summary, try the AI SDS analyzer.
This page is general education, not legal advice, and does not replace the safety data sheet supplied by the manufacturer of your product.