SDS Section Guide
A safety data sheet (SDS) follows a fixed 16-section layout under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200), Appendix D.
OSHA HazCom Appendix D lays out 16 fixed sections in a fixed order. This is a different layout than EU REACH Annex II — this guide covers the US OSHA structure only; EU detail is out of scope for v1.
1. Identification
This is the section that identifies the product and who to call, including in an emergency.
Required information (29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D)
- (a) product identifier used on the label
- (b) other means of identification
- (c) recommended use and restrictions on use
- (d) name, U.S. address, and U.S. telephone number of the manufacturer, importer, or other responsible party
- (e) emergency phone number.
2. Hazard Identification
This is where the signal word, hazard statements, and precautionary statements you'd look up in the H-code and P-code references actually appear on the SDS.
Required information (29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D)
- (a) classification per §1910.1200(d)(1), except (d)(1)(ii)
- (b) signal word, hazard statement(s), symbol(s), precautionary statement(s) per (f) (symbols may be black-and-white graphics or symbol names)
- (c) hazards classified under (d)(1)(ii)
- (d) hazards not otherwise classified identified during classification
- (e) where an ingredient of unknown acute toxicity is present at >=1% and the mixture is not classified on whole-mixture testing, a statement that X% of the mixture consists of ingredient(s) of unknown acute toxicity.
3. Composition/information on ingredients
This section names each hazardous ingredient (or ingredient range, for mixtures) and its CAS number, subject to a trade-secret carve-out.
Required information (29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D)
- (trade-secret carve-out per (i)).
- For substances: (a) chemical name; (b) common name and synonyms; (c) CAS number and other unique identifiers; (d) classified impurities/stabilizing additives contributing to classification.
- For mixtures, additionally: (a) chemical name, CAS number or other unique identifier, and exact percentage or ranges of all health-hazard-classified ingredients above cut-offs or presenting risk below cut-offs (note: when CAS unavailable/trade-secret, indicate the source of the unique identifier); (b) exact percentage unless trade secret, batch variability, or substantially-similar mixture group — then ranges (prescribed ranges of (i)(1)(iv)-(vi) when concentration withheld as trade secret).
- Trade-secret statement required where claimed.
4. First aid measures
This section tells first responders what to do immediately after an exposure, by exposure route.
Required information (29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D)
- (a) measures by route (inhalation, skin, eye, ingestion)
- (b) most important symptoms/effects, acute and delayed
- (c) indication of immediate medical attention / special treatment if necessary.
5. Fire-fighting measures
This section tells firefighters what to use — and what not to use — to put the fire out safely.
Required information (29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D)
- (a) suitable and unsuitable extinguishing media
- (b) specific hazards arising from the chemical (e.g., hazardous combustion products)
- (c) special protective equipment and precautions for fire-fighters.
6. Accidental release measures
This section covers what to do — and wear — when the product spills or leaks.
Required information (29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D)
- (a) personal precautions, protective equipment, emergency procedures
- (b) methods and materials for containment and cleanup.
7. Handling and storage
† Flammable-liquid storage boiling point per §1910.106(a)(5); alternate storage-classification calculations must be noted here when storage classification differs from Section 2.
This section covers day-to-day safe handling and how the product should (and shouldn't) be stored.
Required information (29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D)
- (a) precautions for safe handling
- (b) conditions for safe storage, including incompatibilities.
8. Exposure controls/personal protection
This is where the OSHA PEL and other exposure limits for each ingredient are listed, alongside the engineering controls and PPE needed to stay under them.
Required information (29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D)
- (a) for all Section 3 ingredients/constituents: OSHA PEL, ACGIH TLV, and any other exposure limit or range used or recommended by the preparer, where available
- (b) appropriate engineering controls
- (c) individual protection measures / PPE.
9. Physical and chemical properties
† Flammable-liquid storage boiling point per §1910.106(a)(5); alternate storage-classification calculations must be noted here when storage classification differs from Section 2.
This section lists the measurable physical and chemical properties of the product, from physical state through particle characteristics.
Required information (29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D)
- (a) physical state
- (b) color
- (c) odor (includes odor threshold)
- (d) melting/freezing point
- (e) boiling point (or initial boiling point/range)
- (f) flammability
- (g) lower and upper explosion/flammability limit
- (h) flash point
- (i) auto-ignition temperature
- (j) decomposition temperature
- (k) pH
- (l) kinematic viscosity
- (m) solubility
- (n) partition coefficient n-octanol/water (log value)
- (o) vapor pressure (includes evaporation rate)
- (p) density and/or relative density
- (q) relative vapor density
- (r) particle characteristics.
10. Stability and reactivity
This section covers whether the product is stable, what it reacts badly with, and what it can decompose into.
Required information (29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D)
- (a) reactivity
- (b) chemical stability
- (c) possibility of hazardous reactions, including those associated with foreseeable emergencies
- (d) conditions to avoid
- (e) incompatible materials
- (f) hazardous decomposition products.
11. Toxicological information
This section summarizes what's known about the product's health effects and toxicity, including its cancer-listing status.
Required information (29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D)
- Effects and data used, including:
- (a) likely routes of exposure
- (b) symptoms related to characteristics
- (c) delayed, immediate, and chronic effects from short- and long-term exposure
- (d) numerical measures of toxicity (e.g., ATEs)
- (e) interactive effects if relevant and readily available
- (f) NTP Report on Carcinogens / IARC Monographs / OSHA carcinogen listing status
- (g) where specific data unavailable, indicate alternative information and derivation method (e.g., chemical class, SAR).
12. Ecological informationNon-mandatory content
This section must appear as a heading on the SDS, but under OSHA enforcement its content is non-mandatory.
This section covers the product's effects on the environment, such as aquatic toxicity and persistence.
Required information (29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D)
- (a) ecotoxicity
- (b) persistence and degradability
- (c) bioaccumulative potential
- (d) mobility in soil
- (e) other adverse effects (e.g., hazardous to the ozone layer).
13. Disposal considerationsNon-mandatory content
This section must appear as a heading on the SDS, but under OSHA enforcement its content is non-mandatory.
This section covers how to safely dispose of the product and its packaging as waste.
Required information (29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D)
- waste residues, safe handling, disposal methods including contaminated packaging.
14. Transport informationNon-mandatory content
This section must appear as a heading on the SDS, but under OSHA enforcement its content is non-mandatory.
This section covers how the product is classified and identified for shipping.
Required information (29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D)
- (a) UN number
- (b) UN proper shipping name
- (c) transport hazard class(es)
- (d) packing group, if applicable
- (e) environmental hazards (e.g., marine pollutant Y/N)
- (f) transport in bulk (according to IMO instruments)
- (g) special precautions in connection with transport within or outside premises.
15. Regulatory informationNon-mandatory content
This section must appear as a heading on the SDS, but under OSHA enforcement its content is non-mandatory.
This section lists other safety, health, and environmental regulations that apply to the product beyond OSHA HazCom.
Required information (29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D)
- safety, health, environmental regulations specific to the product.
16. Other information, including date of preparation or last revision
This section records when the SDS was written or last revised, so you can tell how current it is.
Required information (29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D)
- date of preparation or last change.
Source: 29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D (Table D.1), post-2024-HazCom-update text — as of 2026-07-13
This tool explains what belongs in each SDS section — it does not review or grade an uploaded SDS. That capability is planned as a separate SDS Completeness Checker.
Reference only. Not legal or regulatory advice. Verify against the primary source before you act.
How it works
A safety data sheet (SDS) follows a fixed 16-section layout under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200), Appendix D. Sections 1–11 and 16 must contain the required information; sections 12–15 must still appear as headings, but OSHA does not enforce their content — that falls to other regulatory schemes (e.g. EPA, DOT).
Within a section, the order of individual data items is not prescribed — only the section numbers and headings themselves are fixed. If no relevant information exists for a subheading, the SDS must say so explicitly rather than omit it silently.
This guide explains what belongs in each section. It does not review, score, or grade an uploaded SDS for completeness — that is a separate planned tool (SDS Completeness Checker).
Worked example
You're looking for a chemical's OSHA exposure limit on its SDS. Expand Section 8 — Exposure controls/personal protection above: item (a) requires the OSHA PEL (and ACGIH TLV, where used) for every ingredient listed in Section 3, alongside the engineering controls and PPE needed to stay under it.
Looking up the hazard statements themselves? Those live in Section 2 — Hazard Identification, cross-linked to the H-code and P-code reference tools.
Related tools
- GHS Hazard Statement Referenceopen →
- GHS P-Statement Referenceopen →
- SDS Expiry Calculatornot yet live
- SDS Completeness Checkernot yet live
Browse every safety data sheet section as its own page
Data vintage
- Data: Safety data sheet 16-section structure, U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration current revision (77 FR 17884, Mar 26 2012; 89 FR 44459, May 20 2024; 91 FR 594-598, Jan 8 2026), retrieved 2026-07-13, 16 sections.The post-2024 HazCom update text, aligned to GHS Rev.7. Sections 1 to 11 and 16 carry mandatory content; sections 12 to 15 must appear as headings but their content falls outside OSHA jurisdiction.
last updated 2026-07-13