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What Is a Safety Data Sheet and How Do You Read It?
Watch Todd Jerome Jenkins explain safety data sheets (SDS), how to read them, and how they support chemical hazard communication at work.
By Todd Jerome Jenkins, MS, CSP · Free to watch · No account required
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Safety data sheets · 5:35
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Companion reading
Read the SDS for the job you are planning
Start by matching the product identifier on the container with Section 1 of the safety data sheet. A similar product name or a different concentration can lead you to the wrong precautions. Confirm the manufacturer, intended use and revision information before relying on the document.
Use Section 2 to recognize the chemical hazards, Section 7 for handling and storage, and Section 8 for exposure controls and protective equipment. Check Section 10 when another material, heat source or process could create an incompatible condition. Sections 4, 5 and 6 support first-aid, fire and release planning. Those sections help prepare a response; reading them does not qualify a worker to enter a hazardous atmosphere or clean up an uncontrolled release.
An SDS describes a product. The workplace assessment must also consider the quantity, application method, ventilation, temperature and nearby work. A glove recommendation needs a compatible material and suitable performance for the actual contact. A respirator statement needs the employer’s respiratory-protection process. OSHA uses a 16-section format; headings for Sections 12 through 15 are present, while their content falls under other agencies’ jurisdictions.
Before the task
- Match the label, product and concentration.
- Locate controls and response information before opening the container.
- Check that workers can reach the SDS during their work shift.
Fictional work example
A crew changes from brushing a coating to spraying it inside an enclosure. The product is unchanged, but the airborne exposure and ventilation demands may be different.
Consider: What should the supervisor verify before the changed application begins?
Compare your reasoning
Reassess the application and enclosure, verify the exposure controls and suitable PPE, and explain the changed precautions. The original SDS remains one input to that decision.
Sources and further reading
Original companion notes and fictional examples · Updated . These notes support study; apply the actual workplace procedures and requirements. Government sources retain their own status and do not endorse this material.