GHS Compliance

GHS Safety Data Sheet: What It Is and How to Create One

A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is the most important compliance document for any chemical product. Whether you manufacture, distribute, or sell products with chemical ingredients, you need to understand what an SDS is, what the GHS format requires, and how to create one. This guide covers everything.

What Is the Globally Harmonized System (GHS)?

The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)is an international framework created by the United Nations to standardize how chemical hazards are communicated worldwide. Before GHS, different countries had different systems — a chemical classified as "toxic" in one country might not be in another.

GHS standardizes three key elements:

Hazard classification criteria — standardized rules for determining what makes a chemical dangerous
Safety Data Sheets (SDS) — a 16-section document format for detailed chemical safety information
Labels — standardized product labels with pictograms, signal words, and hazard statements

In the United States, OSHA adopted GHS through an update to the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS 2012). Since June 2015, all SDS in the US must follow the GHS format with 16 standardized sections.

What Is a Safety Data Sheet (SDS)?

A Safety Data Sheet is a comprehensive document that communicates everything someone needs to know about handling a chemical product safely. It serves multiple audiences:

Workers

How to safely handle, store, and use the product

Emergency responders

What to do in case of spills, fires, or exposure

Employers

What protective equipment and training workers need

Regulators

Whether the product complies with safety regulations

Transporters

How to safely ship and classify the product

Marketplace platforms

Documentation for product compliance (Amazon, Walmart)

Think of the SDS as a chemical product's complete safety manual. It's a living document that should be updated whenever new safety information becomes available or when the product formulation changes.

The 16 Sections of a GHS-Compliant Safety Data Sheet

The GHS mandates that every SDS contain exactly 16 sections, in this specific order. Here's a detailed look at each:

Sections 1–4: Identification & First Response

Section 1: Identification

The product name, recommended uses, and — critically — the responsible party's name, address, phone number, and emergency contact. For private labelers, this is where your company information goes.

Section 2: Hazard(s) Identification

The GHS classification of the chemical — including signal words (Danger or Warning), hazard statements (e.g., "Causes serious eye irritation"), precautionary statements, and applicable GHS pictograms. This is arguably the most important section for quick reference.

Section 3: Composition / Information on Ingredients

Lists all hazardous ingredients with their chemical names, CAS numbers, and concentration ranges. For mixtures, ingredients above certain concentration thresholds must be disclosed.

Section 4: First-Aid Measures

Instructions for treating exposure via inhalation, skin contact, eye contact, and ingestion. Also describes the most important symptoms and any immediate medical attention needed.

Sections 5–8: Handling & Protection

Section 5: Fire-Fighting Measures

Suitable and unsuitable extinguishing media, special hazards arising from the chemical, and advice for firefighters including required protective equipment.

Section 6: Accidental Release Measures

What to do if the product spills or leaks — personal precautions, emergency procedures, containment methods, and cleanup procedures.

Section 7: Handling and Storage

Precautions for safe handling (ventilation, no open flames) and conditions for safe storage (temperature, incompatible materials, container type).

Section 8: Exposure Controls / Personal Protection

Occupational exposure limits (OEL), biological limits, and recommended personal protective equipment — gloves, eye protection, respiratory protection, and skin protection.

Sections 9–11: Technical Properties

Section 9: Physical and Chemical Properties

Measurable properties: appearance, odor, pH, melting point, boiling point, flash point, vapor pressure, density, solubility, and more. These properties help users understand the product's physical behavior.

Section 10: Stability and Reactivity

Whether the chemical is stable under normal conditions, conditions to avoid (heat, static discharge), incompatible materials, and possible hazardous decomposition products.

Section 11: Toxicological Information

Detailed health effects from various exposure routes — acute toxicity (LD50/LC50 values), skin corrosion/irritation, eye damage, sensitization, carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, and organ-specific effects.

Sections 12–16: Environmental & Regulatory

Section 12: Ecological Information

Aquatic toxicity, persistence, bioaccumulation potential, mobility in soil, and other environmental impact data.

Section 13: Disposal Considerations

Recommended disposal methods, recycling information, and relevant waste treatment regulations.

Section 14: Transport Information

UN number, proper shipping name, transport hazard class, packing group, and special precautions for air, sea, and ground transport.

Section 15: Regulatory Information

Applicable safety, health, and environmental regulations specific to the chemical — TSCA status, SARA 313 reporting, California Prop 65, and international regulations.

Section 16: Other Information

Date of SDS preparation, date of last revision, version number, abbreviations used, and any other relevant information not covered above.

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GHS Pictograms: Visual Hazard Communication

GHS uses 9 standardized pictograms — red-bordered diamond shapes with black symbols — to communicate hazards visually. These appear in Section 2 of the SDS and on product labels. Here are all nine:

GHS01

Exploding Bomb

Explosives, self-reactive substances

GHS02

Flame

Flammable gases, liquids, solids, aerosols

GHS03

Flame over Circle

Oxidizers that may cause or intensify fire

GHS04

Gas Cylinder

Gases under pressure (compressed, liquefied)

GHS05

Corrosion

Corrosive to metals, skin, or eyes

GHS06

Skull and Crossbones

Acute toxicity (fatal or toxic)

GHS07

Exclamation Mark

Irritant, narcotic effects, mild hazards

GHS08

Health Hazard

Carcinogenicity, respiratory sensitization, organ toxicity

GHS09

Environment

Hazardous to the aquatic environment

A product may have multiple pictograms — for example, a flammable, irritating liquid would display both the Flame and Exclamation Mark pictograms. The pictograms that appear on your SDS depend on the GHS hazard classification of your chemical.

How to Create a GHS-Compliant Safety Data Sheet

Creating an SDS from scratch is traditionally a specialized task requiring knowledge of chemistry, toxicology, and regulatory requirements. Here are your options:

Traditional approach: Hire a regulatory consultant

Regulatory consultants or EHS (Environmental Health & Safety) firms can create SDS for your products. They'll review your formulation, perform hazard classification, and produce a compliant document. This is the most thorough approach but also the most expensive.

Cost: $200–$500+ per SDSTime: 1–4 weeks

DIY approach: SDS authoring software

Desktop SDS authoring tools let you fill in the 16 sections manually. This requires significant chemistry and regulatory knowledge — you need to know how to classify hazards, calculate mixture toxicity, and determine the correct GHS categories.

Cost: $500–$5,000+ for softwareTime: Hours per SDS

AI-powered approach: ChemEngine Datatools SDS Generator

Our AI system takes a chemical identifier (CAS number, name, or formula), looks up data from authoritative sources (PubChem, NIST, EPA), and generates a complete 16-section GHS-compliant draft SDS. Add your company website and we'll white-label it with your logo and branding.

Cost: $15 per SDSTime: Minutes

GHS SDS Compliance Checklist

Use this checklist to verify your SDS meets GHS requirements:

☐All 16 sections present and in the correct order
☐Section 1 identifies the correct responsible party with contact info
☐Section 2 includes GHS classification, signal word, pictograms, and hazard statements
☐Section 3 lists all hazardous ingredients with CAS numbers and concentrations
☐Physical and chemical properties in Section 9 are complete
☐Toxicological data in Section 11 is included (even if limited data available)
☐Transport information in Section 14 includes UN number and shipping classification
☐Section 16 includes preparation date and revision date
☐Document is in the language required by the target market
☐GHS pictograms are correctly assigned based on hazard classification

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an SDS and an MSDS?

MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) is the older format that was replaced by the GHS-aligned SDS in 2015 when OSHA adopted the Globally Harmonized System. The modern SDS has a standardized 16-section format, standardized hazard pictograms, and consistent classification criteria — making it easier to read and internationally recognized. If you have an old MSDS, it needs to be updated to the current GHS SDS format.

How many sections does a GHS Safety Data Sheet have?

A GHS-compliant SDS has exactly 16 sections, in a specific order mandated by OSHA and the GHS. Sections 1–8 are considered most useful for day-to-day handling, while sections 9–16 contain more technical and regulatory information. All 16 sections must be present, even if some state 'not applicable' or 'no data available.'

Who is required to create or have a Safety Data Sheet?

Under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard, manufacturers, importers, and distributors of chemical products must create and/or provide SDS for every hazardous chemical they produce or sell. Employers who use these chemicals must keep SDS accessible to employees. If you make, sell, or distribute any product with chemical ingredients, you need SDS.

Can AI generate an accurate Safety Data Sheet?

AI-powered SDS generators like ChemEngine Datatools use authoritative chemical databases (PubChem, NIST, EPA) to populate SDS fields with accurate data. The resulting document is a 'draft SDS' — it contains all 16 GHS sections with data sourced from peer-reviewed databases. For most standard chemicals, this produces a highly accurate document. For novel formulations or mixtures, you should review the draft with a qualified chemist.

How often should a Safety Data Sheet be updated?

OSHA requires that SDS be updated whenever new significant information about a chemical's hazards becomes available, or when the formulation changes. There's no fixed schedule, but best practice is to review SDS at least every 3–5 years. The revision date in Section 16 should always reflect the most recent update.

What are GHS pictograms and how many are there?

GHS pictograms are standardized symbols used on SDS and product labels to communicate specific hazards at a glance. There are 9 GHS pictograms: Flame, Flame over circle, Exploding bomb, Corrosion, Gas cylinder, Skull and crossbones, Exclamation mark, Health hazard, and Environment. Each appears as a red-bordered diamond shape with a black symbol on white background.

What format is the SDS delivered in when I use ChemEngine Datatools?

You receive an editable Word document (.docx) that you can customize in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or LibreOffice. You can add your own content, remove the draft watermark after review, and export to PDF when ready for official use.