Safety data sheets: structure, duties and how to use the 16 sections
The safety data sheet is the most important source of information for handling hazardous substances. Which sections matter in practice, what duties suppliers and employers have and how to keep safety data sheets up to date.
Last updated on 8 min readAMS Go editorial team
Key points at a glance
- For hazardous substances and mixtures, the supplier must provide a safety data sheet unprompted, free of charge and in the official language of the country – at the latest with the first delivery (Art. 31 of the REACH Regulation). In Germany, that means in German.
- A safety data sheet always has 16 sections in a fixed order. In practice, sections 2 (hazards), 7 (handling and storage) and 8 (protective measures) are the most important.
- Under the German Hazardous Substances Ordinance (GefStoffV), the employer must use the information for the risk assessment, keep a hazardous substances register, prepare operating instructions and give employees access to the safety data sheets.
- Safety data sheets go out of date: ask suppliers regularly for the current version and carry changes over into the register and operating instructions.
What is a safety data sheet?
The safety data sheet – SDS, in German Sicherheitsdatenblatt (SDB) – is the central document with which manufacturers and suppliers pass on the hazards of a chemical substance or mixture and the necessary protective measures to professional users. It is regulated across Europe in Article 31 and Annex II of the REACH Regulation.
Since 1 January 2023, all safety data sheets must comply with the format of Regulation (EU) 2020/878. New features since then include the unique formula identifier (UFI) in section 1, information on nanoforms and endocrine-disrupting properties, and specific concentration limits in section 3.
Who must supply the safety data sheet – and when
Suppliers must provide a safety data sheet if a substance or mixture is classified as hazardous under the CLP Regulation, if it is persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT or vPvB), or if it is on the candidate list of substances of very high concern. For certain mixtures not classified as hazardous that contain hazardous components above certain limits, the safety data sheet must be supplied on request.
- Unprompted and free of charge: at the latest with the first delivery, on paper or electronically.
- In the official language of the country where the substance is placed on the market – in Germany, therefore, in German.
- Updated as soon as new information on hazards or protective measures becomes available, an authorisation is granted or a restriction is imposed. The updated version goes to all recipients from the past twelve months.
- With date and version number, so that it is clear which version applies and what has changed (section 16).
Consumer products sold at retail come without a right to a safety data sheet. If you use such products professionally – cleaning agents from a DIY store, for example – you should still request the safety data sheet from the manufacturer. Most make it available on their website.
The 16 sections of the safety data sheet
The order and headings of the 16 sections are mandatory. This makes safety data sheets from different manufacturers comparable – if you know where to look:
Section 1 Identification of the substance/mixture and of the company
Contentproduct name, uses, supplier, emergency phone number, UFI
Important forhazardous substances register, emergencies
Section 2 Hazards identification
Contentclassification under CLP, pictograms, signal word, H and P statements
Important forrisk assessment, operating instructions, labelling
Section 3 Composition/information on ingredients
Contenthazardous ingredients with concentration ranges and CAS numbers
Important forsubstitution check, occupational exposure limits
Section 4 First-aid measures
Contentwhat to do after inhalation, skin and eye contact, swallowing
Important foroperating instructions, first aiders
Section 5 Firefighting measures
Contentsuitable and unsuitable extinguishing media, special hazards
Important forfire safety, storage
Section 6 Accidental release measures
Contentwhat to do after spills, containment, cleaning up
Important foroperating instructions, emergency planning
Section 7 Handling and storage
Contentsafe handling, storage conditions, mixed storage restrictions
Important forstorage organisation under TRGS 510, operating instructions
Section 8 Exposure controls/personal protection
Contentoccupational exposure limits, technical measures, glove material, respiratory protection, eye protection
Important forrisk assessment, choice of PPE, health checks
Section 9 Physical and chemical properties
Contentphysical state, flash point, pH value, vapour pressure, solubility
Important forfire and explosion protection, storage class
Section 10 Stability and reactivity
Contentconditions and materials to avoid, hazardous decomposition products
Important formixed storage, processes
Section 11 Toxicological information
Contentacute and chronic effects, sensitisation, carcinogenicity
Important forrisk assessment, occupational health checks
Section 12 Ecological information
Contentecotoxicity, degradability, PBT assessment
Important forenvironmental protection, disposal
Section 13 Disposal considerations
Contentwaste codes, disposal of residues and packaging
Important forwaste management
Section 14 Transport information
ContentUN number, dangerous goods class, packing group
Important forshipping, internal transport
Section 15 Regulatory information
Contentauthorisations, restrictions, national information such as water hazard class and storage class
Important forstorage, permits
Section 16 Other information
Contentfull text of H statements, abbreviations, changes from the previous version, training advice
Important forupdates, safety instruction
The most important sections for your company
If you are holding a safety data sheet for the first time, start with three sections:
- 1
Section 2: how hazardous is the substance?
Pictograms, signal word (“Danger” or “Warning”) and H statements show at a glance whether the substance is corrosive, toxic, flammable or harmful to health. This information belongs in the hazardous substances register and in the operating instructions.
- 2
Section 7: how is it handled and stored?
Here you find guidance on ventilation, the ban on ignition sources, storage temperature and which substances must not be stored together. Together with the storage class from section 15, this gives you the storage organisation under TRGS 510.
- 3
Section 8: which protective measures are needed?
Occupational exposure limits, extraction, the right glove material with breakthrough time, respiratory filters and eye protection. From this, you derive the technical measures and the personal protective equipment.
Duties of the employer
Receiving the safety data sheet is where the work in the company begins. The Hazardous Substances Ordinance attaches several duties to it:
Gather information
Legal basisSection 6 (1) GefStoffV
In practiceThe safety data sheet is the most important source. If it is missing or incomplete, request it again from the supplier.
Carry out a risk assessment
Legal basisSection 6 GefStoffV, TRGS 400
In practiceAssess hazards from section 2, exposure routes from sections 8 and 11, activity and quantity, and define measures.
Keep a hazardous substances register
Legal basisSection 6 (12) GefStoffV
In practiceFor each hazardous substance: name, classification, quantity range, work areas and reference to the safety data sheet.
Prepare operating instructions and instruct employees
Legal basisSection 14 GefStoffV, TRGS 555
In practiceWorkplace-specific and easy to understand – the safety data sheet provides the content but is not itself an operating instruction.
Ensure access for employees
Legal basisSection 14 (1) GefStoffV
In practiceEmployees and their representatives must be able to view the safety data sheets – digitally or in a folder at the workplace.
Keep records
Legal basisArt. 36 REACH Regulation
In practiceKeep all information needed to meet REACH obligations for at least ten years after last use – this includes safety data sheets.
Keeping safety data sheets up to date
The biggest problem in practice is not missing but outdated safety data sheets. Classifications change, limit values are lowered, ingredients end up on the candidate list. A safety data sheet from ten years ago is very likely to be out of date.
- Record the date and version of each safety data sheet in the hazardous substances register.
- Once a year, ask all suppliers for the current version – or have the current safety data sheet included when reordering.
- Read section 16 of the new version: it lists the changes from the previous version.
- If the classification changes, update the risk assessment, operating instructions and container labelling and inform employees.
- Remove substances no longer in use from the register, but archive the safety data sheet.
Checklist: safety data sheets in your company
- A safety data sheet in the current format and in German is available for every hazardous substance
- Date and version are recorded in the hazardous substances register
- Classification and H statements from section 2 are carried over into the register and operating instructions
- Storage conditions from section 7 and storage class from section 15 are implemented
- Protective measures and personal protective equipment from section 8 are defined and available
- First aiders know the first aid advice from section 4
- Substitution check based on section 3 is documented
- Employees have access to all safety data sheets
- Annual request for the current version from suppliers is scheduled
- Archive for safety data sheets of substances no longer in use is set up
Free templates for this guide
As PDF and Excel, no sign-up – free to use in your own company.
Frequently asked questions
Is a safety data sheet mandatory?
For hazardous substances and mixtures, yes: under Article 31 of the REACH Regulation, the supplier must provide it unprompted and free of charge. The employer needs it to meet their duties under the Hazardous Substances Ordinance – from the risk assessment to the operating instructions.
How many sections does a safety data sheet have?
Always 16, in a prescribed order – from the identification of the substance (section 1) to other information (section 16). For everyday practice in the company, sections 2, 7 and 8 are the most important.
How long is a safety data sheet valid?
There is no fixed expiry date. The supplier must update it as soon as new findings become available. As a rule of thumb, have safety data sheets older than two to three years checked with the supplier – and since 2023 the new format is required anyway.
Do safety data sheets have to be available in printed form?
No. What matters is that employees have access at all times (Section 14 GefStoffV). A digital register with the safety data sheets meets this requirement as long as it can be reached from the workplaces – including on mobile devices.
Does the safety data sheet replace the operating instructions?
No. Operating instructions under Section 14 GefStoffV are workplace-specific, short and easy to understand. The safety data sheet provides the content, but with its 16 sections it is unsuitable for instructing employees.
Terms from the glossary
This guide gives a general overview of German occupational safety law and does not replace legal advice. The regulations in force and the rules of the statutory accident insurance institutions are authoritative.
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