What is MSDS/SDS? How to apply for SDS?
Date：2025-04-22 09:49:19 Classification
：【question】 Visits：
What is MSDS/SDS? MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) and SDS (Safety Data Sheet) are both abbreviations for chemical safety data sheets. They are a comprehensive legal document on the characteristics of chemicals provided by chemical production, trade, and sales companies to downstream customers and the public in accordance with legal requirements. They provide sixteen items of information, including the physical and chemical parameters of chemicals, flammability and explosion properties, health hazards, safe use and storage, leakage disposal, first aid measures, and relevant laws and regulations.
- MSDS: is the abbreviation of "Material Safety Data Sheet", which means "Material Safety Data Sheet". This term was more common in the early days, especially in the United States.
- SDS: is the abbreviation of "Safety Data Sheet", which means "Safety Data Sheet". With the implementation of the Global Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), SDS has become a more standard and commonly used term.
How to apply for MSDS?
The following steps are usually required to apply for MSDS (or SDS):
1. Determine whether the product requires MSDS:
- If the product is a chemical, especially corrosive, flammable, or toxic, then MSDS application is almost mandatory.
- If the product involves exporting to overseas markets, different countries and regions may require MSDS.
2. Collect product information:
- Product name: Write the product name accurately.
- Chemical composition: List all chemical components in detail, including the main components and possible trace components.
- CAS number: Provide the CAS number (Chemical Abstracts Service Number) of each chemical component.
3. Choose the appropriate MSDS template:
- GHS standard: Applicable worldwide, especially for products that need to meet international trade requirements.
- Regional standards: such as the US OSHA standard, the EU REACH regulation, or China's GB/T16483 standard, etc.
4. Prepare MSDS:
- Prepare MSDS is a highly technical job, involving knowledge in many fields such as chemistry, environment, and health. Enterprises can choose to prepare it by themselves, but in order to ensure the accuracy and compliance of MSDS, it is recommended to entrust an organization that provides professional MSDS services to prepare it.
5. Update and maintain MSDS:
- MSDS needs to be updated in a timely manner according to the update of laws and regulations or product changes. Usually, the safety data sheet is replaced every five years. If new hazard characteristics are found during this period, within half a year after the relevant information is released, the production unit must modify the safety data sheet accordingly and provide it to the operation, transportation, storage and use units.
Precautions for handling MSDS
- Professional personnel: The company needs professionals to provide physical and chemical information of the product, such as melting point, flash point, boiling point, chemical hazards, environmental hazards, etc., and classify the substances based on these data.
- Regulatory basis: It is necessary to consider the relevant regulations of the country where the product is imported, because the MSDS preparation requirements of different countries are different.
- Timely update: With the continuous update of laws and regulations and chemical data information, many MSDS provided on the Internet are already obsolete versions. Therefore, it is necessary to update all kinds of data in a timely manner to be truly prepared.
Through the above steps, companies can effectively handle MSDS and ensure the compliance and safety of products.
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