Safety data sheet
A standardized document that communicates a chemical product’s hazards and guidance for safe handling, storage, exposure control, and emergencies.
Hazard pictogram: A standardized graphic symbol that identifies a chemical hazard category. Pictograms condense selected hazard information into a visual element on the sheet.
Chemical safety: Practices and systems for preventing harm from chemicals to people, property, and the environment. Safety data sheets are a core information source within broader chemical-safety programs.
Hazard Communication Standard: A United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard requiring employers to communicate workplace chemical hazards. It requires covered employers to maintain access to safety data sheets.
Chemical label: A container-attached display of a chemical product’s identity, hazards, and key precautions. Labels provide concise, immediate warnings; the sheet carries more detailed safety information.
Globally harmonized system hazard statement: A standardized phrase describing the nature and, where appropriate, severity of a chemical hazard. Hazard statements express classified risks in the sheet’s hazard-identification section.
Chemical storage: The safe containment and organization of chemicals under conditions that limit exposure, degradation, and dangerous reactions. Storage guidance identifies suitable conditions and incompatible materials.
REACH: A European Union regulation governing the registration, evaluation, authorisation, and restriction of chemicals. REACH establishes requirements for supplying safety data sheets for specified substances and mixtures.
Technical data sheet: A document describing a product’s properties, performance, and recommended technical use. It focuses on product performance rather than standardized hazard and emergency communication.
Occupational exposure limit: A regulatory or advisory concentration limit for a hazardous substance in workplace air. Exposure limits guide the sheet’s exposure-control recommendations.
Chemical spill: An unintended release of a chemical from its container or process. The sheet’s accidental-release measures guide containment and cleanup.