What Does SDS Stand For? Safety Data Sheet and MSDS

What does SDS stand for? In workplace safety, SDS stands for Safety Data Sheet, a standard document that comes with a hazardous chemical and tells you what it is, how it can hurt you and how to handle, store and clean it up safely. Cleaning supplies at a school, paint in a body shop and solvents in a lab all come with one.

You may also see MSDS, short for Material Safety Data Sheet. That was the older name. In the United States, the federal rules on chemical hazards were updated in 2012 to match a global system, and the new format dropped the M.

Quick facts

Stands for
Safety Data Sheet
Older name
MSDS, Material Safety Data Sheet
Type
Initialism, said S D S
Format
16 numbered sections
Required by
OSHA Hazard Communication Standard
Based on
GHS, the global labeling system
Other meaning
Students for a Democratic Society

What does SDS stand for in safety?

Each word in Safety Data Sheet describes the document: it is about safety, it gives technical data, and it is a single printed or digital sheet, though it often runs several pages. Chemical makers, importers and distributors write it. Employers keep it on hand. Workers read it before using the product and in an emergency.

The rule behind it comes from OSHA, the federal workplace safety agency, through its Hazard Communication Standard. That rule says workers have a right to know about the chemicals they use on the job.

MSDS stands for Material Safety Data Sheet

Before the change, each maker could lay out its sheet in its own way, and the name was MSDS. The update aligned US rules with GHS, the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. Now every sheet uses the same 16 sections in the same order, and labels use the same warning pictures.

People still say MSDS out of habit, and some old binders are labeled that way. If someone asks for the MSDS, they mean the SDS.

The 16 sections of an SDS

Standard SDS sections, in order
Section	Covers
1	Identification
2	Hazard(s) identification
3	Composition and ingredients
4	First-aid measures
5	Fire-fighting measures
6	Accidental release measures
7	Handling and storage
8	Exposure controls and personal protection
9	Physical and chemical properties
10	Stability and reactivity
11	Toxicological information
12	Ecological information
13	Disposal considerations
14	Transport information
15	Regulatory information
16	Other information

Sections 1 through 8 hold what most workers need quickly: what the product is, its dangers, first aid, fire response, spill cleanup, storage and protective gear such as gloves or goggles. Sections 12 through 15 come from the global system, and OSHA does not enforce them, though most sheets include them.

Where you see SDS at work

The SDS binder or station: a labeled spot where sheets are kept, often near a break room or supply closet.
Online SDS libraries: many workplaces store sheets digitally, as long as workers can reach them during every shift.
Training: new staff learn how to read a sheet and find the PPE section.
Emergencies: a sheet often goes with an injured worker to the clinic so doctors know what was involved.

Posted sign: "SDS binder: shelf above the eyewash station." Before mixing a new floor cleaner, a custodian checks Section 7 for storage and Section 8 for gloves.

Other meanings of SDS

Where else the letters SDS turn up
Field	Stands for	Example
Workplace safety	Safety Data Sheet	"Check the SDS before using it."
History	Students for a Democratic Society	A student activist group of the 1960s
Science labs	Sodium dodecyl sulfate	A detergent used in lab tests

On a job site, a product label or a training slide, SDS nearly always means the safety sheet. More agency and rule letters are in our government acronyms section.

How to write and say SDS

Spoken, it is three letters, "S D S." On paper it is all capitals, no dots. The letter S is named with a vowel sound, so it takes "an": "an SDS for the bleach." The plural is SDSs, though many writers say "safety data sheets" to keep it clear.

This page is general information. For the rules that apply to your workplace, check with OSHA or your state's workplace safety agency, and follow the sheet for each product you use.

Questions people ask

What does MSDS stand for?

MSDS stands for Material Safety Data Sheet. It is the older name for what is now called a Safety Data Sheet, or SDS.

What is SDS stand for on a chemical label?

On a label, SDS refers to the Safety Data Sheet for that product. A line such as "See SDS for details" tells you the full hazard and handling facts are in that sheet.

Is an SDS the same as an MSDS?

They serve the same purpose. The SDS is the updated version, with 16 fixed sections in a standard order that matches the global labeling system.

Who has to provide an SDS?

The maker, importer or distributor of a hazardous chemical must provide one. Employers must keep sheets for the chemicals in their workplace and make them easy for workers to reach.

What section of the SDS lists PPE?

Section 8, exposure controls and personal protection, lists the protective gear to use, such as gloves, goggles or a respirator.

How many sections are on an SDS?

A standard SDS has 16 sections, from identification in Section 1 to other information in Section 16.