Material Safety Data Sheets

Page Outline: 

• Introduction to Safety Data Sheets
• What are the employer's legal responsibilities?
• What should an SDS look like?
• What to look for
• Checking the accuracy of an SDS
• Important chemicals information

IMPORTANT UPDATE: GHS 7 is now the only system to classify newly manufactured and imported hazardous chemicals and prepare their labels and safety data sheets (SDS) across Australia.

Safe Work Australia has updated:

• Model Code of Practice: Managing risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace
• Model Code of Practice: Labelling of workplace hazardous chemicals
• Model Code of Practice: Preparation of a safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals
• Classifying hazardous chemicals – National guide

as well as other fact sheets on hazardous chemicals to reflect Australia’s adoption of GHS 7.

Existing products labeled under GHS 3 do not need to be re-labeled or disposed of, but the SDS must comply with GHS 7.

Manufacturers and importers need to update SDSs as necessary to reflect correct and current information. Suppliers must ensure that hazardous chemicals manufactured or imported from January 1, 2023, are labeled according to GHS 7.  Users of hazardous chemicals need to ensure that stock accepted from January 1, 2023, is labeled and has an SDS prepared according to GHS 7.

SDSs at the workplace must comply with GHS 7 from January 1, 2023, even if the label doesn't.

SafeWork Australia’s GHS 7 information page provides more details and guidance for manufacturers, importers, suppliers and users.

The main changes Under GHS 7 are:

• The hazard class ‘flammable aerosols’ is now called ‘aerosols.’
• A new category, Category 3 aerosols, is introduced for non-flammable aerosols.
• Flammable gas category 1 is split into 1A and 1B. Category 2 remains unchanged (not used in Australia).
• Three new subcategories are added under flammable gas category 1A: pyrophoric gas, chemically unstable gas A, and chemically unstable gas B.
• Desensitized explosives have a new hazard class, referring to modified substances to enhance safety during handling and transport.
• Eye irritants are expanded to include category 2A and 2B in the definition of hazardous chemicals.
• Precautionary statements are now easier to read and can be combined or reworded without changing the safety message.
• Manufacturers/importers of hazardous chemicals must update labels and SDS based on changed safety information or chemical classification and include new precautionary statements.

More information here

Introduction to Safety Data Sheets

Union members who work around chemicals frequently ask, 'What is this stuff and what is it doing to me?' The answer is to ask for the Safety Data Sheet SDS (still commonly called "Material Safety Data Sheets" or MSDSs - old habits are hard to change!). Safety Data Sheets provide information about substances, and the hazards associated with those substances. Under Chapter 4 of the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2017 (Hazardous Substances and Materials) employers must provide OHS reps with access to SDSs of all hazardous substances in the workplace.

Substances can be:

• Mixtures (combination of substances)
• Natural or artificial
• In a liquid or solid form
• A gas, vapour, fume, mist; and
• Dusts used in the workplace

An SDS contains more detailed information about health and safety aspects of hazardous substances than the label does. It describes:

• Properties and uses of a substance;
• Health hazard information;
• Precautions for use; and
• Safe handling requirements

Manufacturers and importers of substances prepare and distribute SDSs. Suppliers of substances are responsible for distributing these SDSs. They must be in English, relevant to Australian conditions and conform to national standards. Information in SDSs should be in plain language so that it can be understood and used in workplaces.

SDSs provide information for those handling and using substances in the workplace - and also for the information of any workers who may be exposed to these substances. SDS details are also required by those storing and transporting substances. They should be supplied with the product and stored on site for easy reference.

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What are the employer's legal responsibilities for Safety Data Sheets?

In Victoria, employers are required:

"...to provide such information, instruction...to employees.. as is necessary to enable those persons to perform their work in a way that is safe and without risks to health"( Section 21(2)(e) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004)

Further, under Part 4.1 Hazardous Substances of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 ("the Regulations"), the employer:

"...must obtain a current SDS on or before the first supply of a hazardous substance to the employer's workplace."

The employer must also ensure that the SDS is not altered. It is the employer's responsibility to provide the health and safety representative/s access to the SDSs.

In addition, all containers of hazardous materials must be labelled.

The Regulations also require manufacturers and suppliers to supply an SDS of all substances designated as hazardous.  SDSs should comply with the  relevant section of the Victorian Hazardous Substances Compliance Code (2019). The Model Work Health Safety Code of Practice Preparation of Safety Data Sheets for Hazardous Chemicals (2018) is also a source of information and advice. 

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What should an SDS look like?

SDSs may differ slightly in organisation, but they must all contain the same basic information on hazardous ingredients, health effects, legal and recommended exposure limits, physical properties, and control methods and comply with the Regulations. SDSs must contain:

The Compliance Code states: "The SDS needs to be clear and easy to understand. Technical jargon should be avoided as much as possible or be accompanied by a simple explanation for the term used – for example, ‘hepatocellular carcinoma (cancer of the liver)’. Vague phrases such as ‘may be dangerous’, or ‘safe under most conditions of use’
should not be used because they can be misleading. Where appropriate, standardised hazard and precautionary statements, such as ‘may cause cancer by inhalation’, need to be used.

SDSs must contain complete, accurate, and up-to-date information. Nevertheless, many SDSs may not comply, or be inaccurate and incomplete. However, they may still be very useful if you know how to read them and where to look for more information.

We have compiled the information above into a checklist that you can use to make sure each SDS for each chemical or substance in the workplace is available and adequate. You can find it here:

You may also find this auditing tool useful for keeping track of the various chemicals you work with:

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What to look for in Safety Data Sheets:

1 - Hazardous Ingredients/Identity Information

Which chemicals are covered?

Under the regulations, the SDS must disclose all hazardous substances. 

The Hazardous Chemical Information System (HCIS) website provides assistance in finding information on chemicals that have been classified as hazardous under the GHS.                                                                                                        

What are the Names of the Chemicals?

Chemicals are often known by different names:

• A trade name, such as "Safety Clean", is the brand name the manufacturer gives the product. It does not tell you, however, what chemicals are in the product, or whether the product is a mixture of chemicals or a single chemical. The same chemical may be used in a variety of products with different trade names. The trade name usually appears on the label and in the first section of the MSDS.
• A generic name describes a family or group of chemicals. For example, there are several different "isocyanates", and thousands of different "chlorinated hydrocarbons". Sometimes an SDS will just list the generic names. However, a generic name can only be used for certain classifications of chemicals. The Victorian Hazardous Substances Regulations have a number of schedules according to which substances must be classified (and which vary from the GHS classification)
• The chemical or specific name is the one that describes the specific chemical. An example is methyl chloroform, one of the thousands of "chlorinated hydrocarbons", or toluene diisocyanate, a member of the "isocyanate" family. The chemical name is the easiest name to use when doing research on the health effects of chemicals and how to protect yourself.
• The CAS Number is a number given by the Chemical Abstract Service to each chemical. While different chemicals may have the same name, they will all have their own CAS number which can be used to look up information. The Chemical Abstract Service publishes a book that contains a list of all CAS Numbers and the chemicals they represent.

Trade Secrets or "Commercially confidential information"

As noted above, the manufacturer may be able to withhold ingredient information from the SDS if any ingredients are considered "commercially confidential" - but this only applies to some substances as listed in Schedule 8 of the Regulations.                                                                                                                                                             

2 - Physical and Chemical Characteristics

Physical and chemical characteristics include the chemical's appearance and odour, along with physical properties that indicate how easily a chemical will evaporate and release potentially harmful vapours into the air.

Boiling point: The boiling point of a substance is the temperature at which the liquid boils or becomes a gas. The lower the boiling point, the quicker it evaporates and the easier it is to inhale. Chemicals with boiling points below 100°C (or 212°F) require special caution.

Vapour pressure: A high vapour pressure indicates that a liquid will evaporate easily - or are volatile. This means that air concentrations can build up quickly, even though the substance is in liquid form. Liquids with high vapour pressures may be especially hazardous if you are working with them in a confined space or an enclosed area.

Vapour density: If the vapour density is less than one, it will tend to rise in air. If the vapour density is greater than one, it will fall in air and concentrate in the bottom of tanks or confined spaces.

Appearance and odour: This information may help identify a substance that spills or leaks in your work area. However, many chemicals are hazardous at levels lower than they can be smelled. Also, many chemicals, such as hydrogen sulphide and ammonia, cause "olfactory fatigue", which means that workers rapidly lose their ability to smell the substance.

Specific gravity: If the specific gravity is greater than one, the substance will sink in water; if less than one, it will float on top of water.

Evaporation rate: This is the rate at which a substance evaporates compared to either ether, which evaporates quickly, or butyl acetate, which evaporates slowly. If the substance has an evaporation rate greater than one, it evaporates faster than the comparison substance.

Flash point: This is the lowest temperature at which a liquid gives off enough vapour to form a mixture with air that can be ignited by a spark. Liquids with flash points below 100°F (37°C) are considered flammable, and liquids with flash points between 100°F and 200°F (54°C) are considered to be combustible. Flammable and combustible liquids require special handling and storage precautions.

3 - Health Hazard Data

This section describes the health effects of the substance, including signs and symptoms of exposure and medical conditions made worse by exposure. Acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) effects of exposure must always be included. SDSs often leave out chronic health information, such as whether a chemical causes cancer or birth defects. This section must also contain information on target organs (liver, kidneys or central nervous system), signs or symptoms of exposure, medical conditions generally aggravated by exposure. Routes of entry (inhalation, skin contact, swallowing) and emergency and first aid procedures must also be included.

Unfortunately, a lot of SDSs in circulation do not contain complete and accurate health hazard information.

4 - Exposure Standards

The SDS must also list the exposure standards (the limit allowed in the air when working with the substance) and threshold limit values (TLVs) of ingredients if the substance has these.

5 - Precautions for Use Information

The information should include the following:

Control measures

The SDS should list control measures that can reduce or eliminate the hazard, including ventilation and other engineering controls, safe work practices.

It should also specify the personal protective equipment required. For respirators, information on the type of respirator, degree of protection and the appropriate filter cartridge (such as acid, gases, dust or organic vapours) must be included. In addition, all gloves do not protect against all chemicals. The correct type of glove should be specified on the SDS.

Fire/Explosion Information

This gives precautions that must be taken to prevent fire hazards with the substance, including fire fighting recommendations.

Storage and Transport

When stored improperly, some chemicals can react with other chemicals and release dangerous materials. This gives storage and particular transport requirements for the product.

Spill or Leak Procedures

There should be information on proper equipment to use and precautions to follow if a spill or leak occurs. It should also describe safe waste disposal method.

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CHECKING THE ACCURACY OF AN SDS

What can be done if you suspect that the SDS that you received is not accurate or complete?

• Look at the date of the SDS - the Regulations require that an SDS to be reviewed at least every 5 years (more often if required - for example if an ingredient or an exposure standard changes, or more information becomes available)
• Ask your Employer: If an SDS is not accurate, your employer is responsible for obtaining an accurate, complete SDS. Ask your employer to request a more accurate MSDS from the supplier or manufacturer.
• Contact the Manufacturer and ask for a more accurate SDS.
• Check the HCIS
• Contact your union or the VTHC OHS Unit for assistance in checking the accuracy of SDSs.
• Look the substance up on the internet (a good start is the website of The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry  or other sites on this page)

There is a lot of guidance material on SDS - see for example:

• WorkSafe Victoria advice on Safety Data Sheets;
• A webpage on the Safe Work Australia, and a document: Understanding Safety Data Sheets

Updated July 2023

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Important Chemicals Information