In this guide 7 sections
GHS sorts a chemical into hazard classes and categories, then sets the label elements that follow: pictogram, signal word, hazard and precautionary statements. The safety data sheet repeats this in sixteen fixed sections. A maker needs one product record holding the data every section draws on.
Classification comes first
The Globally Harmonized System starts from the mixture itself. You test it or calculate from its ingredients, then place it in a hazard class and category. Flammable liquids, skin corrosion, acute toxicity and hazardous to the aquatic environment are all classes, each with categories that run from severe to mild.
Everything else follows from that step. The class and category decide the pictogram, the signal word, the hazard statements and part of the precautionary advice.
Getting it wrong is costly. A flash point entered in the wrong unit can move a solvent blend from one flammable category to another. The label then understates the fire risk on every drum.
- Physical hazards such as flammables and oxidisers
- Health hazards such as corrosion and sensitisation
- Environmental hazards to aquatic life
- Category within each class
What goes on the label
A GHS label carries a fixed set of elements. These are the product identifier, the supplier’s name and address, and the pictograms in their red diamond border. Then come a signal word of Danger or Warning, the hazard statements and the precautionary statements.
Each hazard statement has a code, such as H225 for a highly flammable liquid and vapour. Precautionary statements carry P codes. Using the codes lets a label be translated without drifting from the standard wording.
National rules add details. Your market may require a particular language or a local emergency number, so check the regime where you sell.
- Product identifier and supplier details
- Pictograms and signal word
- H and P statements with codes
- Supplementary and local information
The sixteen sections of the safety data sheet
The sheet always has sixteen sections in the same order. Identification, hazard identification, composition, first-aid measures, fire-fighting measures, accidental release measures, handling and storage, and exposure controls with personal protection come first.
Then physical and chemical properties, stability and reactivity, toxicological information, ecological information, disposal considerations, transport information, regulatory information and a final section for other information such as revision date.
Sections one to three describe the product. Four to eight tell people what to do. Short, plain, in that order. Nine to twelve give the data behind the hazards. Thirteen to sixteen cover disposal, transport and law.
Which product data feeds which section
Think of the product record as the source and the sheet as a printout. Section 3 reads the ingredient list with CAS numbers and concentration ranges. Section 9 reads flash point, boiling point, vapour pressure, density, pH and appearance. Section 14 reads the UN number, proper shipping name, transport class and packing group.
If those values live in several spreadsheets and a Word template, the sheet will drift from the label. A maker with forty products will find at least one where Section 2 and Section 9 disagree.
Keep each value once, against the formulation. Let the document read from it. When the flash point changes, every sheet and label that depends on it changes with it.
- Section 3: CAS numbers and ranges
- Section 9: flash point, density, pH
- Section 14: UN number, class, packing group
- Section 16: revision date and version
Keep sheets current without chasing them
A sheet is only useful while it matches the product. Set review triggers: a formulation change, a new raw material supplier, a classification update or a customer request in another language. Each trigger should create a task for the regulatory lead.
Record the version and issue date on every sheet. Keep a log of who received which version, because customers need to hear when a revision changes the hazard picture. If a classification changes, you will need to tell those customers.
Check your own market’s rules rather than assuming the format applies unchanged. Local law decides who must hold the sheet, how long to keep it and which language it needs. Start today by pulling your three biggest products and comparing Section 2 against Section 9 line by line.
SDS data map
A single sheet with sixteen rows, one per section. Columns show the data needed, the source field in the product record, the owner who keeps it and the date last checked. A header block holds product name, version and revision date. A footer block lists review triggers and recipients of the last issue.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
What does GHS stand for?
It stands for the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. It sets common rules for sorting hazards and for the label and safety data sheet that follow.
Is the SDS format the same in every country?
The sixteen section order is shared across countries that adopt GHS. Local rules can add content, language or contact requirements, so check the regime where you sell.
Who is responsible for writing an SDS?
Usually the manufacturer or importer who places the product on the market. A regulatory or compliance lead normally owns it, with quality and R&D supplying the data.
How often should a safety data sheet be updated?
Whenever the formulation, supplier, classification or regulation changes. Many companies also review every sheet on a fixed cycle so none goes unchecked.
Sources
- OSHA Hazard Communication Standard — verified 17 Oct 2026