A Safety Data Sheet, or SDS, is a standardised document that a manufacturer provides for a chemical product. It is the single most important reference for using a product safely, and you will find one linked on every product page in this centre.
Why SDS documents exist
SDS documents exist so that everyone who handles a chemical - manufacturers, employers, workers, and emergency responders - has consistent, reliable safety information. In Canada they are part of WHMIS (the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System), which is aligned with the international GHS standard. That standard sets out 16 sections that appear in the same order on every SDS, so the information is easy to find no matter who made the product.
What an SDS tells you
- What is in the product and what hazards it may pose
- How to handle, use, and store it safely
- What personal protective equipment is appropriate
- First-aid measures and what to do in an emergency
- How to clean up a spill and dispose of the product
How professionals use it
Before using a product, technicians review its SDS to confirm safe handling, the right protective equipment, and any special precautions. The SDS is about safety - it does not tell you how well a product performs or how to apply it. For that, see the Technical Data Sheet.
What clients should know
You do not need to read an SDS to understand what is happening on your project - that is what this centre's plain-language summaries are for. But the SDS is always available if you want the manufacturer's full safety information, and you are welcome to ask us any question about a product.