The safety data sheet (SDS) for chemical products gives information on the safety, health and environmental protection aspects of these substances or mixtures. The SDS supplies, for these aspects, basic knowledge of the chemical products, and recommendations on protective measures and emergency actions. In some countries, this sheet is called a material safety data sheet (MSDS). Throughout this International Standard, the term SDS is used.
The SDS is a means of transferring essential hazard information (including information on transport, handling, storage and emergency actions) from the supplier of a chemical product to the recipient of the chemical product. It may also be used to transfer this information to institutions, services and other bodies that play a role in dealing with the chemical product.
The objective of this International Standard is to create consistency in providing information on safety, health and environmental matters for chemical products. In order to establish uniformity, certain requirements have been laid down as to how information on the chemical product shall be given (for instance the wording, numbering and sequence of the headings).
This International Standard provides flexibility to accommodate different text-processing/transmission systems.
The predecessor to this International Standard, ISO 11014-1:1994, has been applied worldwide since its publication.
In 1992, the UN Conference on the Environment and Development (UNCED) adopted Agenda 21, in which UNCED recommended a globally harmonized system of classification and labelling of chemicals (GHS[2]) including safety data sheets as one of the six areas for action identified in Chapter 19 on environmentally sound management of toxic chemicals. It includes guidance on the preparation of safety data sheets.
Some of the regional and national standards on SDS have been revised to be in line with the GHS.
The systematic review of ISO 11014-1:1994, conducted in 2006, resulted in the committee decision to revise. Accordingly, this International Standard has been developed by aligning the predecessor text with the GHS as regards hazard communication.
ISO 11014-2 was never published. Hence this International Standard is designated as the first edition of ISO 11014.
It does not necessarily reflect or represent the different international, regional, national or local regulatory requirements that may be specific for certain regions/countries/states. It is therefore recommended that reviews outlining the different international, regional, national or local regulatory requirements relevant to SDSs be made available to those who prepare SDSs.
The provision of this knowledge to SDS authors is intended to promote the establishment and acceptance of a unique SDS per chemical product in different regions/countries/states, enabling fully consistent information to be provided.
The obligations of the recipient of an SDS are beyond the scope of this International Standard. Some of them are included, however, to clearly differentiate between the obligations of the SDS and those of the recipient of the SDS.