SDS (Safety Data Sheet)

The Safety Data Sheet format mandated by OSHA's GHS-aligned Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) contains 16 sections in a fixed order: identification, hazard identification, composition, first-aid measures, firefighting measures, accidental release measures, handling and storage, exposure controls/PPE, physical and chemical properties, stability and reactivity, toxicological information, ecological information, disposal considerations, transport information, regulatory information, and other information. Employers must maintain an SDS for every hazardous chemical present in the workplace and ensure they are readily accessible to all employees during their work shift.

SDS management is a persistent challenge for healthcare facilities that use dozens to hundreds of chemical products, disinfectants, sterilants, laboratory reagents, cleaning products, chemotherapy drugs, and more. Products change, suppliers update SDSs, and new chemicals are introduced. An outdated or missing SDS is a citable violation during any OSHA inspection, and because each missing SDS can be cited as a separate instance, a single inspection of a facility with poor SDS management can generate substantial penalties.

BayArea Compliance maintains your SDS library as part of OSHA|360 and COMPLIANCE|360. We conduct an initial chemical inventory, obtain current SDSs for every product, organize them in both digital and physical formats accessible to employees, and update the library whenever products change. When your purchasing department orders a new chemical product, we add the SDS before it arrives on-site. Your SDS binder is always complete, current, and inspection-ready.