What are safety data sheets?

Safety data sheets provide comprehensive information about a substance, including safety precautions and hazards posed by the material. SDS should be present for every material in a workplace environment that could potentially pose a health, safety or environmental hazard, states MSDSOnline.

SDS provide specific information about a material so that a company may devise the proper workplace safety precautions and thoroughly train its workers on how to deal with regular contact and emergency situations, explains MSDSOnline. SDS do not provide workplace-specific information regarding a material. SDS do provide additional information for transport of the material and for medical staff such as first responders and poison control centers.