Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) are required as part of the Institutions Safety Program to meet compliance with the both federal and state regulatory standards. If you cannot locate the manufacturer specific SDS, you can contact HSE to assist you in obtaining the information.
SDSs can be obtained by clicking on the website links below or calling 410-955-5918 (internal extension 5-5918) or e-mailing HSE department at [email protected].
Quick Links to SDS Databases & Chemical Information
- ChemWatch (ChemWatch Gold FFX)
- Access the quick search guide.
The site supports Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Safari and Google Chrome. If you are having problems using the site, please contact HSE at [email protected].
- Access the quick search guide.
- Vermont Safety Information Resources, Inc. (SIRI)
- Interactive Learning Paradigms, Inc.
- Chemfinder
- NIOSH – On-line chemical safety information
- CDC – NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (NPG)
- PubChem – Aggregating chemical data from industry and academia
- Fisher Scientific SDS Search – SDS for Fisher Scientific products
- Millipore Sigma Aldrich SDS Search – SDS for Millipore Sigma products
SDS Requirements
Johns Hopkins staff, including Supervisors, Principal Investigators and Laboratory Managers, are responsible for ensuring their employees have access to Safety Data Sheets for all hazardous chemicals used in the workplace or laboratory. The information in the Safety Data Sheets information must be accessible for employees during all shifts, including laboratory personnel. Access to SDSs can mean access to paper copies or electronic access via the Internet.
HSE strongly recommends paper copies be kept in the workplace or laboratory; however, having SDS websites bookmarked is acceptable as long as all employees in the workplace know where to find the SDS information online.
Keep in mind that any accidents involving a chemical will require an SDS being provided to emergency personnel and to the attending physician so proper treatment can be administered.
SDS Required Elements
Under the UN’s Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), Safety Data Sheets have been standardized to 16 sections in a particular order, as listed below.
Section 1: Identification includes product identifier; manufacturer or distributor name, address, phone number; emergency phone number; recommended use; restrictions on use.
Section 2: Hazard(s) identification includes all hazards regarding the chemical; required label elements.
Section 3: Composition/information on ingredients includes information on chemical ingredients; trade secret claims.
Section 4: First-aid measures includes important symptoms/effects, acute, delayed; required treatment.
Section 5: Firefighting measures lists suitable extinguishing techniques, equipment; chemical hazards from fire.
Section 6: Accidental release measures lists emergency procedures; protective equipment; proper methods of containment and cleanup.
Section 7: Handling and storage lists precautions for safe handling and storage, including incompatibilities.
Section 8: Exposure controls/personal protection lists OSHA’s Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs); ACGIH Threshold Limit Values (TLVs); and any other exposure limit used or recommended by the chemical manufacturer, importer, or employer preparing the SDS where available as well as appropriate engineering controls; personal protective equipment (PPE).
Section 9: Physical and chemical properties lists the chemical’s characteristics.
Section 10: Stability and reactivity lists chemical stability and the possibility of hazardous reactions.
Section 11: Toxicological information includes routes of exposure; related symptoms, acute and chronic effects; numerical measures of toxicity.
Section 12: Ecological information*
How to Obtain an SDS
Our recommended guidelines for obtaining an SDS are as follows:
- Keep and use the SDS which is shipped to you with a chemical, or use the SDS which is forwarded to you or your department from HSE.
- Use the Internet access to find an SDS for a chemical or product.
- If you still can’t locate an SDS, you may request one from our office or by using the “Right-to-Know Chemical Information Request Form.”