How to read a Safety Data Sheet: a facilities quick-start
Every cleaning product has an SDS, and they all follow the same 16-section format. Here are the sections your team actually needs to use.
A Safety Data Sheet can look intimidating, but there is good news: under WHMIS and the global GHS system, every SDS follows the same 16-section format, in the same order. Your team does not need to read all 16 sections cover to cover. They need to know which ones matter for everyday use.
Why the format is always the same
From Section 1 (Identification) to Section 16 (other information), the running order never changes between products or suppliers. That consistency is the point: once your staff know where to look, they can find what they need on any product in seconds.
The sections your team uses most
- Section 1, Identification: product name, supplier, and emergency contact.
- Section 2, Hazard identification: the pictograms and signal word. Read this one first.
- Section 4, First-aid measures: what to do for eye or skin contact, inhalation, or ingestion.
- Section 7, Handling and storage; and Section 8, Exposure controls and PPE.
Keep them current and accessible
WHMIS requires that Safety Data Sheets be readily available to the workers who use the products. Keep a current binder or a shared digital folder, and replace an SDS whenever the supplier issues a newer revision.
Every Nature's Pond product ships with an SDS, and they are all in our resources hub. While you are setting up your program, it is worth getting cleaning and disinfecting roles straight too.
Keep reading
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Put this into practice
Explore the bio-based range trusted across Canadian facilities, or talk to our team about the right products for your space.