Material Safety Data Sheet Template: OSHA 16 Sections and Pictograms

A compliant Safety Data Sheet template follows the 16-section format required by OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard at 29 CFR 1910.1200, and every SDS in your workplace must contain those 16 sections in the same order regardless of who prepared the document. OSHA publishes a sample template on its website that walks through each section with example entries, and most chemical manufacturers provide their own blank or partially completed versions.¹ The specific layout is not what matters. What matters is that all 16 sections are present, in order, with accurate content in each.

The standardized structure exists so that anyone reading an SDS, whether an employee, an emergency responder, or an OSHA inspector, knows exactly where to look. That predictability is the entire point of the template.

The 16 Required Sections

The Hazard Communication Standard groups the sections roughly by urgency. The first eight cover what someone needs to know quickly. The remaining eight cover technical properties and regulatory information.

Sections 1–8: Identification, Hazards, and Emergency Response

Section 1, Identification: the product name exactly as it appears on the label, the manufacturer’s name, address, and phone number, and the chemical’s recommended uses.
Section 2, Hazard Identification: GHS classification, the signal word (“Danger” or “Warning”), hazard pictograms, and precautionary statements. This is the section most employees look at first.
Section 3, Composition/Ingredients: the chemical identity and concentration of each hazardous ingredient.
Section 4, First-Aid Measures: what to do after skin contact, eye contact, inhalation, or ingestion.
Section 5, Fire-Fighting Measures: suitable extinguishing agents, specific hazards created during a fire, and protective equipment for firefighters.
Section 6, Accidental Release Measures: containment and cleanup procedures for spills or leaks.
Section 7, Handling and Storage: safe-handling precautions, incompatible materials, and recommended storage conditions.
Section 8, Exposure Controls/Personal Protection: OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits, recommended engineering controls, and required personal protective equipment.¹

Section 8 is where the template does the most workplace-safety work. Permissible Exposure Limits are the legally enforceable ceilings on airborne chemical concentrations, so recording them correctly is essential. Threshold Limit Values from the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists often appear alongside them as recommended guidelines, but only the OSHA limits carry the force of law.¹

Sections 9–16: Technical and Regulatory Data

Section 9, Physical and Chemical Properties: appearance, odor, pH, boiling point, flash point, and similar measurable characteristics.
Section 10, Stability and Reactivity: conditions that cause the chemical to react dangerously, including heat and contact with incompatible substances.
Section 11, Toxicological Information: routes of exposure and symptoms of both acute and chronic exposure.
Section 12, Ecological Information: environmental toxicity and persistence.
Section 13, Disposal Considerations: safe-disposal guidance, which often ties into the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
Section 14, Transport Information: shipping classifications and packaging under Department of Transportation rules.
Section 15, Regulatory Information: other federal, state, or international regulations that apply.
Section 16, Other Information: preparation date, last revision date, and any additional notes.¹

OSHA does not directly enforce Sections 12 through 15, because those areas fall under other agencies such as the EPA and the Department of Transportation. Completing them is still required for international compliance and to give readers a full picture of the chemical.¹

Pictograms and Signal Words in Section 2

Section 2 is the section most likely to be wrong on a template, and it has specific formatting rules. OSHA recognizes nine standard GHS pictograms, each representing a hazard category:²

Flame: flammable liquids, gases, aerosols, and solids.
Flame Over Circle: oxidizers that can intensify fire.
Exploding Bomb: explosives and self-reactive chemicals.
Skull and Crossbones: acutely toxic substances.
Corrosion: chemicals that cause skin burns or serious eye damage.
Gas Cylinder: gases stored under pressure.
Health Hazard: carcinogens, respiratory sensitizers, and reproductive toxins.
Exclamation Mark: irritants, skin sensitizers, and lower-level acute toxicity.
Environment: chemicals hazardous to aquatic life.

Each pictogram must appear as a black symbol on a white background inside a red diamond border. A blank red diamond with no symbol is not valid and cannot appear on labels or SDS documents.²

Section 2 also requires one signal word. There are only two: “Danger” for more severe hazards and “Warning” for less severe ones. When a chemical carries hazards at both levels, only “Danger” is used. You never list both.³

When You Do Not Need a Safety Data Sheet

Not every chemical in a workplace requires an SDS. Consumer products used at work are exempt from the Hazard Communication Standard, but only when employees use them the same way, for the same duration, and at the same frequency as a typical household consumer. A can of glass cleaner kept under an office sink probably qualifies. A janitorial crew using that same cleaner across dozens of surfaces for an eight-hour shift does not, and the employer must obtain or develop an SDS.⁴

The employer carries the burden of proving the exemption applies. OSHA’s guidance is direct: if you are not sure whether your employees’ exposure is comparable to a consumer’s, get the SDS. A consumer label complying with the Consumer Product Safety Act does not automatically excuse you from the Hazard Communication Standard.⁴

What the Template Alone Does Not Cover

A completed template is one piece of a larger compliance picture. Filling in the sections correctly does not, on its own, satisfy the Hazard Communication Standard.

The Written Hazard Communication Program

Every employer with hazardous chemicals must maintain a written hazard communication program that describes how the workplace handles labeling, SDS access, and training. The plan must also include a list of every hazardous chemical present, using the same product identifiers that appear on the corresponding Safety Data Sheets, and it must explain how employees will be informed of hazards tied to non-routine tasks such as cleaning reactor vessels or working near unlabeled pipes.⁵

Employee Training

Employees must be trained when they first begin working with hazardous chemicals and again whenever a new chemical hazard is introduced. Training can be organized around hazard categories rather than individual chemicals, but employees must be able to reach chemical-specific details through labels and SDS documents. At a minimum, workers must be told the requirements of the standard, which operations in their work area involve hazardous chemicals, and where to find the written program, the chemical list, and the SDS binder or database. They must also learn to detect releases, understand the physical and health hazards present, know the protective measures in place, and be able to read the SDS and label system itself.⁵

Access and Language

Employees must be able to reach Safety Data Sheets immediately during their work shifts, in their work areas, without barriers. Electronic access through tablets, shared drives, or intranet portals is permitted, but a password employees do not have, or a network outage with no backup, puts the employer out of compliance.⁵ Many workplaces keep physical binders alongside digital access for exactly this reason. Labels and SDS documents must be in English; translations are allowed as an addition, but the English version must always be present.⁶

Updates

When a manufacturer, importer, or preparing employer becomes aware of significant new information about a chemical’s hazards or protective measures, the SDS must be updated within three months. If the chemical is not currently being produced or imported, the update must occur before it is reintroduced into any workplace.⁵ For employers on the receiving end, the obligation is simple: replace the old version in your filing system and let employees know something changed.

What a Missing or Incomplete Template Costs

For 2026, the maximum penalty for a serious or other-than-serious OSHA violation is $16,550 per violation.⁷ A single inspection that finds missing SDS documents, no written program, and inadequate training can generate multiple citations, each carrying its own penalty. Hazard communication consistently ranks among OSHA’s most frequently cited standards, and inspectors know precisely which sections of the template are most often left blank or filled in wrong.

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Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Sample Safety Data Sheet
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Hazard Communication Pictograms
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Hazard Communication Standard: Labels and Pictograms
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Hazard Communication and Consumer Products
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eCFR. 29 CFR 1910.1200 – Hazard Communication
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Requirements for Labels in a Language Other Than English
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 2026 Annual Adjustments to OSHA Civil Penalties