A UN3481 SDS is the Safety Data Sheet for lithium-ion batteries that ship packed with or installed inside a piece of equipment, and it’s the document shippers, carriers, and emergency responders rely on to identify what’s inside the cell, how to handle a fire, and which federal shipping rules apply. If you’re searching for a “UN3481 MSDS,” you’re after the same document under its older name; OSHA standardized the format and renamed it the Safety Data Sheet in 2012, and the content is largely unchanged.1Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Hazard Communication Standard: Safety Data Sheets The sheet is where you pull the single piece of data that drives everything else about the shipment: the watt-hour rating of the battery.
What UN3481 Actually Covers
UN3481 applies to lithium-ion batteries that travel with a device. Either the battery is installed inside the equipment, or it’s packed loose in the same box. That’s the boundary with UN3480, which covers lithium-ion batteries shipped by themselves with no equipment at all. If your shipment is batteries only, the SDS you need is a UN3480 sheet, not a UN3481 one.
Within UN3481, the International Air Transport Association splits shipments into two packing instructions based on how the battery relates to the device:
- Packing Instruction 966 covers lithium-ion batteries packed with equipment. The battery sits in the same package as the device but isn’t installed in it.
- Packing Instruction 967 covers lithium-ion batteries contained in equipment. The battery is already installed and ready to use.
Each packing instruction then divides into Section I (fully regulated, for larger batteries) and Section II (partially excepted, for smaller batteries). Which section applies depends entirely on the watt-hour rating, which is why extracting that number from the SDS is the first job in any shipping workflow.
The Watt-Hour Rating on the SDS Drives the Shipping Rules
The watt-hour value in Section 9 of the SDS is the number that determines your paperwork, packaging, and labels. Federal thresholds separate the small-battery exception from full hazmat treatment:
- Lithium-ion cells at 20 Wh or less qualify for the small-battery exception.
- Lithium-ion batteries at 100 Wh or less qualify for the small-battery exception.
Batteries within these limits ship under Section II of the applicable packing instruction. They’re excepted from shipping papers, hazard class labels, and the performance packaging standards required for larger batteries, though the outer package still needs the lithium battery mark in most cases.2eCFR. 49 CFR 173.185 – Lithium Cells and Batteries
Batteries above those thresholds ship under Section I and carry the full weight of the Hazardous Materials Regulations: UN-performance-tested packaging, Class 9 hazard labels, shipping papers, and for air transport a Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods.3International Air Transport Association. IATA Guidance Document for Lithium Batteries and Sodium Ion Batteries Getting the watt-hour figure wrong isn’t just a paperwork issue. It can mean packing a high-energy battery as if it were a small one, which is how thermal runaway incidents start in transit.
Ground-only shipments by highway and rail have more room. Lithium-ion cells up to 60 Wh and batteries up to 300 Wh can qualify for the small-battery exception, but the outer package must be marked “LITHIUM BATTERIES—FORBIDDEN FOR TRANSPORT ABOARD AIRCRAFT AND VESSEL.”2eCFR. 49 CFR 173.185 – Lithium Cells and Batteries
What to Read on the Safety Data Sheet
Every SDS follows the same 16-section structure set by the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals.4United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. GHS Annex 4 Guidance on the Preparation of Safety Data Sheets For UN3481 shipments, a handful of sections do the real work:
- Section 3 lists the chemical ingredients (cobalt, nickel, lithium salts, electrolyte solvents) so handlers know their exposure if a cell ruptures.
- Section 4 covers first-aid steps for inhaled fumes from a venting battery or skin contact with electrolyte.
- Section 5 describes firefighting response, including which extinguishing agents work and which make things worse.
- Section 9 documents physical and chemical properties, including the watt-hour rating and energy density.
- Section 14 carries the UN number, proper shipping name, and hazard class.
Section 14 is where most of the shipping information lives. It should state “UN3481” explicitly along with the proper shipping name, either “Lithium ion batteries packed with equipment” or “Lithium ion batteries contained in equipment.” A blank or generic Section 14 will get the shipment rejected at the carrier dock. OSHA treats Sections 12 through 15 as non-mandatory because other agencies (DOT, EPA) govern their content, but that’s an OSHA framing only. DOT independently requires everything Section 14 describes.1Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Hazard Communication Standard: Safety Data Sheets
Check the revision date. OSHA requires manufacturers to update an SDS within three months of learning of significant new hazard information. An old date doesn’t automatically invalidate the sheet, but if the battery’s chemistry or design has changed since the sheet was written, the hazard data may be stale.
Getting the Right SDS for Your Battery
Start with the original equipment manufacturer or the cell producer. Most keep a document library or support portal where you can pull the SDS by product model number. The frequent mistake is grabbing a generic family-level SDS instead of one specific to the model in your equipment. Generic sheets often omit the exact watt-hour rating, and without that value you cannot determine which packing instruction section applies.
Authorized distributors and retailers can usually supply the SDS during procurement. If nobody in the supply chain can produce one, the problem is bigger than paperwork. 49 CFR 173.185 requires that each lithium battery type be proven through testing documented in a UN38.3 test summary, and the manufacturer must make that summary available. A supplier who can’t produce basic safety documentation may be moving untested batteries.
Don’t mix up the SDS with the UN38.3 test summary. The SDS describes chemical hazards and handling. The test summary proves the battery passed a specific set of design qualification tests (crush, impact, short circuit, overcharge, and others). Depending on the carrier and destination, you may need both.
Labels and Marks Driven by the SDS Data
For UN3481 shipments moving under Section II, the main requirement is the lithium battery handling mark on the outside of the package. It must sit on a surface large enough to hold it without folding at an edge, and it must display the UN number (UN3481) and the proper shipping name from Section 14 of the SDS.
A telephone number was previously required on the lithium battery mark, but that requirement is phasing out. As of 2026, marks that include a phone number are still acceptable, but the number is no longer mandatory on the mark itself.5Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Lithium Battery Guide for Shippers Note the distinction: the emergency response telephone number on shipping papers is a separate requirement and still applies whenever shipping papers are used. That number must reach someone available around the clock who knows the hazards or can immediately reach someone who does. Answering machines and callback services don’t satisfy the rule.6eCFR. 49 CFR 172.604 – Emergency Response Telephone Number
For Section I shipments, add Class 9 hazard labels, full shipping papers with the emergency response number, and UN-specification packaging.
The 2026 State-of-Charge Rule for Air Shipments
A rule change took effect January 1, 2026, for lithium-ion batteries shipped by air under Section II. Any lithium-ion cell or battery rated above 2.7 Wh must be offered for air transport at a state of charge no higher than 30% of rated capacity.3International Air Transport Association. IATA Guidance Document for Lithium Batteries and Sodium Ion Batteries That threshold captures nearly every lithium-ion battery in laptops, power tools, and comparable equipment; only the smallest coin-cell-type lithium-ion cells fall below it.
If your batteries are charged above 30%, you have two options. Discharge before shipping, or ship under Section I with full hazmat compliance, which requires approval from both the country of origin and the country of the airline’s operator.
Training Before the First Shipment
Anyone preparing, offering, or transporting UN3481 packages needs hazardous materials training before handling the first shipment. This is a federal requirement under 49 CFR 172.704, covering hazard recognition, packaging, marking and labeling, and emergency response. DOT requires recurrent training at least every three years. If you ship by air, IATA requires recurrent training every two years, and the stricter standard controls.
Small businesses miss this one often. If you’re an e-commerce seller shipping laptops or power tools, the person taping the boxes needs documented hazmat training. Civil penalties for training violations start at a $617 minimum per violation.7eCFR. 49 CFR 107.329 – Maximum Penalties
Disposal Information on the SDS
Section 13 of the SDS covers disposal, and the rules are stricter than most shippers assume. EPA classifies most spent lithium-ion batteries as likely hazardous waste because of ignitability and reactivity. Ordinary trash disposal violates federal law. Businesses commonly manage used lithium batteries under the federal universal waste rules in 40 CFR Part 273, which streamline handling compared to full hazardous waste requirements. Universal waste doesn’t need a hazardous waste manifest for shipment, but DOT’s transportation rules for lithium batteries still apply, so the same marking and packaging obligations follow the battery to the recycler.8US EPA. Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Frequently Asked Questions
Penalties for Misusing SDS Data
A person who knowingly violates federal hazardous materials transportation law faces civil penalties of up to $102,348 per violation. If the violation results in death, serious injury, or substantial property destruction, the maximum rises to $238,809 per violation.7eCFR. 49 CFR 107.329 – Maximum Penalties Each day a continuing violation runs counts as a separate offense.
The common lithium battery violations tie back to the SDS. Shipping without required markings or papers, misclassifying a Section I battery as Section II, and failing to train employees are the main categories. Penalty guidelines in 49 CFR Part 107 set baseline assessments of $40,000 for offering a lithium battery for air transport without proper documentation and $20,000 for the same violation by ground.9Cornell Law Institute. 49 CFR Appendix A to Subpart D of Part 107 – Guidelines for Civil Penalties Carriers that catch a violation mid-transit may also refuse further shipments from your account.