What is an SDS? Safety data sheets explained for Australian workplaces
A safety data sheet (SDS) is a document that describes a hazardous chemical: its identity, its hazards, and how to use, store, handle and dispose of it safely, plus what to do in an emergency. Under Australia’s model WHS Regulations, manufacturers and importers must prepare one for every hazardous chemical they supply to a workplace.
SDS vs MSDS
MSDS stands for material safety data sheet. It’s the older name, and you’ll still see it on older documents and in search results. Australia’s WHS laws use the term safety data sheet (SDS), in line with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). If your chemical register still holds documents headed “MSDS”, check they are current and prepared under GHS 7 (see below).
Who has to do what
| Who | Duty | Model WHS Regulation |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer or importer | Prepare an SDS before first manufacturing or importing the chemical (or as soon as practicable after, and before first supplying it to a workplace). Review it at least once every 5 years and amend it whenever needed to keep it correct and current. Provide the current SDS to anyone likely to be affected who asks. | r 330 |
| Supplier | Provide the current SDS when first supplying the chemical to a workplace, and if it is asked for. | r 339 |
| PCBU using the chemical (the workplace) | Obtain the current SDS, and make sure it is readily accessible to workers and to anyone else likely to be affected, such as emergency services. | r 344 |
| PCBU using the chemical | Keep a register of hazardous chemicals at the workplace that lists each chemical and includes its current SDS. | r 346 |
What an SDS contains
Schedule 7 of the model WHS Regulations requires 16 sections in a set order (explained in Safe Work Australia’s model Code of Practice Preparation of safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals), including identification, hazard identification, composition, first aid, firefighting, accidental release, handling and storage, exposure controls and PPE, physical and chemical properties, toxicological information and disposal. Under Schedule 7 of the Regulations, the SDS must be in English, state the date it was last reviewed (or prepared), and give the Australian name, address and business phone number of the manufacturer or importer, plus an Australian business telephone number for information in an emergency.
GHS 7: check your SDSs
Since 1 January 2023, manufacturers and importers can only use the 7th revised edition of the GHS (GHS 7) to classify and label hazardous chemicals and to prepare SDSs. Safe Work Australia says SDSs kept at the workplace must comply with GHS 7 from that date, even if older stock still carries a GHS 3 label. If a chemical’s classification changed under GHS 7, get the updated SDS from the manufacturer, importer or supplier.
Keeping SDSs under control
- Check each SDS date. One that’s more than five years old may be out of date and is worth chasing with the supplier.
- Keep them where workers can reach them during a shift, rather than in a locked office.
- Link each SDS to the chemical’s entry in your register and to the risk assessment for how it’s used.
- Remove chemicals (and their SDSs) from the register when you stop using them, but keep records as your own retention rules require.
In Victoria, SDS duties sit in the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Part 4.1, Hazardous substances) rather than the model WHS Regulations. Check that Part if your sites are in Victoria.
Keep your chemical register and SDS reviews on track
Add the hazardous chemicals regulations to a legal register in Lahebo’s legislation library, link it to your risk register, and set actions with owners and due dates for SDS checks.
Frequently asked questions
What does SDS stand for?
Safety data sheet. It’s the term used in Australia’s WHS Regulations for the document that describes a hazardous chemical’s hazards and how to use it safely.
Is an MSDS the same as an SDS?
MSDS (material safety data sheet) is the older name. Australian WHS laws use SDS, and an SDS must now be prepared under GHS 7.
How often does an SDS need to be updated in Australia?
The manufacturer or importer must review it at least once every 5 years and amend it whenever necessary to keep it correct and current (model WHS Regulations r 330).
Do I need to keep SDSs at my workplace?
Yes. A PCBU using a hazardous chemical must obtain its current SDS and make it readily accessible (r 344), and include it in the register of hazardous chemicals (r 346).
Sources
- Model WHS Regulations, r 330, r 339, r 344, r 346 and Schedule 7
- Safe Work Australia, model Code of Practice: Preparation of safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals
- Safe Work Australia, Adoption of GHS 7
