A material safety data sheet (MSDS) is a formalised data regarding the properties of a particular substance, which is intended to provide workers and emergency personnel with procedures for handling or working with that substance in a safe manner, and includes information such as physical data, toxicity, health effects, first aid, reactivity, storage, disposal, protective equipment, and spill handling procedures. The exact format of an MSDS can vary from source to source within a country depending on how specific is the national requirement.

MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) are a widely used system for cataloguing information on chemicals, chemical compounds, and chemical mixtures. MSDS information may include instructions for the safe use and potential hazards associated with a particular material or product. MSDS can be found anywhere chemicals are being used.

There is also a duty to properly label substances on the basis of physico-chemical, health and/or environmental risk. Labels can include hazard symbols such as the European Union standard black diagonal cross on an orange background, used to denote a harmful substance.

An MSDS for a substance is not primarily intended for use by the general consumer, focusing instead on the hazards of working with the material in an occupational setting. For example, an MSDS for a cleaning solution is not highly pertinent to someone who uses a can of the cleaner once a year, but is extremely important to someone who does this in a confined space for 40 hours a week.

In some jurisdictions, the MSDS is required to state the chemical's risks, safety and impact on the environment.

It is important to use an MSDS that is both country-specific and supplier-specific as the same product (e.g. paints sold under identical brand names by the same company) can have very different formulations in different countries; a product using a generic name (e.g. sugar soap) can also have a formulation and degree of hazard which varies between different manufacturers in the same country.

International and National requirements

United Nations

The United Nations (UN) defines certain details used in MSDSs such as the UN numbers used to identify some hazardous materials in a standard form while in international transit
 

European Union

The European Union (EU) requires that Risk and Safety Statements ( R- and S-phrases) and a symbol appear on each label and safety data sheet for hazardous chemicals.

• R-phrases consist of the letter R followed by a number. List of R-phrases.
• S-phrases consist of the letter S followed by a number. List of S-phrases.
   

United States

In the U.S., the Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires that MSDS be available to employees for potentially harmful substances handled in the workplace under the Hazard Communication regulation. The MSDS is also required to be made available to local fire departments and local and state emergency planning officials under Section 311 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. The American Chemical Society defines Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Numbers (CAS numbers) which provide a unique number for each chemical and are also used internationally in MSDSs.
 

Canada

In Canada, the program known as the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) establishes the requirements for MSDSs in workplaces and is administered federally by Health Canada under the Hazardous Products Act, Part II and the Controlled Products Regulations. WHMIS and MSDS requirements are also enforced by provincial Ministries or Departments of Labour.
 

Germany

The German Federal Water Management Act requires that substances be evaluated for negative influence on the physical, chemical or biological characteristics of water. These are classified into numeric water hazard classes (WGK or WHC depending whether you use the German or English abbreviation).

• WGK nwg: Non-water polluting substance
• WGK 1: Slightly water polluting substance
• WGK 2: Water polluting substance
• WGK 3: Highly water polluting substance
   

The Netherlands

Dutch Safety Data Sheets are well known as veiligheidsinformatieblad or Chemiekaarten. This is a collection of Safety Data Sheets of the most widely used chemicals. The Dutch sometimes translate the word "material" in "material safety data sheets" as "milieu", which is Dutch for environment. This is because these sheets contain information regarding both safety and environmental issues. The Chemiekaarten boek is commercially available, but also made available through educational institutes, such as the web site offered by the university of Groningen.
 

United Kingdom

In the U.K., the Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations 2002 - known as CHIP Regulations - impose duties upon suppliers, and importers into the EU, of hazardous materials. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations govern the use of hazardous substances in the workplace in the UK and specifically require an assessment of the use of a substance. Regulation 12 requires that an employer provides employees with information, instruction and training for people exposed to hazardous substances. This duty would be very nearly impossible without the data sheet as a starting point. It is important for employers therefore to insist on receiving a data sheet from a supplier of a substance.

The duty to supply information is not confined to informing only business users of products. MSDSs are now commonly available to anyone using the web sites of manufacturers and large retail suppliers as well as by written or telephone requests for paper copies.