Regulatory scope
SDS HQ generates Safety Data Sheets compliant with the U.S. OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200), updated by the May 2024 final rule that aligns the U.S. workplace standard with the seventh revised edition of GHS, with select Rev 8 provisions.
We do not currently produce SDSs valid in
- European Union (CLP / REACH)
- United Kingdom (UK CLP)
- Canada (WHMIS 2015)
- Other GHS-implementing jurisdictions — Mexico, Japan, China, Korea, Australia, and others
A document generated here may be acceptable in non-U.S. workplaces that recognize HCS 2024 as substantially equivalent — but verifying that is the user's responsibility, not ours.
Classification approach
The engine applies the GHS Rev 9 Annex I rule set as adopted by HCS 2024, computing all 14 GHS hazard classes — ten health, three physical (flammable liquids, oxidizing liquids, corrosive to metals), and the aquatic environmental class — from composition, first-principles. Not by template-matching against a library of finished SDSs.
| Endpoint | Method | Governing reference |
|---|
| Acute toxicity (oral, dermal, inhalation) | ATE additivity using published ingredient ATEs, with converted point estimates otherwise. The corrected formula applies automatically when >10% of the mixture has unknown acute toxicity for the route. | §3.1.3.6 · Table 3.1.2 |
| Skin / eye corrosion & irritation | Additivity with the standard GHS cutoffs (1% Skin Corr. 1; 10% Eye Irrit. 2; etc.). ECHA Annex VI specific concentration limits override generic cutoffs where published. | §3.2 · §3.3 |
| Sensitization | 0.1% trigger for Cat 1A sensitizers without a published SCL; 1.0% for Cat 1B and unspecified subcategory. | §3.4.2.2.4 |
| STOT-SE / STOT-RE / CMR | ECHA harmonized category assignments with substance-specific SCLs where published. | ECHA Annex VI |
| Aquatic toxicity | Additivity with M-factors, summing acute and chronic contributions separately. | §4.1.3.5 |
| Physical hazards | Driven by user-supplied physical properties (flash point, boiling point, etc.) plus ingredient heuristics. Not a substitute for a calibrated test on the finished mixture. | Parts 2.6 · 2.13 · 2.16 |
Every result includes an audit-trail calculation string: which substance contributed what, which cutoff or formula applied, and which Purple Book section governed the decision.
The six GHS bridging principles (§1.3.4) — dilution, batching, concentration, interpolation, substantially similar mixtures, and aerosols — are implemented and available during authoring: on the Classification step, an author can inherit a previously classified reference SDS's health and environmental hazards after the engine checks the principle's preconditions. The finished sheet discloses "Classification by bridging" and the principle applied in Section 2, and records the method per hazard in Section 11. Physical hazards are never inherited — they always reflect the product's own data.
Data sources
| PRI | Source | Role |
|---|
| 1 | Curated manual overrides | Hand-verified entries for substances common in biotech / IVD reagent formulations (TRIS, methanol, polysorbates, isothiazolinones, …). Each entry cites its source SDS and verification date. |
| 2 | ECHA Annex VI harmonized classification | The EU's legally harmonized classifications — 4,186 substance entries embedded (ATP20–ATP22). Used as substance-level hazard data because the underlying chemistry doesn't change at a national border, even though SDS legal validity does. |
| 3 | PubChem | Fallback for substances absent from the curated library and Annex VI. Naming, CAS resolution, last-resort hazard data. |
These feed Section 15 of generated SDSs: the EPA TSCA inventory flag, SARA §313 and CERCLA reportable quantities, and the California Prop 65 list with listing dates — plus a library-wide watchlist covering ECHA SVHC and TSCA §6 restricted substances.
Limitations
WARNINGRead before relying on output. These are the stated limits of the engine; outside them, verification is yours.
| Section 14 — Transport | US DOT (49 CFR §172.101 / §173.150) classification of the mixture: UN number, proper shipping name, hazard class, packing group, marine-pollutant determination. IMDG EmS / segregation groups and IATA packing instructions are not modeled — confirm with your carrier for regulated shipments. |
| State right-to-know | Beyond Prop 65: NJ, PA, MA, RI, and MN lists — 3,295 substances transcribed from each state's source of record. Lists are dated editions; MN and RI are non-exclusive, so a missing flag is not proof of absence. |
| Physical properties | Measured properties of the finished mixture (flash point, viscosity, density) are user-supplied. Provide measured values where regulation requires them. |
| Section 11 — Toxicology | Drawn from ECHA harmonized classifications and curated overrides, with IARC / NTP cross-references for common carcinogens. Where no data exists we render "No data available" rather than inventing a value. |
| Pictograms & labels | Generated SDSs carry HCS 2024 pictograms; print-ready GHS container labels (drum, bottle, vial) include signal word, statements, supplier ID, and a scan-to-SDS QR. Non-US label formats are not yet generated. |
| Engine version drift | Every classification is stamped with the engine version that produced it. Published sheets are re-checked against the current engine and flagged in the library if the classification would now differ — one click refreshes and re-publishes. |
Update cadence
Regulatory updates are absorbed on a monthly cycle: OSHA Federal Register notices, OSHA Letters of Interpretation, EPA TSCA inventory updates, and California OEHHA Prop 65 list changes. Material changes are summarized in the
change log with the engine version they shipped in.
Disclaimer
SDS HQ provides a software tool for authoring Safety Data Sheets. The user — and their employer — is responsible for verifying the accuracy and completeness of any SDS produced for their specific use case, jurisdiction, and distribution scope. The tool is not a substitute for licensed regulatory expertise where the chemistry, end-use, or jurisdictional posture is materially complex. Use at your own risk.