Do I Need to Author a Safety Data Sheet(SDS) for Consumer Products?

Short answer: Yes—if your product is used in a workplace.

Even if your chemical product isn’t classified as hazardous under the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), you may still be required to author a Safety Data Sheet (SDS). Here's why it matters for compliance, liability, and customer trust.

Not GHS-Classified ≠ No SDS Required

You might manufacture or supply

• Consumer cleaners or disinfectants
• Beauty or personal care products
• Lubricants and oils
• Pesticides and herbicides
• Welding rods or flux
• Lithium batteries

Lubricants and oils

• Pesticides and herbicides
• Welding rods or flux
• Lithium batteries

These products may not meet GHS thresholds, but if they’re used in workplace settings, you still have a legal and ethical duty to provide hazard documentation.

When You Must Author an SDS for a GHS-Exempt Product

1. Workplace Use of Consumer Products

Products originally intended for retail use(like household cleaners or beauty products) are often repurposed in:

• Industrial cleaning
• Commercial maintenance
• Laboratory settings

In these environments, exposure is more frequent and at higher volumes. If your product is used in workplaces, employers are legally required under WHMIS (Canada) or HazCom (U.S.) to have an SDS—even if it’s labelled for consumer use.

Key point: If your product ends up in a workplace, you’re expected to support regulatory compliance.

2. Products Regulated Outside GHS

Products exempt from GHS due to other regulations include:

• Pesticides (under Canada’s PCPA or U.S. EPA)
• Fertilizers
• Medical or veterinary products

But exemption from GHS does not remove your obligation to inform downstream users of potential hazards.

An SDS is the most effective and expected way to do this.

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3. Physically Hazardous but Not Chemically Toxic

Some products are not toxic but pose physical hazards, including

• Combustible dusts (explosion hazard)
• Compressed gases (asphyxiation risk)
• Flammable solids

Even if not GHS-classified, these risks must be communicated clearly. An SDS provides critical safety information that protects workers and your company.

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4. Products with Emerging or Disputed Risks

Examples

• Welding rods (potential respiratory hazards)
• Highly refined oils (may later be classified as carcinogenic)

Science evolves—and your SDS demonstrates due diligence, even before a regulation changes. It can be a powerful legal defense and a sign of transparency.

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5. Products with Transport or Handling Risks

Even if a product is "non-hazardous" in use, transportation regulations (e.g., DOT, TDG, IATA) may require documentation:

• Lithium batteries
• Gas cylinders
• Corrosive packaging

Having an SDS simplifies compliance with shipping laws worldwide.

6. Non-Toxic but Safety-Relevant Products

Some products—like lab reagents, cosmetic ingredients, or specialty chemicals—are not classified as hazardous but are still:

• Frequently used in labs or schools
• Subject to procurement documentation
• Expected to include SDSs by default

No SDS = lost sales opportunities or exclusion from supply chains.

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SDS Authoring Is More Than Compliance—It's Strategy

Creating SDSs for non-GHS-classified products gives your business a competitive advantage:

• Supports customer compliance with WHMIS and HazCom
• Reduces legal risk by documenting hazards
• Increases credibility with professional documentation
• Improves transport and export readiness
• Boosts market access to industrial, institutional, and  international buyers

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Quantum SDS: Expert SDS Authoring for All Product Types

Whether your product is classified or not, Quantum SDS offers:

• SDS authoring in 43 languages
• Compliance with GHS, WHMIS, HazCom, REACH, and more
• Service and software options to match your workflow and budget
• Global support across the U.S., Canada, Middle East,     Asia-Pacific, and beyond

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Contact Us for a Quote or Demo

With over 30 years of SDS authoring expertise, Quantum SDS helps you manage compliance, reduce liability, and simplify documentation—even for GHS-exempt products.

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