SDS Section 2

Hazard identification: the GHS classification, signal word, hazard statements and pictograms.

Section 2 of a safety data sheet carries the product's GHS hazard classification: the hazard classes and categories assigned, the signal word, the hazard statements, precautionary statements and pictograms.

This is the section most compliance work draws on. Hazard categories for Tier II reporting come from here, as does the information needed to produce a workplace label.

It is also where hazards not otherwise classified appear, for effects that do not fit a defined GHS class but still warrant warning.

Related terms

• GHSThe UN system that standardises how chemical hazards are classified, labelled and described on safety data sheets.
• Signal wordEither Danger or Warning, the GHS indicator of relative hazard severity.
• Hazard statementStandard phrasing describing the nature of a hazard, such as "Causes serious eye damage".
• GHS pictogramOne of nine standard symbols in a red diamond indicating a category of chemical hazard.
• Safety Data SheetThe 16-section document a manufacturer must supply describing a hazardous chemical's hazards, handling and properties.

A plain-English explanation, not legal advice. Figures are the federal baseline; your state may differ, so see the state-by-state requirements.