Safety Data Sheets - University of Houston
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Environmental Health & Safety

EHS

Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

There are many ways to locate the SDS for your chemicals or products of concern. The preferred method is to utilize the SDS that came with the product, as this is a Department of Transportation requirement for shipping of most goods. Whenever possible, retain this copy in either a binder or as an electronic copy to insure that you have the most relevant SDS for your product. You can also obtain the SDS directly from the manufacturer.  Maintaining the current SDS for all workplace chemicals in a requirement as mandated by OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard.
We have listed some common chemical suppliers, searchable databases, as well as safety information pages.  You can also contact the company by mail, phone, or sometimes fax to procure a copy of the SDS. 

SDS Resources

Chemical Safety's Online SDS Database - Chemical Safety is a privately corporation providing cloud-based Environmental Management Systems (EMS). Holds an extensive free SDS database. 

Matheson Trigas - Manufacturer's SDS Search

Safety Emporium - Safety information aggregator website with information regarding searchable SDS databases and regulatory information. 

Sigma Aldrich - Manufacturer's SDS Search

Thermo-Fisher Scientific - Safety Data Sheet Resources

Still No Luck? 

Unfortunately, it can sometimes be difficult to find an SDS even through the manufacturers website.  In those cases a simple internet search, Google, Bing, etc. may be your best option.  Sometimes it can be helpful to search not just by name, but by CAS number or synonym.  Other times product or catalog numbers paired with a manufacturer will return the result you aree looking for.  When doing this, it is possible to find similar but not matching products, which may be helpful but are no real substitute to the information that you will receive from the manufacturer for the product that you have on hand. When doing this, it is important to remember that product composition may differ between manufacturers, product lines, and even batches of the same product. Your diligence is important in determining the acceptable documentation for your workspace. 

ChemSpider is a popular chemical search engine, as are eMolecules, PubChem and the NIST Web Book. They can generally provide physical and some safety information about a chemical, or may provide links to manufacturers who may provide their own MSDS/SDS or a form to request one. You can also find some safety information on the NIOSH Pocket Guide, NIOSH School Chemistry Laboratory Safety Guide, and OSHA's Laboratory Safety Guidance.

If you're still unable to locate an SDS you can contact us for assistance. While we cannot create a new SDS, we may be able to assist in locating one for you.