TL;DR
This safety data sheet toolbox talk shows the crew how to read a chemical label in seconds and where to find the answers on an SDS: hazards, PPE, first aid and spill steps. Read the label first, know where the SDSs are, and never use an unlabelled container.
Use this safety data sheet toolbox talk with anyone who handles cleaning products, oils, paints, solvents, adhesives or process chemicals. Bring a real product and its SDS so people can find the answers themselves. It takes about ten minutes, and the crew should leave able to read a label quickly and find the right SDS section under pressure.
Why do labels and safety data sheets matter?
Labels and SDSs are how a chemical's maker tells you what it can do to you and how to stay safe. If nobody reads them, that information is wasted.
In the US, OSHA's label QuickCard says every hazardous chemical label must carry pictograms, a signal word, hazard and precautionary statements, a product identifier and supplier details. OSHA's SDS brief explains that SDSs follow a consistent 16-section format, with sections 1 to 8 holding the information people need quickly. OSHA 1910.1200 requires SDSs to be readily accessible to employees in their work areas during each shift.
In the UK, HSE explains that the GB CLP hazard pictograms are red-bordered diamonds, and that safety data sheets give employers what they need for a COSHH risk assessment. Check the rules where you work.
Talking points for your safety data sheet toolbox talk
- Read the label before you open it. Look at the signal word first: "Danger" is for more severe hazards, "Warning" for less severe. Then the pictograms, then the precautions.
- Learn the pictograms you'll see here. Flame, corrosion, exclamation mark, health hazard and gas cylinder are the common ones on most sites. Each diamond is a different kind of harm.
- Know where the SDSs live. Binder, terminal or app, everyone should be able to get to them in under a minute without asking. Electronic access is fine as long as nothing gets in the way.
- Use the SDS sections that matter on the floor. Section 2 for hazards, 4 for first aid, 6 for spills, 7 for handling and storage, and 8 for PPE and exposure controls.
- Never use an unlabelled container. If you can't tell what's in it, don't use it, don't guess and don't smell it. Set it aside and report it.
- Label secondary containers. If you decant into a spray bottle or tub, it needs a label your site accepts. "Blue stuff" written in marker isn't a label.
- Ask if it doesn't make sense. SDSs can be technical. Asking a supervisor what a section means is part of using the product properly.
Example to share with the crew
Picture this: a cleaner finds a spray bottle with no label in a cupboard. It smells like the usual degreaser, so they use it on a bench. It's actually a stronger descaler someone decanted weeks ago, and it marks the surface and irritates their hands.
Nobody broke a rule on purpose. One unlabelled bottle did the damage. Ask the crew: are there any unlabelled containers in our area right now?
Labels and SDS checklist
- Every container, including spray bottles and tubs, is labelled
- SDSs available for every product in use in this area
- Everyone knows where the SDSs are kept or how to access them
- Crew can name the PPE section and first aid section of an SDS
- PPE listed on the SDS is available at the point of use
- Unlabelled or damaged-label containers removed and reported
- New products are not used until their SDS has been checked
Questions to ask the crew
- Do you know where to find the safety data sheet for the products you use?
- Which pictograms appear on products in our area, and what do they mean?
- If someone splashed a chemical in their eyes, which SDS section would you check?
How to close the talk
If the crew remembers one thing from this safety data sheet toolbox talk, make it this: read the label every time, and know exactly where the SDS is before you need it. Report missing SDSs or unlabelled containers to your supervisor straight away. Follow on with the chemical storage talk or the dealing with spills talk, or see more safety topics for toolbox talks.
Toolbox talk sign-in sheet
Print this page to get the talk and a blank attendance sheet on paper.
- Date
- Location / crew
- Presenter
| # | Name | Signature |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 5 | ||
| 6 | ||
| 7 | ||
| 8 |
Frequently asked questions
What should a safety data sheet toolbox talk cover?
The parts of a chemical label, what the pictograms mean, where SDSs are kept on site, the sections workers use most (hazards, first aid, spills, handling and storage, PPE) and what to do with an unlabelled container.
How many sections does a safety data sheet have?
Under the US Hazard Communication Standard and the GHS format, an SDS has 16 sections in a set order. Sections 1 to 8 hold the information most workers need quickly.
What must be on a chemical label?
OSHA says hazardous chemical labels must have a product identifier, pictograms, a signal word, hazard and precautionary statements, and supplier name, address and phone number.
Do workers have the right to see safety data sheets?
In the US, OSHA 1910.1200 requires employers to keep SDSs readily accessible to employees in their work areas during each shift. Check the rules where you work.
Sources
This toolbox talk is general safety information. Adapt it to your site's procedures and follow the regulations that apply where you work.