Safety Data Sheet Shipping

A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is a standardised 16-section document that a manufacturer or supplier prepares for every classified hazardous substance or mixture, covering its physical and chemical properties, hazard classification, safe handling requirements, and transport data. In European road freight, Section 14 of the SDS is the section every shipper of dangerous goods works from — it states the UN number, proper shipping name, hazard class, and packing group that go onto the ADR transport document before a consignment departs.

What Is the Legal Basis for Safety Data Sheets in Europe?

REACH Regulation (EC) 1907/2006, Article 31, makes the SDS mandatory for every hazardous substance or mixture placed on the EU market or supplied to a downstream user. CLP Regulation (EC) 1272/2008 governs the hazard classification that drives the content of Sections 2, 3, and 9 of the SDS. Both regulations implement the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) — the UN framework for chemical hazard communication — into EU law.

The manufacturer, importer, or downstream user who places the classified substance on the EU market is responsible for preparing the SDS. The freight carrier and the logistics broker do not prepare it. A shipper receives the SDS from their chemical supplier and uses Section 14 to complete the transport document.

REACH Article 31 and CLP together define what a hazardous substance is, who must document it, and what transport fields Section 14 must carry — the same classification rules that determine what appears on every ADR transport document across European road freight. The full set of European dangerous goods terms, transport document requirements, and classification references used across this compliance framework are documented in the Go Trans logistics glossary.

REACH Article 31(5) requires the SDS to be in the official language(s) of the EU member state where the substance is marketed or supplied. A Belgian supplier shipping a classified solvent to a customer in Romania must provide a Romanian-language SDS. A document written only in the supplier's home market language is non-compliant for cross-border EU supply to a different member state.

What Are the 16 Sections of a Safety Data Sheet?

The 16 sections follow a fixed international sequence — the same structure applies across all EU member states and every GHS-aligned country worldwide. Every SDS contains these sections in this order:

1. Section 1 — Identification: Product name, supplier name and address, emergency telephone number, and any recommended or restricted uses.
2. Section 2 — Hazard identification: GHS/CLP classification, hazard statements, pictograms, and precautionary statements.
3. Section 3 — Composition: Ingredient identities, concentrations, and CAS/EC numbers.
4. Section 4 — First-aid measures: Symptoms and immediate actions for exposure by inhalation, skin contact, eye contact, and ingestion.
5. Section 5 — Firefighting measures: Suitable extinguishing media, specific combustion hazards, and PPE requirements for firefighters.
6. Section 6 — Accidental release measures: Containment procedures, clean-up methods, and personal protection during spill response.
7. Section 7 — Handling and storage: Safe handling conditions, storage temperature, humidity limits, and incompatible materials.
8. Section 8 — Exposure controls and personal protection: Occupational exposure limits and PPE specifications for handling.
9. Section 9 — Physical and chemical properties: Flash point, boiling point, vapour pressure, density, and solubility. Flash point declared here is the value used to assign the packing group for Class 3 flammable liquids under ADR 2025 — Section 9 is the primary source for packing group verification before a booking.
10. Section 10 — Stability and reactivity: Conditions to avoid, incompatible materials, and hazardous decomposition products.
11. Section 11 — Toxicological information: Acute toxicity data, skin and eye effects, respiratory sensitisation, and carcinogenicity classification.
12. Section 12 — Ecological information: Aquatic toxicity, persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and soil mobility.
13. Section 13 — Disposal considerations: Waste treatment methods and applicable regulatory requirements.
14. Section 14 — Transport information: The seven mandatory transport sub-sections shippers extract to prepare ADR transport documents.
15. Section 15 — Regulatory information: Substance-specific safety, health, and environmental legislation applicable to the substance.
16. Section 16 — Other information: Date of the latest SDS revision, abbreviations used, and sources cited.

For dangerous goods road freight across Europe, three sections have the highest direct freight weight: Section 9 (flash point for packing group), Section 14 (all seven transport fields), and Section 2 (hazard class confirmation).

What Does Section 14 Contain and Why Does It Matter for Shipping?

Section 14 (Transport Information) holds the seven transport sub-sections that determine how a dangerous goods consignment must be declared, labelled, and documented across all four transport modes:

1. 14.1 UN number: The UN number from the UN Model Regulations identifying the substance; the same 4-digit code appears on the transport document, package labels, and the vehicle orange plate.
2. 14.2 UN proper shipping name: The official transport name from ADR Table A; trade names and chemical synonyms cannot substitute for it on transport documents.
3. 14.3 Transport hazard class(es): The primary ADR hazard class and any subsidiary risk class.
4. 14.4 Packing group: PG I, II, or III where the hazard class uses packing groups; blank for Classes 1, 2, 5.2, 6.2, and 7.
5. 14.5 Environmental hazards: Marine pollutant status (yes or no).
6. 14.6 Special precautions for user: Additional handling or safety measures required during transport.
7. 14.7 Transport in bulk: Applies to sea transport bulk operations under MARPOL Annex II.

For European road freight, sub-sections 14.1 through 14.4 are the four values that form the complete dangerous goods description on every ADR transport document: UN number + proper shipping name + hazard class + packing group. A petrol booking reads: "UN 1203, PETROL, 3, II" — all four values come from Section 14 of the petrol SDS.

Section 14 is compiled by the manufacturer from ADR Table A. Shippers use it as the starting reference and verify the entry against the current ADR 2025 Table A before booking — SDS revision schedules follow REACH triggers, not ADR biennial edition cycles, so a substance's transport conditions in Table A may have been amended since the SDS was last revised.

When Is a Safety Data Sheet Required in European Road Freight?

An SDS is required for every ADR road freight consignment carrying a substance or mixture classified as hazardous under CLP — it must accompany the transport document from collection address to delivery throughout the entire journey. This obligation flows from both REACH Article 31 and ADR Annex A, Part 5 (consignment procedures).

Non-classified substances — those meeting no CLP hazard threshold — carry no SDS obligation. A shipper may request one from the supplier voluntarily, but no legal requirement exists for non-classified goods.

The consignor bears liability for a non-compliant ADR shipment when the transport document carries classification errors tracing back to an incorrect or outdated SDS. The freight carrier verifies documents at loading but does not hold independent responsibility for SDS content — errors originating in the manufacturer's SDS remain the consignor's compliance responsibility throughout the journey.

The SDS and the Written Instructions (Tremcard) are separate ADR requirements serving different purposes. The SDS is the product classification document prepared by the manufacturer for the substance. The Tremcard is the driver's emergency response card for the specific substances on board, prepared by the consignor for each individual journey. Neither substitutes for the other.

The complete set of shipping documents in European road freight — transport document, Written Instructions, SDS, and vehicle approval certificate — must be present on every ADR transport consignment from collection to delivery.

How Often Must a Safety Data Sheet Be Updated?

A supplier must update the SDS without delay when new hazard information becomes available, when a REACH authorisation is granted or refused, or when a restriction enters force under REACH Annex XVII. REACH Article 31(9) requires the updated SDS to be sent at no charge to every recipient who received the product within the preceding 12 months.

The revision date is stated in Section 16. Shippers holding an SDS from a previous year should verify that the Section 14 transport fields — UN number, hazard class, and packing group — match the current ADR 2025 Table A entry for that substance.

ADR editions update on 1 January of odd-numbered years; REACH-triggered SDS revisions run on an independent schedule. A substance's ADR transport conditions may have been amended in a new ADR edition without a corresponding SDS revision from the supplier.

Germany's TRGS 220 (Technical Rule for Hazardous Substances) adds national guidance on SDS compilation and recommends periodic SDS review beyond the mandatory REACH triggers — referenced in Section 15 of SDS documents prepared for the German market.

How Does Go Trans Handle Safety Data Sheets for ADR Bookings?

Shippers booking ADR freight through Go Trans provide a current SDS for all classified substances at the point of booking. Go Trans arranges shipping hazardous goods across Europe through its carrier network — the Section 14 transport data from the SDS connects each consignment to the right ADR-certified carrier on that lane.

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