The ORCBS - Occupational Safety - Programs & Guidelines

The format for the MSDS was originally established in OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard. This format used eight sections to convey hazard information. While this format provided the necessary information, it was thought that the appearance and readability of the MSDS could be improved. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) wrote a voluntary standard increasing the sections to 16 and standardizing the hazard descriptions using non-technical language. Both formats are currently in use with more MSDSs written in the ANSI format.

OHSA		ANSI
Section	Heading	Section	Heading
1	Product and Company	1	Product and Company Information
2	Hazardous Ingredients	2	Composition/Information on Ingredients
3	Physical/Chemical Characteristics	3	Hazards Identification
4	Fire or Explosion Hazard	4	First Aid Measures
5	Reactivity Data	5	Fire Fighting Measures
6	Health Hazard Data	6	Accidental Release Measures
7	Precautions for Safe Handling and Use	7	Handling and Storage
8	Control Measures	8	Exposure Controls/Personal Protection
		9	Physical and Chemical Properties
		10	Stability and Reactivity
		11	Toxicological Information
		12	Ecological Information
		13	Disposal Considerations
		14	Transport Information
		15	Regulatory Information
		16	Other Information