AI Safety Data Sheet Generator for Chemical & Ingredient Manufacturers

A Safety Data Sheet is a standardized 16-section document that communicates the hazards, safe handling procedures, and regulatory status of a chemical substance or mixture. The 16 sections are: (1) Product identification, (2) Hazard identification, (3) Composition of/information on ingredients, (4) First aid measures, (5) Fire-fighting measures, (6) Accidental release measures, (7) Handling and storage, (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, and (16) Other information. Under the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) adopted by over 70 countries, SDS are legally required for any hazardous substance or mixture placed on the market. For ingredient manufacturers selling components into cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, coatings, plastics, and textiles, SDS serve as the primary compliance document that enables downstream users to meet their own regulatory obligations.

The scope of SDS requirements for ingredient manufacturers is particularly broad. Under EU REACH (Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, Article 31), suppliers must provide SDS for substances classified as hazardous under CLP, mixtures containing hazardous substances above threshold concentrations, and substances with Community workplace exposure limits. The SDS must be provided in the official language(s) of each Member State where the product is sold, meaning a single substance sold across the EU may require SDS in 24 languages. For US markets, OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) requires SDS for all hazardous chemicals in the workplace, following the same 16-section GHS format.

For ingredient manufacturers specifically, SDS quality directly impacts customer relationships and market access. Downstream formulators — whether cosmetic manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, or coatings producers — rely on supplier SDS to complete their own product safety assessments, register formulations, and comply with sector-specific regulations like EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 or FDA drug manufacturing requirements. An incomplete, outdated, or poorly translated SDS creates compliance bottlenecks for every customer in the value chain.

The language requirements depend on the manufacturer's market footprint, but ingredient suppliers selling globally typically need SDS in 20–40 languages. EU compliance alone can require up to 24 official languages. Adding major Asian markets (China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand), Middle Eastern markets (Arabic), South American markets (Portuguese, Spanish), and other regions quickly pushes requirements above 35 languages. Each language version must be more than a translation — it requires localized regulatory content including national emergency numbers (SDS Section 1), country-specific regulations (Section 15), and local disposal requirements (Section 13).

Vespper currently supports generation and translation in over 35 languages, including complex scripts such as Arabic (right-to-left), Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Japanese, Thai, and Hindi. New languages can be added within a few weeks based on customer requirements. The translation engine is specifically trained on chemical nomenclature, GHS terminology, and regulatory phrasing — this is critical because generic translation tools frequently mistranslate hazard statements, chemical names, and safety instructions, which can create regulatory non-compliance and safety risks.

The single-click translation workflow means that when you generate or update an SDS in your base language, all target language variants can be regenerated simultaneously. Formatting remains consistent across all languages — section headers, table layouts, hazard pictogram placement, and page structure are preserved regardless of script direction or character set. This eliminates the common problem of SDS formatting breaking when translated into languages with significantly different text lengths or character widths.

A Safety Data Sheet is a regulatory compliance document focused on hazard communication, safe handling, and emergency response. Its 16-section format is mandated by GHS and covers: (1) Product identification, (2) Hazard identification, (3) Composition of/information on ingredients, (4) First aid measures, (5) Fire-fighting measures, (6) Accidental release measures, (7) Handling and storage, (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, and (16) Other information. SDS are legally required for hazardous substances and mixtures in virtually every jurisdiction.

A Technical Data Sheet is a commercial and technical document that describes a product's performance characteristics, specifications, and application guidelines. TDS typically include detailed physical properties (viscosity, density, particle size, melting point), chemical properties (pH, solubility, reactivity profiles), performance data (tensile strength, cure times, coverage rates), recommended processing parameters, storage conditions, and shelf life information. TDS are not legally mandated in the same way as SDS, but they are commercially essential — downstream customers use TDS to evaluate whether an ingredient meets their formulation requirements, validate manufacturing processes, and document their own product specifications.

Ingredient manufacturers need both documents, and critically, the data must be consistent between them. Physical and chemical properties reported in SDS Section 9 must align with the same properties in the TDS. Vespper generates both document types from the same underlying product data, so a property value appears identically in the SDS and TDS. When you update a property — for example, revising a viscosity specification based on new batch data — the change propagates to both documents across all language variants, preventing the data inconsistencies that frequently trigger customer quality complaints and audit findings.

GHS is a framework, not a single regulation — each country adopts its own version, often based on different GHS revisions and with national variations. The EU implements GHS through the CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, currently aligned with GHS Rev. 7 with ongoing Adaptations to Technical Progress (ATPs). The US implements through OSHA HazCom 2012, aligned with GHS Rev. 3. Japan follows JIS Z 7253 based on GHS Rev. 6. China follows GB/T 16483-2008. South Korea has K-REACH and its own OSHA requirements. These differences mean that the same substance may have different classification outcomes, different label elements, and different SDS content requirements depending on the target market.

Vespper maintains a regulatory reference library covering GHS implementations across all major markets. When you generate an SDS for a specific jurisdiction, the system applies the correct GHS revision, classification criteria, and content requirements for that market. For example, an SDS generated for the EU market includes CLP classification with the appropriate ATP amendments, UFI codes where required, and REACH-specific content like exposure scenarios. The same substance's SDS generated for the US market applies HazCom 2012 classification criteria and includes TSCA inventory status in Section 15. A Japanese variant follows JIS Z 7253 formatting requirements.

This jurisdiction-aware generation is particularly important for ingredient manufacturers because a single substance may be classified differently under different national GHS implementations. A substance might be classified as Skin Sensitizer Category 1A under EU CLP (using the updated potency-based sub-categorization) but simply as Skin Sensitizer Category 1 under US HazCom (which has not adopted sub-categorization). Vespper handles these differences automatically, ensuring each market-specific SDS carries the correct classification, hazard statements, and precautionary statements for its jurisdiction.

GHS-compliant safety labels are a critical component of hazard communication, legally required on every container of a hazardous substance or mixture placed on the market. Under EU CLP Article 17, labels must include the product identifier, supplier identification, nominal quantity, hazard pictograms, signal word, hazard statements, precautionary statements, and supplemental information where required. Labels must be in the official language(s) of the Member State where the product is sold. For ingredient manufacturers shipping to multiple markets, this means generating hundreds of label variants across products, package sizes, and languages.

Vespper generates labels with the correct GHS elements based on the substance classification — the same classification data used for SDS generation. Pictograms are selected automatically from the nine GHS pictograms (exploding bomb, flame, oxidizer, compressed gas, corrosion, skull and crossbones, exclamation mark, health hazard, environment). Signal words (Danger or Warning), H-statements, and P-statements are populated based on the classification and filtered according to the precedence rules in GHS (for example, if 'Danger' applies, 'Warning' is suppressed). Multilingual labels are generated with consistent pictogram placement regardless of text direction or language.

QR code integration serves a practical purpose: physical labels have limited space, especially on small containers common for specialty ingredients. A QR code printed on the label links directly to the full digital SDS, enabling anyone handling the product to access complete safety information instantly from a mobile device. This is increasingly expected by downstream customers, logistics providers, and emergency responders. Some jurisdictions are also moving toward digital SDS delivery — the EU's planned digital product passport under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation will require digital access to product safety and sustainability data, making QR-linked documentation a forward-compatible approach.

Regulatory change is the single largest operational burden for chemical documentation teams. In the EU alone, CLP is amended multiple times per year through Adaptations to Technical Progress (ATPs) — the 21st ATP (Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1434) and 22nd ATP introduced new or revised classifications for hundreds of substances. REACH candidate list updates occur twice yearly, adding new Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) that trigger SDS update obligations under Article 31(9). US TSCA significant new use rules (SNURs), Chinese new chemical registration updates, and ongoing GHS revision adoptions across Asia-Pacific markets compound the update burden.

Under REACH Article 31(9), suppliers must update and redistribute SDS 'without delay' when new information affecting risk management becomes available, when a substance is authorized or restricted, or when a new registration is granted. EU CLP Article 30 requires suppliers to update labels within 18 months of a classification change resulting from ATP amendments. For an ingredient manufacturer with hundreds of products across dozens of markets and languages, each regulatory change can trigger thousands of document updates.

Vespper addresses this by maintaining all document variants from a single versioned data source per product. When a classification changes — whether due to new toxicological data, an ATP amendment, or a reclassification in a specific market — you update the classification once in the system. The change propagates to every affected SDS section, every language variant, corresponding TDS properties, and safety label elements. The system generates updated documents that you review in diff view before approval, showing exactly what changed and why. Version history tracks every modification with timestamps, enabling you to demonstrate to regulators and customers that documentation was updated in a timely manner following the regulatory change.