When a Safety Data Sheet is needed 

Safety Data Sheets (SDS) provide critical information to ensure that products are handled accurately. The following products that meet the Walmart definition of a chemical, aerosol and battery/battery-containing products may require an SDS. 

• Chemical is defined by Walmart to include merchandise that contains a liquid, gel, paste or powder, including over-the-counter medications and supplements. 
• Aerosol is defined by Walmart to include merchandise that contains a compressed gas or propellant (including bag-on-valve and other pressurized designs). 
• Battery or battery-containing product is defined by Walmart to include merchandise that is a battery, or any component of merchandise, containing a lithium or lead-acid battery. 

Not all items that may be chemicals or aerosols are required by regulation to have an SDS. Items such as food, drugs, or cosmetics may be exempt from the requirement to have an SDS. However, Walmart still requires an SDS for some components of those products or other information about the products to ensure accurate handling.  For example, products containing or packaged with an aerosol or a battery require an SDS to be uploaded for each of those components.  For chemical products that do not require an SDS for the product or any component of the product, Walmart requires the upload of a product label image(s). If additional information not listed on the label is required, you may be contacted to provide it. The product label image(s) must include ingredients and any warnings.    

What's in an SDS

An SDS must have the following 16 sections of information. Here’s an example of a complete SDS.

1. Identification: Lists common names, recommended use and the supplier’s contact details
2. Hazards: Summarizes the health impact, flammability and reactivity 
3. Composition/information on ingredients: Lists specific ingredients that make up the substance 
4. First-aid measures: Describes immediate care in case of exposure 
5. Firefighting measures: Describes how to put out a fire and hazards associated with a fire 
6. Accidental release measures: Describes how to protect yourself and the environment in case of exposure 
7. Handling and storage: Describes how to properly handle and store the substance 
8. Exposure controls/personal protection: Describes personal protective equipment and other methods to limit worker exposure  
9. Physical and chemical properties: Identifies technical information about the substance, such as weight, odor and pH  
10. Stability and reactivity information: Lists conditions that make the substance unstable 
11. Toxicological information: Describes the impact to health 
12. Ecological information: Describes the impact to the environment 
13. Disposal considerations: Describes how to discard the substance and any packaging 
14. Transport information: Lists shipping requirements to transport the substance, including a UN identification number 
15. Regulatory information: Specifies safety, health and environmental regulations not listed elsewhere in the SDS 
16. Other information: Provides miscellaneous details, such as when the SDS was last revised

For more details, review OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard.

How to locate an SDS for your product 

The SDS can be obtained through the manufacturer's website or online search. For batteries and battery-containing products, you may find an Article Information Sheet or Product Datasheet instead of an SDS. 

Manufacturer website

Retailers often store SDS on their websites for products they sell or once sold. For example, search "Clorox Fuzion SDS" on the Clorox site. The search terms may vary by site, so try spelling out Safety Data Sheet if SDS doesn’t produce results.

Walmart SDS library

Walmart has an SDS Search Engine that contains a wide assortment of SDS. You can search by product UPC or product name. The screenshot shows the search results for the Roomba 960.

Online search

To find the correct SDS, be as specific as possible in your online search. For example, search "Dell Latitude 7480 SDS."

If you don't know your model number or type of component, you can first search the product name. Once you locate the model number, add "SDS" to your search. For example, we first looked up the product name of "Eve Degree Connected Weather Station" and found the battery model. Next, we searched the battery model number to find the SDS.  

How to submit an SDS 

Include a URL link to the SDS when you set up the item. If you have multiple SDS for one item, combine them into one PDF. Make sure the link is not encrypted or password protected.