Free tool
Free SDS reader
Drop a Safety Data Sheet and see what matters: product, hazards, PPE, first aid and storage. Then turn it into a COSHH assessment.
Read in your browser. Your file isn't uploaded.
Drop a Safety Data Sheet (PDF)
Read in your browser. The file isn't uploaded to us.
What the reader looks for
Safety Data Sheets follow a standard 16-section layout. The reader pulls out the sections you need day to day:
- Section 1 — product name, supplier and revision date
- Section 2 — signal word and hazard statements (H-codes), shown with plain-English wording
- Section 4 — first aid for breathing in, skin, eyes and swallowing
- Section 6 and 13 — spill response and disposal
- Section 7 — storage conditions
- Section 8 — exposure limits and PPE (gloves, eyes, respiratory, skin)
Hazard codes are taken from section 2 only. Ingredient classifications in section 3 and lists in section 16 aren't the classification of the product itself, so they're ignored.
From SDS to COSHH assessment
Once you've checked what we found, answer six short questions — what you use it for, where, how, how much, how often and who could be exposed — and we'll draft a COSHH assessment with controls in order: remove or substitute first, then ventilation and safe systems of work, with PPE last. It's marked Needs review until you've checked it.
Questions
- Is a Safety Data Sheet a COSHH assessment?
- No. The SDS tells you about the substance's hazards and how the supplier recommends handling it. A COSHH assessment applies that to your work: how you use it, how much, how often, who could be exposed and the controls you'll use. HSE describes the steps in its COSHH assessment guidance.
- Is my file uploaded?
- No. The PDF is read by your browser on your device. Nothing is sent to our servers unless you choose to save an assessment to an account.
- Why couldn't it read my SDS?
- Scanned SDSs are images rather than text, so there's nothing for the reader to extract. You can still create a COSHH assessment by entering the key details manually.
- Which SDS formats work?
- Text-based PDFs in the standard 16-section format used for GB and EU Safety Data Sheets work best.