If you're shipping dangerous goods, you need a current Safety Data Sheet (SDS), the modern, GHS-standardized term that replaced "MSDS." Before you book, confirm the SDS is dated, complete, and carries accurate Section 14 transport information. Carriers check this section first, so present it upfront rather than waiting for a follow-up request that delays your shipment.
TL;DR:
- Ensuring Section 14 of the SDS is fully completed with a current, accurate UN number, proper shipping name, and hazard class is crucial to avoid shipment delays.
- A missing or outdated SDS, especially without a valid UN number or packing group, often causes carrier rejections and must be addressed before shipping.
- Carriers verify consistency between the SDS, package labels, and declared HS codes, making pre-shipment cross-checks essential to prevent rejection.
- Suppliers are responsible for providing the SDS, but shippers must obtain, verify, and present the latest version at booking, pre-loading, and customs checks.
- Additional mode-specific requirements, such as UN 38.3 testing for lithium batteries, must be fulfilled alongside the SDS to meet carrier acceptance standards.
Table of Contents
- What is an SDS (and how is it different from an MSDS)?
- Section 14 transport information: what carriers actually look for
- Who has to provide the SDS, and when
- How carriers and forwarders use the SDS at cargo acceptance
- Actionable SDS-for-shipping checklist
- Common mistakes that delay or block acceptance
- Pre-tender document checklist
- Why a documentation-first process pays off
- How we help you ship with the right documentation in place
- FAQ
- Sources
What is an SDS (and how is it different from an MSDS)?
MSDS and SDS describe the same kind of document, but SDS is the current standard. The Globally Harmonized System (GHS), maintained by UNECE, replaced the older, inconsistent MSDS formats with a single 16-section structure that regulators and carriers worldwide now expect.
The 16 sections cover everything from identification and hazard classification to handling, storage, and disposal. For shipping purposes, most of these sections establish context, but one carries the weight: Section 14, Transport Information. This is where carriers look for the UN number, shipping name, and hazard class that determine how your cargo is handled.
Singapore's Ministry of Manpower references this same GHS-aligned 16-section format, confirming that Section 14 is specifically for transport data. For air shipments, you'll also need to check your SDS against the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, which set the acceptance rules carriers apply at the point of booking. Knowing which authority governs your transport mode saves you a round of questions later.
Section 14 transport information: what carriers actually look for
Section 14 exists to answer one question fast: can this product move safely by the mode you've chosen? It typically includes the UN number, the UN proper shipping name, the transport hazard class or classes, the packing group, and a marine pollutant designation where relevant.
Each of these fields maps directly to mode-specific rules. Air shipments are checked against IATA's DGR, sea shipments against the IMDG Code, and certain bulk or marine cargoes against IMO guidance tied to MARPOL and SOLAS frameworks. A product classified as a marine pollutant, for instance, triggers extra packaging and labeling obligations under IMDG that a generic SDS might not spell out clearly.
The most common gaps we see are a missing or outdated UN number, a packing group left blank, and a proper shipping name that doesn't match what's printed on the package label. Any one of these is enough for a carrier to pause your booking and ask for clarification, which costs you time you didn't plan for. A sodium metabisulfite SDS from a chemical supplier shows how a well-completed Section 14 looks in practice: specific, dated, and consistent with the product's actual composition.
Who has to provide the SDS, and when
The manufacturer or supplier of a hazardous chemical is generally responsible for compiling the SDS in the first place. As the shipper, your job is to obtain the current version from your supplier and pass it along at the right points in the booking and handover process.
Carriers typically want the SDS at booking, before pre-loading checks, and sometimes again at the point of customs clearance or port state control. Ports and maritime authorities can request it directly, particularly for bulk or marine cargo covered by IMO guidance.
The safest practice is to attach the SDS to your booking from the start, keep a printed copy with the shipment during handover, and have a digital version ready to send if a carrier asks ahead of loading. Waiting until a carrier asks is the single most common cause of last-minute delay.
How carriers and forwarders use the SDS at cargo acceptance
Carrier staff run a short set of checks against your SDS before they accept a hazardous shipment. They verify that the product identity on the SDS matches what's actually in the package, confirm the UN number against their own reference tables, and often cross-check the HS code you've declared. Many will also ask for photos of the packaging and labeling to confirm consistency with what the SDS describes.
Certain products carry additional, mode-specific requirements that sit alongside the SDS rather than inside it. Lithium batteries moving by air, for example, typically need a UN 38.3 test summary in addition to the SDS, since the SDS alone doesn't satisfy IATA's battery-specific rules.
Depending on what these checks find, a carrier will accept the booking as submitted, ask for more information, require reclassification, or reject the shipment outright. Clean, consistent documentation is what moves you into the first outcome rather than the other three.
Actionable SDS-for-shipping checklist
Before you tender a hazardous shipment, work through a short verification pass rather than assuming your paperwork is complete. This is the same documentation-first habit we encourage across our shipping documentation process guide:
- Confirm the SDS is current and carries a visible revision date.
- Check that Section 14 is fully completed, including UN number and packing group.
- Verify the marine pollutant flag if the product ships by sea.
- Cross-check your declared HS code against the SDS product description.
- Collect photos of inner and outer packaging for carrier reference.
- Gather UN performance test evidence for packaging where it applies.
- Pre-notify the carrier if any field looks ambiguous, and request pre-clearance before pickup.
- Keep an emergency contact number and a printed SDS copy on hand at handover.
Pro Tip: Store your current SDS library digitally with revision dates visible in the file name, so you can confirm you're sending the latest version in seconds rather than digging through old supplier emails.
Common mistakes that delay or block acceptance
Most rejections trace back to a handful of recurring problems. An outdated or undated SDS is the most frequent one, followed closely by a Section 14 that's missing a UN number, packing group, or proper shipping name.
Mismatched product names between the SDS, the package label, and the booking details raise an immediate flag, as does vague or incomplete composition information. Carriers also watch for missing emergency contact details and nonstandard units that don't match their reference systems.
The fix is almost always the same: get an updated SDS from your supplier, confirm every Section 14 field is populated, and align the naming across every document in the shipment before you tender it.
Pre-tender document checklist
Run through this ordered sequence at booking and again at pickup, so nothing slips through between the two stages:
- Pull the current SDS, in both paper and digital form.
- Confirm Section 14 fields are complete and accurate.
- Verify packaging and labeling match the SDS description.
- Take photos of the package for your records and the carrier's.
- Cross-check the UN number against your declared HS code.
- Confirm an emergency contact number is listed and reachable.
- Escalate anything ambiguous to the carrier for pre-clearance before pickup.
If a field doesn't look right at either stage, resolve it before the shipment moves rather than after a carrier flags it.
Why a documentation-first process pays off
We've found that treating documentation as the first step, not an afterthought, consistently reduces carrier queries and holding delays. A shipment with a clean, dated SDS and a complete Section 14 moves through acceptance checks faster and gets fewer requests for clarification.
The practical habit worth keeping is a single source of truth for your SDS library: one place, current versions only, revision dates visible. It's a small discipline that removes a surprising amount of friction later.
— Simply
How we help you ship with the right documentation in place
We built our platform around the idea that shipping shouldn't stall over paperwork. When you book through us, you can upload your SDS directly, and our platform generates the shipping labels and customs documentation that need to match it, so your Section 14 details and booking details stay consistent from the start.
We connect you with multiple carrier partners across Priority, Connect Plus, and Economy shipping speeds, and if a field on your SDS looks uncertain, we help you flag it for carrier pre-clearance before pickup rather than after a rejection. Get a shipping quote and see your documented, carrier-ready booking come together in one pass.
FAQ
Where should MSDS be kept?
Keep a current SDS both digitally, in a centralized library organized by revision date, and physically with the shipment during handover to the carrier. Ports, customs officials, and carrier staff may request a copy at booking, pre-loading, or during port state control checks.
How do I get an SDS certificate?
An SDS isn't a certificate; it's prepared and supplied by the manufacturer or chemical supplier of the hazardous product. If your supplier hasn't provided one, request the current version directly from them before you attempt to book a shipment.
What is required for the basic description of dangerous goods on shipping papers?
The basic description typically includes the UN number, the UN proper shipping name, the transport hazard class, and the packing group, the same core fields found in Section 14 of the SDS. These fields let carriers classify and handle the shipment correctly under rules like the IATA DGR for air or the IMDG Code for sea.
What section would transport information be under on a safety data sheet?
Transport information sits under Section 14 of the standard 16-section GHS format. It covers the UN number, proper shipping name, hazard class, packing group, and any marine pollutant designation relevant to the shipment.
Is an SDS enough to ship lithium batteries by air?
No. Lithium battery shipments by air typically require a UN 38.3 test summary in addition to the SDS, since IATA's battery-specific rules go beyond what a standard SDS covers. Always check current carrier and IATA requirements before tendering battery shipments.