Starting a small business can be daunting, there are so many things that we don't know right away.

My business is a residential and commercial cleaning service and we have only been in business a year and about 6 months. I never heard of SDS sheets until I became a cleaner. I learned about this after I became IICRC certified. So what exactly are SDS sheets and why you should always have them with you while at a cleaning job, especially if you are using your own cleaning supplies?

SDS sheets or Safety Data Sheets, previously known as a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) are for hazardous chemicals used on the job. The SDS sheet will contain the manufacturer's name, the ingredients, is it toxic or not, what to do in case of emergency - first aid measures, how to handle and store the product, exposure controls, personal protection, transportation, disposal and more. SDS sheets must be on file at your office and on the job site.

So as a residential cleaner, should I have SDS sheets?

As a precaution, I always have a copy of the SDS sheets for all the cleaning products I use on a job, when I go to a client's home or office. Even for household cleaning supplies that I use, if it has an SDS sheet, I have a copy of it. I keep it in a plastic folder and put it in one of my caddies. Note this only applies, if I am supplying the cleaning products, on some jobs the client especially commercial clients will supply their own cleaning supplies and the client is then the one responsible for having the SDS sheets available. A good practice is to ask your commercial client if they have SDS sheets and where they are located in the event you have an accident on the job site and only you or your staff are on site.

Note: that you may not be required to have a SDS sheet if the product has the same purpose, duration, and frequency as a consumer product.

How can I find SDS sheets?

Go to Google or any other search engine you use
Type in the name of the chemical: SDS (type in the name of the chemical colon then SDS)
Review and make sure it is the correct SDS sheet.
Print and put in your folder.

Did you know know about SDS sheets prior to this post? Do you update your SDS sheets folder frequently or annually? Do you have any other helpful suggestions for start-up cleaners that want to make sure they stay OSHA compliant?

Forum Discussion

Do you know what SDS sheets are?