Overview of MSDS Certificate
MSDS or Material Safety Data Sheet is basically a significant technical document which contains detailed information regarding the chemical & physical properties of a product, mostly hazardous chemicals and the measures required for their safe handling & regulation. This document also contains precautionary measures that need to be taken at the time of handling & disposing of hazardous materials. It is also important to remember that getting an MSDS Certificate in India from a test lab is not required. However, it’s legally necessary for countries that import dangerous material & goods made by such types of substances. Businesses in India which are involved in international trade & export of hazardous products must ensure the proper documentation of MSDS for smooth customs clearance & regulatory compliance.
Also, MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) has been replaced by SDS (Safety Date Sheet) officially under the GHS or Globally Harmonized. But in India and other Asian markets, they widely used MSDS Certificate for import or export compliance and many businesses still search for the MSDS full form to know the safety documentation requirements for chemical products for exports & imports. The format of MSDS is specially designed in a way that it delivers all the important information like chemical behavior, hazard identification and safety protections related to the substance used in the products that are being imported in the country.
The MSDS is basically designed as per the OSHA guidelines & taking all the global standards and rules like WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System), GHS, and REACH (EU) into attention. Companies exporting products to different countries must make sure that their MSDS Certificate must follow the specific regulatory standards & format of the designation country. If you need any support in getting an MSDS Certificate without any complexity or worries, simply contact Whizseed right now, we have a team of professionals who have years of experience in obtaining MSDS Certificate for different products only.
Benefits of MSDS Certificate
The Following are some benefits of MSDS Certificate in India:
- In India, the MSDS Certificate provides customer protection from chemical products and simply provides basic knowledge about hazardous chemicals;
- This Certificate is a simple guide to the safe production, management, storage and transportation of chemical and hazardous substances;
- It also serves as an important starting point simply managing the registration of chemicals;
- It also provides important technical data for a quick and speedy response & support;
- MSDS Certificate guarantees safe working & provides particular information for setting up safe operations with hazardous & chemical substances.
Different Classes of Hazardous Products or Substances under MSDS Certificate
Hazardous Chemicals or Products can be very risky and destructive if not handled safely and shipping all such substances globally there are high level of destruction so it is necessary to set some guidelines and follow them strictly. There are 9 different classes of hazardous goods and each consists of unique characteristics & features.
The following are the different classes of hazardous products’ categories;
- Flammable Gas: These gases can easily ignite and burn quickly like aerosol, gas lighters, caping gas, etc.
- Explosives: These are the substances that exploit/rigger explosive devices like dynamite, ammunition, fireworks, etc.
- Flammable Liquids: These types of liquids emit flammable gasses at a temperature of 60 degree Celsius like gasoline, oil-based, paints, aftershaves, perfumes, etc.
- Flammable Solids: These solids either combust at the time of transportation cause or contribute to a fire like matches, waste rubber, camphor.
- Toxic Substances: These substances cause serious injuries, death, or harm to humans if it contacts the skin or someone swallowed it by mistake and such substances are rat poison, cyanide, insecticides, etc.
- Oxidizing Substances: Such substances that give off oxygen and cause or contribute to another material like zinc chlorate, oxygen generators & potassium chlorate.
- Corrosive Materials: P2P lending platforms in India are required to make monthly disclosure of NPAs (Non-Performing Assets) to ensure transparency & support lenders in decision-making.
- Radioactive Substances: These are quick and continuously emitting radiation which can harm humans, animals, plants such as X-ray machines, fire or smoke alarms;
- Miscellaneous: These include substances that do not meet the criteria of the dangerous goods’ classes like dry ice, magnetic material, asbestos, consumer goods, etc.
Who Can Apply for MSDS Certificate Online in India?
It is a very important certificate for any company including e-commerce platforms that imports/exports, manufactures, transports or stores chemical products. Many countries are making MSDS Certificate an important legal requirement and it is also equally important for customs clearance. The following is the list who can apply for MSDS Certificate Online:
- Chemical manufactures;
- Agrochemical Companies;
- Chemical Importers;
- Paint and Coating Industry;
- Pharmaceutical and API Manufacturers;
- Fragrances/Perfume manufacturers and Essential Oils manufacturers;
- Research labs and Academic Institutions;
- Logistics and Freight Forwarders;
- Shipping Agents & Exporters transporting chemical goods;
- Cosmetic Manufactures.
Documents Required for MSDS Certificate
The following are the important documents required for MSDS Certificate:
- A valid GST Registration Certificate;
- Email id and contact number;
- Letterhead of the company for application submission;
- Certificate of Analysis and/or 3rd party test reports;
- Name & category of the product;
- Composition of the ingredient, percent-wise breakdown of all components;
- A clear image of the product (front & back).
Online Process for MSDS Certificate
The following is the step-by-step process for MSDS Certificate:
- Provide all the documents: Before applying for the certificate, the applicants must provide all the important documents and details in order to get their MSDS Registration Certificate.
- Verification of all the Documents: After submitting all the documents it will go for the inspection for the grant of MSDS Certificate.
- Fee Payment: Once the inspection and vetting of all the necessary documents are done, then the applicant needs to make the payment of the processing fees required for getting MSDS Certificate.
- Preparation and Organizing: Next, the experts are required to begin preparing and organizing all the important details regarding chemical/physical properties, first aid, all the safety measures into a perfect format.
- Issuance of MSDS Certificate: Once the MSDS Certificate is prepared, then it will be issued directly to the applicant who applied for the same.
Validity and Renewal of MSDS Certificate
Now let’s discuss the validity and renewal of MSDS Certificate:
- Validity: The validity of MSDS Certificate is 3 years and the 3 years validity period doesn’t extend to MSDS for non-controlled products.
- Renewal: The applicant can file for the renewal of MSDS Certificate every 3 years and the manufacturers or importers to prepare MSDS & get it issued from a 3rd party lab. For the renewal the applicant needs to provide the detailed information regarding contents of the shipment.
Different Sections of MSDS
There are 16 different sections of MSDS covering everything from product identity to disposal & transport:
|
Section |
Content |
|
Section 1 |
Identification |
|
Section 2 |
Hazard(s) Identification |
|
Section 3 |
Composition / Information on Ingredients |
|
Section 4 |
First Aid Measures |
|
Section 5 |
Fire-Fighting Measures |
|
Section 6 |
Accidental Release Measures |
|
Section 7 |
Handling and Storage |
|
Section 8 |
Exposure Controls / Personal Protection |
|
Section 9 |
Physical and Chemical Properties |
|
Section 10 |
Stability and Reactivity |
|
Section 11 |
Toxicological Information |
|
Section 12 |
Ecological Information |
|
Section 13 |
Disposal Considerations |
|
Section 14 |
Transport Information |
|
Section 15 |
Regulatory Information |
|
Section 16 |
Other Information |
MSDS Certificate Fees
In India, MSDS Certificate fees vary and it generally varies from Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 12,000 per substance depending on the complexity of the product. Standard Certificates generally cost around Rs. 3000- Rs. 4500 whereas complex chemical mixtures or any urgent processing may cost up to Rs. 7000.
What is the Difference Between MSDS and SDS?
|
MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) |
SDS (Safety Data Sheet) |
|
MSDS often lacked a consistent structure and varied knowingly across suppliers & countries. |
SDS or Safety Data Sheet is governed by the Globally Harmonized System of Classification & Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)1 confirming a uniform language for hazards globally. |
|
There is no such mandatory sequence and information placement differed between documents |
SDS must follow a mandatory 16 section sequence under compliance 2026 |
|
Signal words and pictograms weren’t consistently required and lower visual clarity increased risk; especially for cross-border shipments. |
SDS include standardized GHS Pictograms and specific Signal Words like Warning or Danger and these high-visibility markers make the new format much safer for global shipping from Singapore |
Get Support from Whizseed for MSDS Certificate
To ensure product safety, compliance with all the important regulations of a well drafted MSDS is important. It also ensures seamless shipment of products both domestically and globally and the quickly changing standards & transportation regulations mandates the consignee to maintain correct safety documents to delays or rejections. Whizseed gives you complete documentation assistance for MSDS preparation, compliance alignment, and review, confirming documentation meets applicable regulatory & shipping requirements.