A safety data sheet (güvenlik bilgi formu) is the document that describes the hazards of a chemical substance or mixture and the conditions for its safe use. It is one of the technical documents most often translated for industrial clients, and its format is rigidly prescribed.
Sixteen sections
The sections of the sheet and their order are prescribed by legislation. Section headings cannot be freely renamed and their order cannot be changed.
Coded statements
Hazard and precautionary statements are referred to by codes made up of a letter and digits. Each code has a single Turkish equivalent defined in legislation.
Free translation is not possible
Rendering a coded statement in words that are correct in meaning but different is not accepted. In an inspection, the comparison is made against the code list.
Identification of the substance
The chemical name, registration numbers and synonyms are in the first section. The numbers are carried over digit by digit; a single wrong digit turns the substance into another substance.
Composition of the mixture
The names of the components and their concentration ranges are given in the third section. The ranges are not rounded and the units are kept.
First aid measures
Separate instructions are given according to the route of exposure. This section is read in an emergency; the sentences stay short and in the imperative.
Firefighting
Suitable extinguishing media and those that must not be used are listed separately. Negative statements are not turned into positive ones, otherwise a dangerous instruction results.
Exposure limit values
Occupational exposure limits vary by country. The values in the source sheet are kept, and if the limit in force in Türkiye is stated separately, the two pieces of information are given together.
Physical and chemical properties
Values such as melting point, boiling point and flash point are carried over with their units. The decimal separator stays consistent throughout the document.
Stability and reactivity
The conditions to avoid and the incompatible materials are listed. The list is not shortened; each entry is a separate risk record.
Transport information
The transport hazard class, the packing group and the proper shipping name are in this section. The shipping name is a standard name and is not translated freely.
Preparer and date
The certificate details of the person who prepared the sheet and the dates of issue and revision of the sheet appear at the end. The revision number is not left out; it alone shows which version is in hand.
Consistency with the label information
The hazard statements in the sheet and those on the product label must be the same. When the two documents are translated at different times, this consistency is easily lost. One of the first points looked at in an inspection is whether the label and the sheet carry the same codes; for this reason the two documents are handled together in a single job.
Personal protective equipment
Which glove material, which type of goggles and which respiratory protection are required is written out in detail. Material names and standard numbers are kept. A section summarised with a general reference to protective equipment prevents the occupational safety specialist from choosing the right equipment and gives rise to a direct risk.
Accidental release measures
The personal precautions, environmental precautions and clean-up method to be applied in the event of a spill are given under separate headings. The absorbent material to be used and how the waste is to be disposed of are stated. Because this section is read in an emergency, the sentences are kept short and the instructional mood is preserved.
The regulatory section
The national and international regulations relating to the product are listed in the final sections. The names of the regulations in the source sheet are carried over as they are, and the counterpart in Türkiye is stated separately if it is known. Translating a foreign regulation directly by the name of a piece of Turkish legislation moves the claim of compliance onto the wrong ground.