SDS Section 14 contains transport information such as the UN number, UN proper shipping name, transport hazard class, packing group, environmental hazards, bulk-transport information, and special precautions. The entries should reflect a current classification under the rules for the transport mode; they do not turn the SDS into a declaration for a specific shipment.
That distinction matters because the safety data sheet follows the product while a transport document describes an actual consignment. Mode, route, package type, quantity, technical names, carrier variations, and available exceptions can change what must appear on the shipping paper even when the product itself has not changed.
Section 14 is a transport summary, not a shipping authorization. Use it as one controlled output of the transport-classification record, then prepare and validate the consignment documents under the current rule for air, sea, road, or rail.
01 - ContentsWhat information does SDS Section 14 contain?
OSHA's mandatory Appendix D lists seven Section 14 content groups, although OSHA labels the section non-mandatory because transport is outside the agency's jurisdiction. A complete Section 14 provides:
- UN number.
- UN proper shipping name.
- Transport hazard class or classes.
- Packing group, where applicable.
- Environmental hazards, such as marine-pollutant status.
- Transport in bulk according to applicable IMO instruments.
- Special precautions for transport or conveyance.
The 16-section structure still places Section 14 between disposal and regulatory information. For the source list, see 29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D.
Is Section 14 required on a US SDS?
The section must remain in the prescribed 16-section order, but OSHA does not enforce its transport-content requirements. Other jurisdictions, commercial agreements, or carrier processes may still expect useful and accurate transport information. An author should therefore distinguish “OSHA non-mandatory” from “safe to fill with stale or unsupported data.”
02 - SourceWhere does Section 14 transport information come from?
The data comes from a separate transport determination under the rules that apply to the shipment. In the United States, the Hazardous Materials Table in 49 CFR 172.101 ties proper shipping names to identification numbers, hazard classes, packing groups, label codes, special provisions, packaging instructions, and modal quantity limits. International air, sea, and road movements apply their own current instruments and may add state, operator, port, carrier, or route variations.
Start with the product's identity, composition, physical state, test data, flash point, corrosivity, toxicity, environmental data, and any other property relevant to the transport criteria. Then classify for the mode. Do not copy a UN number from an ingredient SDS or infer the transport class from the OSHA hazards shown in SDS Section 2.
Section 2 and Section 14 can describe the same product correctly while using different hazard systems and reaching different classifications.
03 - BoundaryDoes SDS Section 14 replace a dangerous-goods declaration?
No. A shipping paper identifies the material and the consignment under the governing transport rule. Under 49 CFR 172.202, the basic description includes the identification number, proper shipping name, hazard class or division, and packing group where assigned, in the required sequence. The record also addresses quantity, number and type of packages, and other entries that depend on the shipment.
A modal declaration may also require technical names, subsidiary hazards, packing instructions, authorizations, aircraft limitations, marine-pollutant wording, emergency information, or shipper certification. The current 49 CFR 172.202 shipping-description rule and the applicable modal instrument control the actual document.
Is an SDS required to ship dangerous goods?
The SDS and the declaration serve different purposes. The transport rule may not make the SDS the shipping paper, yet the destination market, carrier, freight forwarder, or an operator variation may require an SDS for acceptance. IATA describes its Dangerous Goods Regulations as covering classification, marking, packing, labeling, and documentation—including the shipper's declaration and air waybill. Check the current rule and the accepting carrier rather than relying on a single global checklist.
04 - DescriptionHow are a UN number and proper shipping name selected?
The proper shipping name is not a marketing name, product identifier, or freely edited description. It is selected from the applicable dangerous-goods list after the material has been classified. Named entries are considered before generic or “not otherwise specified” entries, and an n.o.s. description may require the technical name of the hazardous constituent in parentheses.
The number and name travel together. For a US shipment, use the current 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table and its instructions. For an international leg, validate the description against the current edition and variations for that mode rather than assuming the domestic entry is sufficient.
Do not choose the UN number from the product name alone. Two products with similar commercial names can have different physical forms, flash points, constituent hazards, concentrations, packing groups, or modal restrictions.
05 - ExamplesHow do UN 3077 and UN 1993 work as examples?
These examples show the structure of a transport description; they are not classifications for an unnamed product. The underlying criteria, technical name requirements, special provisions, packaging, quantity, mode, and exceptions still have to be evaluated.
| Entry | What it demonstrates | Section 14 caution |
|---|---|---|
| UN 3077, Environmentally hazardous substance, solid, n.o.s., Class 9, PG III | A generic Class 9 entry for a qualifying solid environmental hazard when a more specific Class 1–8 description does not control. | Do not use UN 3077 for a liquid; the corresponding liquid entry is UN 3082. Confirm marine-pollutant criteria and any technical-name requirement. |
| UN 1993, Flammable liquids, n.o.s., Class 3, PG I, II, or III as determined | An n.o.s. flammable-liquid description whose packing group depends on the applicable criteria and test data. | The description commonly requires technical-name detail. Do not copy a packing group from another formulation or infer it only from an SDS signal word. |
The current US table lists UN 3077 as “Environmentally hazardous substance, solid, n.o.s.” in Class 9, Packing Group III, and lists UN 1993 “Flammable liquids, n.o.s.” in Class 3 with Packing Groups I, II, and III entries. The selected packing group and complete description must be supported by the product-specific determination.
06 - WorkflowHow should an SDS author maintain Section 14?
- Identify the jurisdictions and modes. Record where the product will be supplied and how it may move.
- Collect classification inputs. Preserve the composition, physical-property, test, and environmental evidence used.
- Complete the transport determination. Use the current applicable dangerous-goods list, criteria, and variations.
- Populate Section 14 from the approved determination. Do not reclassify by editing the SDS field directly.
- Prepare consignment documents separately. Add shipment-specific packaging, quantity, route, certification, and emergency information.
- Review on change. Reassess when the formulation, physical properties, packaging, route, mode, or transport rules change.
For the broader cross-border packet, use the international chemical shipping checklist. For label symbols that arise from workplace hazard classification rather than the transport description, use the GHS pictogram guide.
07 - DecisionsDecision rules for Section 14
Classify for transport before authoring Section 14. The SDS field is an output of the supported transport determination, not the place where the determination begins.
Keep the product record separate from the consignment record. Section 14 follows the product; declarations and shipping papers add shipment-specific facts.
Treat the number and proper shipping name as a controlled pair. Validate both against the current modal dangerous-goods list and product evidence.
Do not infer transport class from Section 2. GHS workplace hazards and dangerous-goods classes use different scopes and criteria.
Revalidate examples before using them. UN 3077 and UN 1993 illustrate description structure; neither is a default entry for a product with incomplete data.
Use Section 14 with the international chemical shipping checklist, compare it with OSHA SDS Section 2 requirements, and verify symbol logic in the GHS pictogram guide.
Primary sources
- 29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D, Safety Data Sheets
- 49 CFR 172.101, Hazardous Materials Table
- 49 CFR 172.202, shipping-paper descriptions
- IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations overview
Written by the Chemply Regulatory Team. Primary sources were checked August 7, 2026.
This is general regulatory information, not legal advice or a product-specific transport classification. Confirm each shipment against the current applicable transport rules, variations, and carrier requirements.