What Is Section 8 of a Safety Data Sheet?

Section 8 of a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) covers exposure controls and personal protection. It sets out the workplace exposure limits that apply to a substance, the engineering controls needed to keep airborne concentrations down, and the personal protective equipment (PPE) required once those controls are in place. Of the sixteen standard SDS sections, it is the one we use most directly to decide what happens on site.

The Two Parts of Section 8

Safety Data Sheets supplied under UK REACH use the familiar 16-section format aligned with the United Nations' Globally Harmonised System (GHS). The European Chemicals Agency describes the same structure for the EU market, so the format is familiar across UK and European supply chains. Section 8 splits into two subsections that answer different questions.

8.1 Control Parameters

The supplier lists occupational exposure limits for the substance or its components here, along with the source of those figures. For a UK-supplied SDS, we should expect the relevant limits to come from the HSE's EH40 publication rather than an EU or US limit carried over from an international dataset. Section 8.1 also covers biological limit values where relevant, such as blood or urine thresholds used in health surveillance.

8.2 Exposure Controls

This is the practical half: appropriate engineering controls such as local exhaust ventilation (LEV), followed by individual protection measures. These are normally broken down into eye and face protection, skin protection, respiratory protection and thermal hazards where they apply.

Read together, Section 8.1 gives us the exposure target and Section 8.2 describes the supplier's recommended controls.

Workplace Exposure Limits

A Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) is the maximum concentration of a hazardous substance in workplace air, averaged over a set reference period. HSE publishes the current GB limits in EH40/2005 Workplace Exposure Limits. The list is legally binding under COSHH and is amended when new or revised limits are approved.

WELs use two reference periods. A long-term exposure limit is an 8-hour time-weighted average, used to assess exposure across a working shift. A short-term exposure limit uses a 15-minute reference period and catches peaks that an 8-hour average could hide. Toluene, a common industrial solvent, has a UK WEL of 50 ppm over eight hours and 100 ppm over fifteen minutes.

The current EH40 figure carries legal weight, so an older SDS may need checking against the live publication. HSE explains that only around 500 of the many thousands of substances used at work have a WEL. The absence of a WEL does not make a substance safe at any concentration; exposure still has to be prevented or adequately controlled under COSHH.

Why PPE Comes Last

COSHH does not make PPE our default control. HSE's hierarchy of controls starts with elimination, then substitution, engineering controls and changes to the way work is organised. PPE is the last resort and deals with the risk that remains.

PPE protects one person while it is correctly fitted, maintained and worn. Engineering controls can protect everyone in the area. Depending on the task, Section 8 may point us towards:

• Local exhaust ventilation: extraction fitted close to where a hazardous substance is released
• General ventilation: air movement used for lower-risk tasks where it can control exposure effectively
• Process enclosure: isolating the work so the substance does not reach the surrounding air
• Wet methods: using water to stop dust becoming airborne during work such as cutting

Section 8 in Practice

The Solent Just Orange Solvent Degreaser page on ISDSS gives us a useful example. Its listed classifications include skin irritation, skin sensitisation and an aspiration hazard, meaning it may be fatal if swallowed and it enters the airways.

A hazard profile like this typically calls for ventilation as the first line of control, with chemical-resistant gloves and eye protection addressing contact risks. Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) may be needed where the assessment shows that ventilation cannot control vapour or mist exposure on its own. The actual measures must come from the product's current Section 8 and the workplace COSHH assessment rather than from the hazard statements alone.

Reading PPE Recommendations

Section 8 PPE guidance only works when it is specific. Glove recommendations should identify a suitable material, such as nitrile, neoprene or butyl, because resistance varies between materials. RPE should specify a filter matched to the hazard. A particulate filter does not protect against organic vapour.

Generic wording such as "wear suitable protective equipment" does not give us enough information to select equipment. We should ask the supplier for clarification and use the COSHH assessment to consider the task, exposure route, quantity and duration.

Using Section 8 in a COSHH Risk Assessment

The SDS identifies the hazards, Section 8 describes exposure limits and recommended controls, and the COSHH risk assessment applies that information to the workplace. Section 8 supplies inputs rather than replacing the assessment.

Once we understand the hazards in Sections 2 and 3 and how the substance is used on site, we can adapt the Section 8 controls to the task, quantity, exposure duration and people affected. Our guide to carrying out a COSHH risk assessment covers that process in more detail.

Our overview of Safety Data Sheets explains all sixteen sections, while SDS vs MSDS covers the difference between the current SDS format and older documents.

Common Section 8 Mistakes

• Treating the PPE list as the whole control measure before considering elimination, substitution and engineering controls
• Using an exposure limit without checking it against the current EH40 publication
• Accepting vague PPE wording instead of identifying the glove material, filter type or eye protection needed for the task
• Working from an outdated SDS after a classification or exposure limit has changed

You Might Also Find Useful

• An Overview of Safety Data Sheets: The 16 Sections Explained
• How to Carry Out a COSHH Risk Assessment
• SDS vs MSDS: What's the Difference?
• What is COSHH and Who Does it Apply To in the UK?