How long does it take to prepare a safety data sheet?

The Standard service takes 5 working days and Express delivery takes 48 hours, calculated as 2 working days. The clock starts when all required information has arrived in full. In our experience, collecting the data on the client's side takes longer than preparing the document itself.

How much does safety data sheet preparation cost in 2026?

A new safety data sheet costs HUF 39,900 plus VAT in Standard service and HUF 49,900 plus VAT in Express service. Translation costs HUF 39,900, updating HUF 39,900 and a clone HUF 9,900. We offer volume discounts above 20 items.

What do you need from us to start?

We need the suppliers' safety data sheets, the product composition with ingredient names, CAS numbers and concentration ranges, key physical and chemical parameters, a short description of the intended use and, for dangerous goods, the UN number.

Does each product need its own safety data sheet?

Each product with its own composition needs its own safety data sheet because classifications, pictograms and concentrations may differ. Products in one family can nevertheless be processed together.

How do you protect confidential formulations?

An exact formulation is not required for classification. Concentration ranges for the individual ingredients are sufficient, so the precise recipe remains with your company.

What is the difference between a safety data sheet and a label?

The safety data sheet is the complete 16-section document supplied to the customer. The label is the shorter set of CLP-required information physically placed on the product, including pictograms, the signal word, H and P statements, hazardous ingredients and, where applicable, the UFI.

What is a UFI and is it always mandatory?

The UFI is a 16-character Unique Formula Identifier that appears on the label of certain hazardous mixtures. It is not required for every product, but where it applies, the safety data sheet and the label must remain consistent.

Safety data sheet preparation 2026 — price, lead time and process

In the European Union, safety data sheet preparation is a responsibility of the manufacturer, importer or first supplier placing a relevant product on the market. The document must be available no later than the first delivery, in the 16-section format set out in Annex II to REACH. At InnovaTox, a new safety data sheet costs HUF 39,900, with a Standard lead time of 5 working days or Express delivery within 48 hours.

In one sentence: a safety data sheet is a condition of placing a hazardous substance or mixture on the market under Article 31 of REACH. It contains 16 sections, and InnovaTox prepares it for HUF 39,900, normally within 5 working days or within 48 hours in the Express lane.

This guide explains what a safety data sheet is, who must arrange it, what it contains, how the work proceeds, how much it costs and what to do when an existing document needs updating or translation. The linked supporting pages provide further detail on individual questions.

What will you learn from this guide?

when a new safety data sheet is mandatory;
when translation, localisation, updating or a clone document is sufficient;
which information helps production start without delay;
which SDS sections most often cause problems during inspections;
how Standard and Express SDS work is priced at InnovaTox.

Quick decision guide: which SDS service do you need?

Situation	Recommended work	Why this is the right route
You are launching a new chemical product or do not yet have an EU-compliant SDS	New safety data sheet	The 16 sections must be built from the composition, CLP classification and target market.
You have a foreign-language SDS but need to use it in Hungary or another EU market	SDS translation and localisation	Language translation is not enough: official H and P statements and national references also matter.
You already have an SDS but legislation, composition, classification or use has changed	Existing SDS update	The new version must be issued in a traceable way and, where necessary, forwarded to affected customers.
The same product is placed on the market under a new brand or pack size	Clone safety data sheet	The content is not rebuilt; identification and supply details are transferred.

What is a safety data sheet and when is it needed?

A safety data sheet, or SDS, is the legally prescribed document describing the hazards of a substance or mixture and its safe handling, storage, transport and disposal. The supplier must provide it to the recipient free of charge, on paper or electronically, no later than the first delivery where the conditions in Article 31 of REACH apply.

A new SDS is required in three typical situations:

A substance or mixture is classified as hazardous under the CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008.
The product contains a PBT or vPvB substance or a substance on the Candidate List, regardless of its classification.
A non-hazardous mixture contains a hazardous ingredient above a concentration specified in Article 31(3) of REACH and the recipient requests an SDS.

MSDS and SDS refer to the same type of document. Since REACH was introduced, SDS is the official term used in the European Union.

Who must arrange a safety data sheet?

The obligation depends on your company's position in the supply chain:

Manufacturer. A manufacturer placing a substance or mixture on the market must prepare the SDS before supply and provide it to customers.
Importer. An importer bringing a product into the EU must ensure that the EU-language SDS, classification, label and poison centre information are correct.
Distributor. A distributor must pass on the correct document and keep the information chain intact. Simply forwarding an outdated supplier document is not sufficient.
Downstream user. A company using a substance or mixture in its own products may need to prepare or adapt information for its customers and must follow the conditions communicated in the SDS.

What does the 16-section SDS contain?

The structure is fixed by Annex II to REACH. Each section has a defined role:

Section	Content
1	Product identification, intended and advised against uses, supplier details and emergency telephone number
2	Hazard identification, pictograms, H and P statements and labelling elements
3	Composition and information on ingredients, including identifiers and concentrations
4	First-aid measures for ingestion, inhalation and skin or eye contact
5	Fire-fighting measures, suitable and unsuitable extinguishing media and specific hazards
6	Personal precautions and environmental precautions for accidental release
7	Safe handling and storage
8	Exposure limits, engineering and hygiene measures and personal protective equipment
9	Physical and chemical properties, including state, pH, flash point, density and viscosity
10	Stability and reactivity, conditions to avoid and incompatible materials
11	Toxicological information
12	Ecological information, including toxicity, persistence, bioaccumulation, mobility and endocrine-disrupting properties
13	Disposal considerations and relevant national waste legislation
14	Transport information, including UN number and ADR classification
15	Regulatory information, national and international legislation and chemical safety assessment status
16	Other information, abbreviations and the full text of H and P statements

Sections 8, 13 and 15 require particular care when adapting a document for another country. Occupational exposure limits, waste legislation and national regulatory references must match the country where the product is placed on the market. The official H and P statements must not be paraphrased.

Which laws govern safety data sheet preparation?

Two EU regulations form the central framework, supported by national rules:

Legislation	What it governs
REACH — Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006	The duty to provide an SDS, its structure in Annex II, language requirements and updates
CLP — Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008	Classification, labelling and packaging, official H and P statements, UFI and mandatory labelling elements
National occupational safety rules	Workplace exposure limits and measures in section 8
National waste legislation	Disposal references in section 13
ADR implementation rules	Transport classification in section 14 for dangerous goods

The SDS must be supplied in the official language of the Member State where the product is placed on the market. It must also be updated without delay when new information about hazards or risk management becomes available, and the new version must be sent to recipients supplied during the preceding 12 months.

How is a safety data sheet prepared?

Our Standard process takes 5 working days after all required data has arrived in full:

Data collection and role assessment. We establish your position in the supply chain and determine whether you need a new SDS, localisation, translation or update.
CLP classification. We assess the composition and concentrations, determine the classification, pictograms, H and P statements and mandatory label elements.
Production in InnovaDocs™. Our platform generates the 16-section document, official CLP wording and the national references from the relevant country template.
Expert review. A regulatory specialist reviews every document before delivery. The system provides consistency and the expert provides professional accountability.
Delivery and sharing. We deliver the PDF and place it in the client portal with version control and document history.

To start, we need five things:

Suppliers' safety data sheets for the raw materials.
The product composition, with identifiers and concentration ranges. An exact recipe is not required.
Physical and chemical parameters such as colour, odour, physical state, pH, density, flash point, boiling point, viscosity and water solubility.
A short description of the intended use.
The UN number if the product is dangerous goods, confirmed with an ADR specialist where necessary.

If you are preparing to place a chemical product on the market, send these five items and we will respond with a quotation within 24 hours: order through the SDS production line.

How much does it cost and how long does it take?

A new SDS costs HUF 39,900 plus VAT in Standard service and HUF 49,900 plus VAT in Express service, delivered within 48 hours. We publish our prices so that you do not have to wait for a quotation before production can begin.

Service	Standard (5 working days)	Express (within 48 hours)
New safety data sheet	HUF 39,900	HUF 49,900
SDS translation	HUF 39,900	HUF 49,900
Existing SDS update	HUF 39,900	HUF 49,900
Clone, same product and new brand	HUF 9,900	Usually within one working day
Manufacturer package, 20+ items	Individual volume discount	—

The Express surcharge is HUF 10,000 for each service. Prices are net and exclude VAT. We reserve two Express slots per day so that the 48-hour commitment remains reliable. See the SDS price and SDS lead time pages for a detailed breakdown.

Software or expert?

The right answer is both. InnovaDocs™ provides speed, consistency, official wording, national references, version control and product-level regulatory monitoring. A regulatory expert makes classification decisions, assesses borderline cases and performs the final review. Our work is covered by Generali professional indemnity insurance.

Automation does not replace expertise; it preserves it and applies it consistently to every document. Our guide to ChatGPT and safety data sheets explains where AI can help and where an expert remains necessary. If you want to decide quickly which service fits your situation, the safety data sheet page includes the process and online order flow.

What if you already have an SDS?

Three different services may be relevant and they should not be confused:

Update. A legal change, new hazard information or revised classification may require an update. The new version must reach customers supplied during the preceding 12 months. Price: HUF 39,900, or HUF 49,900 Express. See SDS updating.
Translation or localisation. Exports require a document for the destination language and imports require the relevant national version. Official H and P statements, national references and poison centre information must be adapted, not simply translated. Price: HUF 39,900, or HUF 49,900 Express. See SDS translation.
Clone SDS. If the composition is unchanged and only the brand or pack size differs, the identification information can be transferred to the existing document. Price: HUF 9,900, usually within one working day. See clone safety data sheet.

What should you check before ordering?

National references. Sections 8, 13 and 15 must use the legislation of the target country.
Official H and P statements. They must not be paraphrased.
Distribution of updates. The updated version must reach the relevant recipients.
Version consistency. Different language versions must not circulate with unexplained version differences.
Label alignment. The label and SDS must have matching classification and hazard information.

In Hungary, the public health department of the territorially competent district office may check the existence, content and format of safety data sheets. Environmental, occupational safety, fire safety and consumer protection authorities may also examine requirements within their respective fields.

Where can you arrange safety data sheet preparation?

InnovaTox operates as a digital SDS production line: document production is automated, while professional decisions and review remain human. We combine 25 years of regulatory and consulting experience, more than 4,500 safety data sheets and regulatory documents, over 400 European and Asian partners, published prices, visible lead times and Generali professional indemnity insurance.

HUF 39,900 and 5 working days in Standard service, or HUF 49,900 within 48 hours in Express service.
A satisfaction guarantee for the first safety data sheet.
Free amendments where an authority raises a question about a document we prepared.

Request safety data sheet preparation

If you are placing a chemical product on the market or your existing SDSs need updating, we prepare the documents at a published price and with a visible lead time.

New SDS: HUF 39,900 plus VAT, 5 working days. Express: HUF 49,900 plus VAT, within 48 hours, two slots per day.

Send the composition and available information and we will respond within 24 hours: order through the SDS production line.

consulting@innovatox.hu · +36 20 445 4888

Safety data sheet preparation in 2026: who needs one, how it is made and what it costs