Interactive Learning Paradigms, Incorporated


The Home page of ILPI's Safety Data Sheet (SDS) Resource, the leader in SDS information since 1995!
The history and philosophy behind this resource.
A curated collection of books and reference materials concerning Safety Data Sheets and closely related topics.
Paste your plain text SDS into the SDS-Demystifier, and it will be converted into a hypertext-enriched document with links to detailed explanations of each key term.
An extensive list of frequently asked questions about Safety Data Sheets including regulations, content, compliance, and more.
A humorous take on Safety Data Sheet jargon. Fill in the blanks on our entry form to generate a personalized Unsafety Data Sheet to share with your coworkers.
Since 1995, we've maintained this massive curated list of the best places to find Safety Data Sheets on the Internet.
You are here! Way more than a glossary, this hypertext-enhanced resource covers hundreds of SDS-related terms and expert knowledge. Each entry includes both the SDS relevance and links to additional authoritative resources.
Archived results of Safety Data Sheet related polls taken by some of our millions of site visitors
The OSHA regulations behind SDS regulations, including the inspection guidelines and over 400 official interpretations letters under the Hazard Communication Standard
Commercial suppliers of SDS authoring and management software as well as cloud compliance services.
Commercial companies that will create SDS's for your specific needs as well as SDS translation companies.

Safety signs, banners, and scoreboards? Get yours at Safety Emporium!


Demystify Safety Data Sheets with the SDS-Demystifier

Mystified by all those terms in your Safety Data Sheets (SDS's)? The SDS-Demystifier automatically scans your text or HTML-based SDS's and inserts appropriate hyperlinks to our SDS HyperGlossary.

Yes, no more sweating over what "diaphoresis" means. Simply run your sheet through the SDS-Demystifier and your SDS will forever say diaphoresis instead of plain old diaphoresis. Explanations for any term will only be one click away! See our examples page.

Instructions

Paste your MSDS sheet text into the box on the right (1). If pasting in a plain text file uncheck the checkbox (2). If pasting in raw HTML code leave it checked.

Hit the Demystify button (3). Use Save As Source... in your browser to save the resulting page as a thoroughly hyperlinked HTML file.

Just looking? Try the MSDS for benzoic acid.
Paste your MSDS here:*

HTML code must include HEAD and BODY tags
Check here if you pasted raw HTML code.

Further Info and Questions

  1. How long of a document can I Demystify?

    2. All of the versions of Internet Explorer that we've tried limit your input to 32,000 characters. We've not examined the limits for users of other browsers. IE users with longer documents can split them into two or more portions and demystify each part separately. Another solution is to remove extraneous spaces and tabs in your HTML files using a web-based optimizer tool such as HTML Compressor.

  2. The demystifying hyperlinks stopped after a certain point in my document.

    3. This can happen when there is an error in the original page's HTML code. Read through your source document to the point of the last hyperlink and then look around for HTML errors such as missing quotation marks, brackets etc.

  3. Some words should have turned into hyperlinks but they didn't.

    4. The Demystifier will not attempt to alter text that appears between HTML anchor tags (<a...> and </a>). Otherwise, it would disrupt existing hyperlinks or text anchors.

  4. Can I use and distribute these sheets with links to your HyperGlossary?

    5. Yes. The SDS-Demystifier gives absolute pathnames to the hyperlinks so they will work whether you move the files to another directory or another server. No tweaking required. Whether they are sheets for your own use or your customers, the hyperlinks will reduce confusion about terminology and better inform the reader.

  5. What does this cost?

    6. Use of the SDS-Demystifier and SDS HyperGlossary is completely free. And we don't make you register, ask who you are, or abuse you with cookies. So what's in it for us? 1) It demonstrates the kind of expertise that ILPI can provide to your company, 2) it's a great community service and 3) it drives traffic to our (advertiser-supported) SDS pages.

  6. Can I batch convert files?

    7. Currently, no. But if you want to pay us, we'd be happy to consider doing it for you!

  7. Can the SDS-Demystifier handle PDF documents?

    8. Currently, no. We are looking for an inexpensive software solution that will allow us to insert hyperlinks into existing PDF files; if anyone knows of one please let us know.

  8. Can I simply type in the URL of a sheet and get it converted that way?

    9. Currently, no, but it's a great idea.

  9. Is the SDS-Demystifier limited to SDS's?

    10. Nope. If you have a chemical hygiene plan, letter, email etc. or simply type something into the entry box, the SDS-Demystifier will convert it. Give it a try. Of course, if you are converting material that is not relevant to safety you could be in for a surprise. Words like basic, concentration, mole and volatile have other meanings, for example.

  10. My SDS was all capital letters, but the SDS-Demystifier changed the case of some words.

    11. Yes, that's an unavoidable software limitation. We have a solution in mind, but it may be a long while before we can deploy it.

  11. Will the SDS-Demystifier mess up my hyperlinks in my HTML documents?

    12. It won't as long as you checked the HTML checkbox before Demystifying. For example, the word "hypergolic" would ordinarily be replaced with a hyperlink, but not if it appeared inside an HTML anchor such as <a href="http://bogus.com/hypergolic.html">check out this primer on hypergolic materials</a>.