Medium Hazmat Fc Knowledge Check

hazardous materials

Planning to sell electronics, cosmetics, hair care products, or essential oils on Amazon? Chances are your production is classified as dangerous goods – or hazmat – which requires that boosted documentation is submitted earlier y'all tin can starting time selling.

In this guide, nosotros explicate how you lot can appraise if your product is classified as hazmat, and how to obtain the necessary documentation and data required for selling hazmat on Amazon.

Products Classified every bit Hazmat or Dangerous Goods

Products containing certain materials, substances, or components (due east.g. lithium batteries) are classified as unsafe appurtenances – or hazardous materials (hazmat). Products classified equally hazmat must exist stored and transported with sure precautions in identify, as compared to not-dangerous products.

Here are some products more often than not classified as hazmat:

Phones
Power Banks
Chargers
Other products containing lithium batteries
Cosmetics and makeup
Haircare products
Pest control products
Essential oils
Pet care products
Pressurized containers

In essence, battery-powered electronics, oil-based or chemical products are often classified every bit hazmat. Continue in mind that sure ingredients can also result in a hazmat nomenclature.

How do I know if my product is classified as hazmat?

In essence, battery-powered electronics, oil-based or chemical products are oftentimes classified as hazmat. Keep in mind that sure ingredients tin can likewise result in a hazmat classification.

You tin can as well find a list of products generally categorized equally hazmat on the Amazon Seller Central.

Hazmat Review Procedure

Amazon may subject your product to a hazmat review, in which instance they volition require that you submit boosted documentation. In such a scenario, you generally have ii options:

Submit a Rubber Datasheet (SDS): If your product is classified every bit dangerous appurtenances
Provide an SDS Exemption Canvas: If your production is not classified equally dangerous appurtenances

How much time do I take to submit the hazmat documentation?

Amazon requires that you submit the documentation inside 4 business days.

What happens if I fail to provide the SDS or SDS exemption sail?

The hazmat documentation submission is mandatory. As such, your product will remain suspended until y'all tin can either submit the SDS or SDS/MSDS exemption sheet.

Prophylactic Data Sheet (SDS)

A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is a standardized production safety certificate, providing instructions on how to safely handle, label, shop the product. An SDS is sometimes also known equally a Material Prophylactic Datasheet (MSDS).

This information is normally included in an SDS:

Product name
Usage
Labels
Substances
First-aid instructions
Hazards
Protective equipment
Safety storage instructions
Toxicity
Disposal

Further, the SDS must also be issued within the last 5 years, and be valid for the same product. As such, the product name/SKU specified on the SDS must be matching.

How practise I obtain a Safety Information Canvass (SDS)?

You lot tin either request an SDS from your supplier, or use an MSDS/SDS authoring service. That said, it's non uncommon that manufacturers in China, and elsewhere in Asia, just don't have ready-made Safety Information Sail (SDS) for their products.

Further, many suppliers don't fifty-fifty have the expertise to issue ane upon request. This is especially common when information technology comes to trading companies. Likewise, a new SDS or MSDS must be issued when yous import custom designed products.

In other words, there are many scenarios in which y'all only can't obtain an existing SDS or MSDS from your supplier.

Equally such, many importers and Amazon sellers get aid from third-political party SDS authoring services. Here are a few examples:

UL
MSDS Online
MSDS Author
MSDS Authority Services
Intertek
RTP
Global MSDS

Do I need the SDS earlier I beginning selling on Amazon?

It'south rather typical that Amazon sellers make the assumption that their overseas manufacturer got their backs and tin provide any document that Amazon may require. Once a review is underway, they email their supplier to request an MSDS – only to discover out that they either don't take ane or don't accept a clue what they're asking for.

In this scenario, you lot'll likely demand to apply an SDS authoring service – and promise that they can evangelize in fourth dimension – which is highly unlikely if you take no data on the materials and substances.

Either way, you demand to ensure that y'all have the SDS long before your products are listed on Amazon. In case your supplier cannot provide one, then yous'll demand to contact an authoring service correct away.

Past the time a hazmat review is triggered there's not enough time to get the SDS in social club.

SDS Exemption Sheet

In case y'all believe your production to exist a non-dangerous product, you should instead submit the SDS exemption canvas. The certificate is provided by Amazon, and requires that you specify the post-obit information:

Warning labels (if any)
ASIN
Product proper noun
Full ingredients list

The problem facing many importers and sellers is that they simply don't have an ingredients list – and neither does their suppliers. As a result, the seller is left in a situation in which they cannot submit either an SDS or an SDS exemption sheet.

You tin however submit your product for material assay, which will price at to the lowest degree a few hundred dollars and accept ii or more weeks to complete.

What I want to get to is that the SDS exemption sheet is non "an easy way out" of a hazmat review – but can be even more complicated.

How do I go an ingredients list?

In an ideal situation, you can get a bill of substances from your manufacturer. However, you lot may be out of luck if you're buying from a trading visitor – equally they oft don't have this information. Further, some manufacturers may also refuse to provide the bill of substances.

The alternative is to submit your product for lab analysis, which can exist both plush and time-consuming.