Safety Data Sheet (SDS) or Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is a mandatory technical sheet of facts for e-commerce companies like Flipkart selling products under the hazard category. Flipkart is one of India’s leading e-commerce platforms offering products like electronics, fashion, groceries, and more. For sellers, compliance with safety standards is crucial, and MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) may be required when listing chemical-based or hazardous products to ensure safe handling, storage, and shipping. The main function of an MSDS Certificate for Flipkart is to provide detailed information about a product's chemical and physical properties, potential health and safety hazards, and safe handling, storage, and emergency practices.
For an online seller shipping millions of products, MSDS Certificate is a key risk mitigation tool to safeguard the warehouse workers, shipping personnel, and customers. Flipkart asks you to provide an Material Safety Data Sheet for Flipkart for any product that comes under its "Dangerous Goods" category. It is not something you "apply for" to Flipkart, but something that you would probably already have for your item and then upload and validate on the site. It is something greater than would be a "traditional hazardous chemical"; it encompasses common household items like perfumes, aerosol sprays, and household cleaning supplies that contain flammable or pressurized materials.
Benefits of Obtaining the MSDS Certificate for Flipkart
MSDS Certificate compliance with Flipkart policy has other extremely useful benefits for the sellers, in addition to platform compliance. Some of them are given below:
- Continuous Sales and Market Availability: MSDS Validity is required to sell and list products with hazardous material designations. Without a Valid Material Safety Data Sheet for Flipkart, your product listings are blocked or suspended, leading to lost earnings and sales. Conform MSDS keeps products live and accessible to millions of prospective buyers.
- Seamless Warehousing and Logistics: An MSDS notifies Flipkart's warehousing and logistics personnel of the product's individual warehousing needs (e.g., cold storage, flammability) and safety procedures for handling. Your products are warehoused safely to reduce opportunities for damage, spoilage, or accidents en route and within the warehousing complex.
- Legal and Financial Safeguard: Filing a complete MSDS is a sign of good faith on your end. It shifts any potential risk of legal responsibility and financial detriment that would be incurred in the case of an accident, i.e., fire or spill, resulting from a product somewhere in your supply chain. It is a valued level of safeguard for your business.
- Establishes Credibility and Trust: Submission of a valid and accurate MSDS demonstrates that you are a legitimate seller with an interest in product safety. This can enhance your brand's worth and establish long-term buyer trust with the marketplace.
Procedure for Submitting an MSDS Certificate for Flipkart
It is simple to file an MSDS Certificate for Flipkart, as long as you possess a valid and compliant MSDS for the product. Follow the steps given below in order to submit MSDS Certificate before the Flipkart properly:
- Check if Your Product Requires an MSDS: First, check if your product has been labeled by Flipkart as a hazardous product. These products include alcohol, aerosol, lithium battery, corrosive acid or base, and other chemicals. They may be perfume, nail polish remover, paint, hairspray, and cleaning products.
- Get or procure MSDS: If you are a manufacturer, you must create a comprehensive MSDS for your product. If you are a reseller, you must obtain an appropriate MSDS from your supplier or manufacturer. It must be revised in accordance with the 16-section GHS format.
- Log in to Seller Panel: Log in to your Flipkart seller panel and go to the "Product Listings" or "My Listings" tab.
- Upload Document: For each relevant product listing, locate the field to upload the "Safety Data Sheet" or "MSDS." Ensure that the document is in the correct format (e.g., PDF) and well-labeled.
- Flipkart Verification: The file will be checked by Flipkart's Hazardous Goods department upon upload to verify whether it is complete and accurate. This process can take a few days. If accepted, the product listing will be labeled as compliant. If not accepted, the reasons will be indicated, and you will need to re-upload the re-modified file.
Documents Required to Obtain MSDS Certificate for Flipkart
To upload a correct MSDS Certificate for Flipkart, you should have a 16-section document in the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of the classification and labelling of chemicals. Some of the key documents which are required in order to obtain this certification called Material Safety Data Sheet for Flipkart are given below:
- Company PAN Card
- Company Incorporation Certificate / GST Registration
- Authorized Signatory ID & Address Proof
- Import Export Code (IEC), if applicable
- Product Name & Details (Brand/Category)
- Product Technical Data Sheet (TDS)
- Product Specification Sheet
- Product Manufacturing Formula / Composition
- Copy of Product Label & Packaging Details
- Safety / Quality Test Reports (if any)
- Manufacturing License (if applicable)
- Trademark Certificate / Brand Authorization Letter (if not manufacturer)
- Declaration of Hazardous / Non-Hazardous Nature of Product
- Details of Storage & Handling Instructions
Understanding of Key Sections of MSDS Certificate for Flipkart
A compliant MSDS registration for Flipkart is required to provide the following information for Flipkart's verification team to pass:
- Identification: Product name, use, and manufacturer/provider details.
- Hazard(s) Identification: Summary of product hazards in symbols and hazard statements.
- Composition/Ingredients Information: Detailed summary of all hazardous constituents, names, and percentages. This is for product classification verification.
- First-aid Measures: Emergency first-aid instructions in case of exposure.
- Fire-fighting Measures: Description of product flammability and fire-fighting procedure recommendation.
- Accidental Release Measures: Spill or leak cleaning safety procedure.
- Handling and Storage: Storage requirements and safe handling procedures.
- Exposure Controls/Personal Protection: PPE to use while handling the product.
- Physical and Chemical Properties: Physical appearance, odor, flash point, etc., of the product.
- Stability and Reactivity: Details about the product's stability and any hazardous reactions that the product may induce.
- Toxicological Information: Details about the potential health hazard of the product.
- Ecological Information: The potential ecological hazard of the product.
- Disposal Considerations: Safe and legal disposal of the waste and product.
- Transport Information: Tailor-made transport data, such as UN number and transport risk class, to be utilized for transport.
- Regulatory Information: Relevant local, national, or international regulation.
- Other Information: Date prepared, updated, and other ancillary information.
Eligibility and Products of MSDS Certificate for Flipkart
All products that fall into the category of a "Dangerous Good" according to Flipkart must have an Material Safety Data Sheet for Flipkart. This is a very broad category with many personal and consumer care items. Some of them are discussed below:
- Flammable Liquids: Perfumes, nail polishes, thinner for nail polish, paints with low flash point.
- Flammable Solids: Camphor tablets or some incense items.
- Aerosols: Hairsprays, deodorant sprays, air fresheners, cooking sprays with flammable under-pressure propellants.
- Corrosives: Acid-based formulators, drain cleaners, and heavy-duty cleaning products.
- Oxidizers: Hair coloring products with the possibility to react explosively with other chemicals and bleach products.
- Lithium Battery-containing Products: Laptops, power banks, other lithium-ion battery-containing electronic products.
MSDS Certificate for Flipkart is not a red tape barrier for every Flipkart seller; it's a business continuity and risk management requirement. Having learned about its function, structure, and filing process, you can maintain active product listings, shipping functioning, and company security from possible liabilities. A well-prepared MSDS is a reflection of the professionalism and dedication towards safety on an owner's part, which inspires trust with the site and buyers. It is an investment that will be lucrative in the long run for e-commerce success.