Every chemical line we sell has a Safety Data Sheet, and you are entitled to it before you buy, not after. Ask and it is sent as a PDF the same day.
Why this page exists
People get hurt with these materials in Kenya every year, and almost never because the chemistry was exotic. It is caustic soda decanted into a water bottle, hypochlorite mixed with an acidic toilet cleaner in an unventilated bathroom, or a child finding a 5 litre jerry can under a sink. None of that is difficult to prevent, but it does need somebody to say it out loud.
The six rules that prevent almost everything
- Never decant into a food or drink container. Not once, not temporarily. Use the container the material came in, or a properly labelled one.
- Acid into water, never water into acid. Sulphuric and sulphonic acid release a great deal of heat on dilution and will spit back at you if you do it the wrong way round.
- Do not mix bleach with anything acidic. Sodium hypochlorite plus hydrochloric acid or a strong toilet cleaner releases chlorine gas. This is the single most common serious incident in cleaning work.
- Add caustic soda slowly, to cold water, while stirring. The solution heats sharply. Never in a sealed or glass container.
- Wear the gloves and the eye protection. Splash goggles, not spectacles. We sell both if you need them.
- Keep an eyewash bottle and running water within reach. Fifteen minutes of flushing is the difference between an inconvenience and a permanent injury.
Storing material properly
Keep chemicals off the floor, out of sun, and in a place that is ventilated and can be locked. Separate acids from alkalis and both from hypochlorite, a shelf apart is enough, a different corner is better. Peroxide and hypochlorite lose strength in heat, so a metal container under an iron roof is the worst place for them. Fragrances and solvents such as IPA are flammable; keep them away from any source of ignition and from the cooking area if you are working from a domestic space.
If something goes wrong
Skin contact: flush with plenty of running water for at least fifteen minutes and keep going while someone finds transport. Eyes: same, holding the lid open, and go to hospital regardless of how it feels afterwards. Swallowed: do not induce vomiting, rinse the mouth, and get to a hospital with the container or a photograph of the label. Chlorine gas: get everyone into fresh air immediately and do not go back in to open windows.
Documents we can provide
A Safety Data Sheet for any chemical line, in the standard sixteen-section format. A certificate of analysis for a specific batch, on request. A supply declaration on letterhead where a tender or an audit asks for one. For institutional buyers we can put the whole SDS set for an order into a single file so the store has one document to keep.
Standards and permits in Kenya
If you are selling a finished cleaning product, the Kenya Bureau of Standards operates the permit scheme you will need, and the applicable standard depends on the product, hand dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent, toilet soap and disinfectants each have their own. The KEBS website lists the current standards and the Diamond Mark and Standardisation Mark processes. Effluent from any washing operation falls under NEMA rules. We are not a certification body and will not pretend to be, but we can tell you which standard usually applies to a product and what a testing laboratory will look for.
Transport
Concentrated acids, alkalis and hypochlorite are packed and labelled for road transport, kept apart from incompatible goods, and never sent as unmarked parcels. If you are moving material yourself, keep it upright, secured, and out of the passenger compartment.
Do you provide Safety Data Sheets?
Yes, for every chemical line, in the standard sixteen-section format, and before you buy rather than after. Message the product name and we will send the PDF the same day.
Can I get a certificate of analysis?
Yes, on request, for the specific batch supplied. Institutional buyers and anyone submitting to KEBS usually needs one.
What must never be mixed?
Bleach with any acidic cleaner, which releases chlorine gas. That single mistake causes more injuries in Kenyan cleaning work than anything else. Keep hypochlorite away from hydrochloric acid, sulphamic descalers and acidic toilet cleaners.
How should caustic soda be handled?
Add the flakes slowly to cold water while stirring, never the other way round and never in a sealed or glass container. The solution heats sharply. Gloves and splash goggles, not spectacles.
How do I store chemicals safely?
Off the floor, out of the sun, ventilated and lockable. Acids apart from alkalis, and both apart from hypochlorite. Peroxide and hypochlorite lose strength in heat, so avoid a metal store under an iron roof.
Do I need a KEBS permit to sell what I make?
If you are selling a finished cleaning product commercially, yes, and the applicable standard depends on the product. Start the process early. We can tell you which standard usually applies, though we are not a certification body.
Need the SDS before you order?
Message the product name and we will send the Safety Data Sheet straight away, no obligation to buy.
