Ethyl acetate safety data sheet: what every employer needs to know

Last updated 2026-07-09

What is ethyl acetate and why does it need a safety data sheet?

Ethyl acetate (CAS 141-78-6, formula CH3COOC2H5) is one of the most widely used industrial solvents on the planet. It's in nail polish remover, printing inks, adhesives, food flavorings, paints, and pharmaceutical coatings. It has a sweet, fruity smell most people recognize on contact. That smell is part of what makes it sneaky. The odor threshold sits around 0.7 ppm, far below the level that hurts you, so workers assume they're safe because they can smell it. They're not.

A safety data sheet (SDS, formerly the material safety data sheet or MSDS) is a standardized document that tells workers, emergency responders, and employers what a hazardous chemical is, what harm it does, how to handle it, and what to do when something goes wrong. OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard at 29 CFR 1910.1200 requires employers to obtain and keep an SDS for every hazardous chemical in the workplace, make each SDS immediately accessible during shifts, and train workers on how to use them. ^[1]

Use ethyl acetate in any quantity? You need its SDS. That's not a judgment call.

What format does an ethyl acetate SDS follow?

Every ethyl acetate SDS follows the same 16-section format in a fixed order. OSHA aligned the HazCom standard with the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) in 2012, and the 16-section layout has been mandatory since June 2015. ^[1] The old MSDS had no required structure, so a 2010 "material safety data sheet ethyl acetate" and a 2010 "material safety data sheet ethyl alcohol" could look nothing alike. GHS ended that.

Here are all 16 sections and what each one holds for ethyl acetate:

Section	Title	Key ethyl acetate content
1	Identification	Product name, supplier, emergency phone
2	Hazard identification	Flammable liquid cat. 2; eye/skin/respiratory irritant
3	Composition/ingredients	CAS 141-78-6, >99% purity typical
4	First-aid measures	Remove from exposure; flush eyes 15+ min
5	Fire-fighting measures	CO2, foam, dry chemical; water may spread fire
6	Accidental release measures	Eliminate ignition sources; absorb with dry material
7	Handling and storage	Keep below 24°F flash point; grounded containers
8	Exposure controls/PPE	PEL 400 ppm; gloves, goggles, ventilation
9	Physical/chemical properties	Flash point -4°C (24°F); bp 77°C; LEL 2%, UEL 11.5%
10	Stability and reactivity	Stable; avoid strong oxidizers, bases, moisture
11	Toxicological information	Narcosis at high concentrations; eye irritant
12	Ecological information	Readily biodegradable; low aquatic toxicity
13	Disposal considerations	Hazardous waste per 40 CFR 261
14	Transport information	UN 1173; Flammable Liquid, PG II
15	Regulatory information	TSCA, RCRA, SARA 313 listed
16	Other information	Revision date, disclaimer

Section 8 and Section 2 are the two you'll open most during normal operations. The rest matter most when something breaks or when you're writing your hazard communication program.

What are the physical and chemical hazards of ethyl acetate?

Ethyl acetate is a GHS Flammable Liquid Category 2, which means a flash point below 23°C and an initial boiling point above 35°C. ^[2] Its flash point is -4°C (24°F), roughly the temperature inside a freezer. In plain terms: a container sitting at room temperature is already giving off enough vapor to ignite. A static spark from pouring between two ungrounded containers is enough to set it off.

The lower explosive limit (LEL) is about 2% by volume in air, and the upper explosive limit (UEL) is about 11.5%. ^[2] That's a wide flammable band. Hit any concentration in that range with an ignition source and you get a fire or an explosion. This is why OSHA's flammable liquid storage rules at 29 CFR 1910.106 are not optional for any shop that keeps ethyl acetate in quantity.

The vapor is heavier than air (vapor density about 3.0 against air at 1.0). It sinks, pools at floor level, drifts toward a distant ignition source, and flashes back to the spill. A spill in a poorly ventilated basement is dangerous even with no open flame in sight.

Autoignition temperature is 426°C (799°F), so it won't ignite from heat alone under normal conditions. That's one hazard you don't have to design around.

What are the health hazards listed on an ethyl acetate SDS?

Ethyl acetate is an irritant and, at high concentrations, a central nervous system depressant. Section 11 of the SDS breaks the effects down by route of exposure, and inhalation is the one that matters most at work.

Above 400 ppm (the OSHA PEL), workers get eye, nose, and throat irritation. In the thousands of ppm, ethyl acetate causes narcosis, headache, and dizziness. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) puts the immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) value at 10,000 ppm, the point where you can't escape without a respirator. ^[3] NIOSH sets a recommended exposure limit (REL) of 400 ppm, matching the OSHA PEL.

Skin contact defats the skin. Ethyl acetate dissolves lipids, so repeated bare-handed contact leads to dryness, cracking, and dermatitis over time. It isn't corrosive. It isn't harmless either.

Eye contact causes irritation and redness. Section 4 of most SDSs calls for flushing with water for at least 15 minutes and getting medical help if it persists.

Ingestion is rare at work, but the SDS still covers it. The body metabolizes ethyl acetate quickly into ethanol and acetate, so small-amount systemic toxicity is low. Nobody should be drinking it.

Ethyl acetate is not listed as a carcinogen by IARC, NTP, or OSHA. ^[2] That sets it apart from a lot of the solvents workers handle every day.

What exposure limits apply to ethyl acetate and how do employers measure compliance?

Three exposure limits matter for U.S. employers, and all three land on the same number.

OSHA PEL: 400 ppm as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA), set under 29 CFR 1910.1000 Table Z-1. ^[4] That's the legal ceiling in general industry. Go over it and you have a citable violation.

NIOSH REL: 400 ppm TWA, with a short-term exposure limit (STEL) of 400 ppm over 15 minutes. ^[3]

ACGIH TLV: the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists sets a threshold limit value of 400 ppm TWA. ^[5]

Three bodies, one number. The compliance target is unusually clean.

To know whether your people are above 400 ppm, you have to measure the air. OSHA expects industrial hygiene sampling to follow NIOSH analytical methods or the equivalent, and for ethyl acetate that's NIOSH Method 1457, which uses charcoal tube sampling with GC/FID analysis. ^[3] Most small employers bring in an industrial hygienist for a baseline round. If you use ethyl acetate in small amounts in a well-ventilated space, that sampling often confirms you're comfortably under the PEL. Run a large printing or coating line and continuous area monitoring may earn its keep.

Section 8 spells out engineering controls (local exhaust ventilation, general dilution ventilation) and the PPE you need when controls alone can't hold concentrations below the PEL. Engineering first, then administrative controls, then PPE. That order is OSHA's hierarchy of controls, and the SDS follows it.

What PPE does the ethyl acetate SDS specify?

Section 8 lays out PPE by exposure scenario. Here's what a well-written ethyl acetate SDS usually calls for.

Eye and face: chemical splash goggles, not safety glasses, for any task where splashing is possible. Add a face shield over the goggles for large-volume pours or transfers.

Hands and skin: nitrile is the standard glove for ethyl acetate. Breakthrough time for a 0.1 mm nitrile glove usually runs past 30 minutes, and thicker gloves (0.3 mm and up) buy more margin. Butyl rubber gives excellent resistance for extended contact. Natural rubber latex is poor against ethyl acetate, so skip it. Check the chemical resistance chart for the exact glove you stock, because SDS glove advice is general by design.

Body: chemical-resistant aprons or splash-proof lab coats for jobs with real splash risk. Plain cotton absorbs ethyl acetate and holds it against skin, which is worse than nothing.

Respiratory: if ventilation keeps you below 400 ppm, no respirator is required. Where it doesn't, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134 applies. ^[6] An air-purifying respirator with organic vapor cartridges works below the IDLH of 10,000 ppm. Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is required in oxygen-deficient air or above the IDLH. Put anyone in a respirator and you owe them a written respiratory protection program, a medical evaluation, and fit testing. That's the gap that trips up small shops most often.

The SDS is your starting point. Real PPE selection has to match your actual exposure levels, task duration, and the specific glove and garment materials on your shelf.

How should ethyl acetate be stored and handled to meet OSHA rules?

OSHA's flammable and combustible liquids standard at 29 CFR 1910.106 governs storage. ^[7] With a flash point below 73°F, ethyl acetate is a Class IB flammable liquid. The rules that follow:

Inside storage: quantities above 25 gallons must sit in approved flammable liquid storage cabinets. A single storage room can hold up to 120 gallons in safety cans or approved containers without a special room permit.

Bonding and grounding: when you transfer ethyl acetate between metal containers, bond them together with a wire and ground the system. Static during pouring can throw enough spark energy to light the vapor. Section 7 states this outright.

Ignition source control: no smoking, no open flames, no non-explosion-proof electrical gear in the storage or use area. Posting "No Smoking" and "Flammable Liquid" signs is the easy part. The real work is making sure motors, switches, and light fixtures are rated for Class I Division 2 locations under NFPA 70 (the National Electrical Code) wherever vapor can build up.

Container limits: the largest safety can allowed for ethyl acetate is 5 gallons. Glass is allowed up to 1 gallon for lab use.

Incompatible storage matters too. Keep ethyl acetate away from strong oxidizers (nitric acid, peroxides), strong bases (sodium hydroxide), and moisture. It hydrolyzes slowly in the presence of water and acids or bases, producing acetic acid and ethanol. The reaction is slow under normal conditions, but it adds up over long-term storage.

A few handling habits that don't always reach the SDS: never decant into food or beverage containers, keep containers closed when idle, and use dispensing pumps instead of gravity pours on large containers to cut splash exposure.

What does OSHA's HazCom standard require employers to do with an ethyl acetate SDS?

The Hazard Communication Standard at 29 CFR 1910.1200 puts three core duties on you around the SDS itself. ^[1]

First, obtain the SDS from the manufacturer or importer before the chemical is used in your workplace. Take delivery of ethyl acetate without an SDS and OSHA requires you to request it from the supplier right away.

Second, keep SDSs accessible to employees in their work area during every shift. "Accessible" means a worker can reach it without asking a supervisor and without a delay. An electronic SDS system counts as long as employees have immediate, unblocked computer access and you have a backup for outages. Paper binders still work fine.

Third, train employees on how to read and use the SDS. Training has to cover where the SDSs live, how to read hazard information, what the exposure limits mean, and what protective measures the SDS recommends. It has to happen before initial assignment to any job where hazardous chemicals are present. ^[1] A solid hazard communication program documents all of it.

Building a written HazCom program from scratch? The 16-section SDS is the source document your whole program points back to. SafetyFolio's safety program generator builds a compliant HazCom program around your specific chemical inventory in about 15 minutes, pulling the structure straight from OSHA's requirements.

One duty employers keep missing: OSHA requires you to keep SDSs even for chemicals you no longer use, for as long as needed to comply with 29 CFR 1910.1020 (the access to medical and exposure records standard), which generally means 30 years for exposure records. ^[8] An old "material safety data sheet ethyl acetate" from a supplier who has since reformulated still has to be retained if workers were exposed under it.

How does ethyl acetate compare to similar solvents on key safety parameters?

People line ethyl acetate up against ethanol, acetone, and isopropyl alcohol all the time, because they're the common shop solvents. Here's how the SDS data compares.

Chemical	Flash Point	OSHA PEL (TWA)	IDLH	GHS Flam. Category	Carcinogen?
Ethyl acetate	-4°C (24°F)	400 ppm	10,000 ppm	Liq. Cat. 2	No
Ethyl alcohol (ethanol)	13°C (55°F)	1,000 ppm	3,300 ppm	Liq. Cat. 2	IARC Group 1 (beverage use)
Acetone	-20°C (-4°F)	1,000 ppm	2,500 ppm	Liq. Cat. 2	No
Isopropyl alcohol	12°C (53°F)	400 ppm	2,000 ppm	Liq. Cat. 2	No

A couple of things stand out. Acetone has a lower flash point than ethyl acetate, so it's the more aggressively flammable of the two. Ethanol has a much lower IDLH, meaning a worker hits a life-threatening concentration at a lower airborne level. A "material safety data sheet ethyl alcohol" shows that difference plainly in Section 8 and Section 11.

Sodium acetate is a different animal. Its SDS looks nothing like ethyl acetate's because sodium acetate is a solid salt, not a volatile solvent. Its main hazard is mild irritation, not flammability. Run both in the same building and you need separate SDSs and separate HazCom training for their separate hazards.

The most common small-business mistake: treating every organic solvent as the same hazard and stapling one generic SDS to a shelf of different chemicals. That does not satisfy 29 CFR 1910.1200.

What do you do if there's an ethyl acetate spill or exposure incident?

Section 6 (accidental release) and Section 4 (first aid) are the two your workers need memorized, or at least able to find in seconds.

Small spill, a few liters or less in a ventilated area:

Kill ignition sources first. Cut power to non-explosion-proof equipment. Clear out anyone not on the cleanup. Absorb the liquid with dry inert material like sand, vermiculite, or absorbent pads. Do not use sawdust or any combustible absorbent. Collect the absorbed material in a sealed, labeled container for disposal as hazardous waste under 40 CFR 261.33 (listed hazardous waste F003 or the equivalent state category). Ventilate until vapor levels drop back to background.

Large spill or a release in a confined space: evacuate, call emergency services, and treat it as a hazardous materials incident. Nobody re-enters without SCBA and chemical protective clothing.

Inhalation: move the person to fresh air right away. If they're not breathing, start rescue breathing. Call 911 for a significant exposure. OSHA's standard at 29 CFR 1910.151 requires a person trained in first aid to be on hand where professional medical help isn't reasonably close to the worksite. ^[9] If your crew uses ethyl acetate somewhere remote, first-aid training and a stocked kit are not optional.

Eye exposure: flush with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes, holding the eyelids open. Get medical attention.

Any incident with exposure above the PEL, or a fire or spill that needed emergency response, has to be documented. An incident report captures the facts and triggers your OSHA 300 log recordkeeping under 29 CFR 1904 if the worker needed more than first aid.

How do you build a written hazard communication program that covers ethyl acetate?

OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.1200(e) requires every employer with hazardous chemicals to have a written hazard communication program. ^[1] For ethyl acetate, the program has to cover five things.

A chemical inventory. Every chemical in the workplace goes on a list, each with its SDS identified and on file. Ethyl acetate appears by name, CAS number, and location.

Labeling procedures. Every container of ethyl acetate carries the GHS label: product identifier, signal word ("Danger" for ethyl acetate), hazard pictograms (flame, exclamation mark), hazard statements, and supplier contact information. Secondary containers, like the dispensing bottles you fill from bulk, get labeled too.

SDS access and management. Say where the SDSs live, who obtains and updates them, and how employees reach them.

Employee training. Document when it happens (before initial assignment), who runs it, and what it covers. Training records name each employee, the date, and the chemicals covered.

Non-routine tasks and multi-employer worksites. If contractors work near your ethyl acetate storage, you have to give them access to the relevant SDSs.

The written program doesn't have to be long. A small shop using ethyl acetate in production might run three to five pages. What matters is that it maps to the 1910.1200 requirements and that a compliance officer reading it can see your procedures without hunting.

Handling several solvents? You also need OSHA training records showing workers understand how each chemical's hazards differ instead of lumping them together. Chemical-specific training for your actual inventory is a requirement, not a nicety.

How do you find a current, accurate ethyl acetate SDS?

Your chemical supplier is the primary source, always. Buy ethyl acetate and the supplier is legally required under 29 CFR 1910.1200(g) to send the SDS with the first shipment and again after any update. ^[1]

When you need a reference SDS to verify something, or you don't yet have one from your supplier, a few databases publish them:

The NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards has a summary entry for ethyl acetate with the key exposure data. ^[3]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) WebBook carries physical and chemical property data.

Sigma-Aldrich (Millipore Sigma) and other major suppliers post public SDSs that are generally well-maintained and GHS-compliant.

But the manufacturer-specific SDS is the one that carries legal weight for your operation. A generic internet SDS does not relieve you of the duty to hold the SDS for the exact product you bought from your exact supplier. Suppliers sometimes add stabilizers or inhibitors that shift the hazard profile a little, and those differences show up in Section 3 of their specific sheet.

Check the revision date in Section 16. An SDS from 2009 predates the GHS format OSHA required by June 2015. ^[1] Still running a 15-section MSDS for ethyl acetate? It's out of compliance. Get the current 16-section version.

Frequently asked questions

What is the OSHA permissible exposure limit for ethyl acetate?

OSHA sets a PEL of 400 ppm as an 8-hour time-weighted average under 29 CFR 1910.1000 Table Z-1. NIOSH and ACGIH match it at 400 ppm TWA. Exceeding 400 ppm during a shift is a citable OSHA violation. NIOSH also sets an IDLH of 10,000 ppm, the concentration at which a worker can't escape without respiratory protection.

Is ethyl acetate a carcinogen?

No. Ethyl acetate is not classified as a carcinogen by IARC, NTP, or OSHA. This appears in Section 11 of the SDS and is one reason employers prefer it over many older industrial solvents. The primary hazards are flammability and irritation, not long-term cancer risk. Always confirm it in the current SDS from your specific supplier.

What type of gloves should you use with ethyl acetate?

Nitrile gloves at least 0.3 mm thick are the standard recommendation in Section 8 of most ethyl acetate SDSs. Butyl rubber gives superior resistance for extended contact. Don't use natural rubber latex; it offers poor protection. Always check the chemical resistance table from your specific glove manufacturer, since breakthrough time varies by thickness and formulation.

Can ethyl acetate be stored with other chemicals?

No. Keep ethyl acetate away from strong oxidizers (nitric acid, peroxides), strong acids, and strong bases. It reacts with water and strong acids or bases over time, producing acetic acid and ethanol. Store it in approved flammable liquid storage cabinets under 29 CFR 1910.106, separated from incompatible chemicals. The incompatibilities are listed in Section 10 of the SDS.

What is the flash point of ethyl acetate and why does it matter?

The flash point is -4°C (24°F), which means ethyl acetate can ignite at room temperature if an ignition source is present. It's a GHS Flammable Liquid Category 2 and a Class IB flammable liquid under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.106. That low flash point is why bonding and grounding during transfers, explosion-proof equipment, and ignition source control are required, not optional.

How long do you need to keep an ethyl acetate SDS?

OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.1020 requires employers to retain exposure records, including SDSs for chemicals workers were exposed to, for at least 30 years. The SDS must also stay accessible to employees during shifts under 29 CFR 1910.1200. Even if you stop using ethyl acetate, keep the last SDS on file to support future medical or legal inquiries.

What is the difference between an SDS and the old MSDS for ethyl acetate?

The MSDS (material safety data sheet) was the pre-2012 format with no required structure or section order. The SDS follows the GHS 16-section format OSHA required by June 2015. The content is largely the same, but the standardized order makes information faster to find in an emergency. Have an old "material safety data sheet ethyl acetate" on file? Replace it with a current GHS-compliant SDS.

Does a small business need a written hazard communication program just for ethyl acetate?

Yes. 29 CFR 1910.1200(e) requires any employer with hazardous chemicals to have a written HazCom program, regardless of company size. There's no small-business exemption. The program must cover your chemical inventory, labeling, SDS access, and training. A single-chemical operation can have a short program, but it has to exist in writing and be available to employees and OSHA inspectors.

How is a sodium acetate safety data sheet different from an ethyl acetate SDS?

Very different. Sodium acetate is a solid salt: not flammable, no volatile organic content, and only a mild irritation risk. Its SDS shows no flash point, no flammability pictogram, and much higher exposure thresholds. If you use both in the same facility, each needs its own SDS and its own chemical-specific training.

What ventilation is required when working with ethyl acetate?

Section 8 of the SDS typically requires local exhaust ventilation (LEV) for tasks that generate significant vapor and general dilution ventilation for storage areas. The goal is holding airborne concentration below 400 ppm, the OSHA PEL. For spray coating or large-volume transfers, LEV alone may fall short without supplemental respiratory protection. Air monitoring tells you whether your ventilation actually works.

What first aid steps apply to ethyl acetate inhalation?

Move the exposed person to fresh air right away. If breathing is labored, give oxygen if you're trained to. If they aren't breathing, start rescue breathing and call 911. For significant inhalation exposures, get medical attention even if symptoms seem mild, because narcosis can worsen. Section 4 of the SDS covers this. Keep the person warm and at rest while help is on the way.

Is ethyl acetate regulated under SARA Title III or TSCA?

Yes to both. Ethyl acetate is listed under SARA Section 313 (Toxic Release Inventory) and subject to annual reporting when releases exceed threshold quantities, typically 25,000 pounds for manufacturing and processing. It's also on the TSCA chemical inventory. Section 15 of the SDS carries these citations. Facilities above threshold quantities report to EPA's TRI program every year.

Can employees refuse to work with ethyl acetate if they haven't been trained?

OSHA's HazCom standard gives workers the right to know about chemical hazards before exposure. Under 29 CFR 1910.1200, training must happen before initial assignment. An employee who hasn't had HazCom training has a legitimate basis to refuse work with ethyl acetate, and assigning untrained workers to hazardous-chemical tasks is a citable OSHA violation. Train first, assign second.

Sources

1. OSHA, Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200): Employers must obtain and maintain SDSs for every hazardous chemical, ensure employee access during each work shift, and train workers before initial assignment; the 16-section GHS format has been required since June 2015.
2. ECHA (European Chemicals Agency), Ethyl acetate substance information: Ethyl acetate flash point -4°C (24°F), GHS Flammable Liquid Category 2, LEL 2%, UEL 11.5%, not classified as a carcinogen by IARC, NTP, or GHS criteria.
3. NIOSH, Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards: Ethyl Acetate: NIOSH REL 400 ppm TWA; IDLH 10,000 ppm; NIOSH analytical Method 1457 for air sampling; health effects include CNS depression, eye and respiratory irritation.
4. OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.1000 Table Z-1 Air Contaminants: OSHA PEL for ethyl acetate is 400 ppm as an 8-hour time-weighted average.
5. ACGIH, TLV/BEI Documentation Summary (referenced in OSHA Technical Manual): ACGIH threshold limit value (TLV-TWA) for ethyl acetate is 400 ppm, matching OSHA PEL and NIOSH REL.
6. OSHA, Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134): Any workplace use of respiratory protection triggers requirements for a written respiratory protection program, medical evaluation, and annual fit testing.
7. OSHA, Flammable Liquids Standard (29 CFR 1910.106): Ethyl acetate is a Class IB flammable liquid; quantities above 25 gallons stored inside must be in approved flammable liquid storage cabinets; maximum safety can size is 5 gallons.
8. OSHA, Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records (29 CFR 1910.1020): Employers must retain employee exposure records, including SDSs for chemicals workers were exposed to, for at least 30 years.
9. OSHA, Medical Services and First Aid (29 CFR 1910.151): In the absence of an infirmary, clinic, or hospital near the worksite, a person or persons trained in first aid must be available to render first aid.
10. EPA, SARA Section 313 Toxic Release Inventory: Ethyl acetate is a listed SARA Section 313 chemical subject to annual TRI reporting above threshold quantities (25,000 lbs for manufacturing/processing).