3 Fail-Safe Strategies for Managing Safety Data Sheets
As the reliable source of information for each hazardous chemical, safety data sheets (SDS) include details needed for employers, employees, safety and health professionals, emergency responders, government agencies, and consumers.
What is an SDS?
SDS is short for Safety Data Sheets, which are documents containing detailed information concerning hazardous chemicals. As the reliable source of information for each hazardous chemical, SDSs include details needed for employers, employees, safety and health professionals, emergency responders, government agencies, and consumers.
SDS information lists in order of immediate use for exposed workers and emergency responders, with the more technical details listed in the later sections of the document. Employers must maintain an SDS for every hazardous chemical used in their facilities and keep these documents readily accessible to employees. It is an OSHA standard for workplaces to provide and maintain current, accessible SDS for all hazardous chemicals.
SDSs Matter, Especially in Emergency Scenarios
It is imperative, sometimes even life-saving, for SDSs to be accessible and up-to-date in an emergency. Imagine a scenario where an employee is exposed to a hazardous chemical and a triage team comes to aid the incident. Provided with an outdated SDS, the triage team will be treating the employee with inaccurate information that may impact the effectiveness of their immediate treatment. Even worse, the situation could become much more dangerous if the triage team is unable to access an SDS.
The biggest concern with this scenario is that information may be inaccurate or altogether unavailable. If the chemical in question had changed formula and the SDS wasn’t updated, first responders may be unable to take the correct steps to help the exposed employee. Working off old information could result in a dangerous situation for workers exposed to hazardous chemicals.
3 Strategies for Staying On Top of Your SDS Library
1. Build A Consistent SDS Maintenance Routine
Create an SDS Workflow for Every Hazardous Chemical
As a safety leader, being in an emergency chemical situation with an outdated or unavailable SDS is a worst-case scenario. To avoid a dangerous situation, your workplace must maintain a current version of the SDS for every hazardous chemical in that workplace and make sure that each SDS is readily available for all employees. Stay accurate by constantly updating your SDSs. Your workplace can avoid worst-case scenarios by developing an SDS workflow that is mindful of updated safety procedures and chemical details.
New Chemical, New SDS
Repeat after us: new chemical, new SDS. Every time you introduce a new hazardous chemical to your facility, a new SDS for that chemical needs to be made accessible to employees in your facility and maintained rigorously. If you receive a hazardous chemical from supplies or manufacturer without an SDS, request to receive one as soon as possible. If you receive a new SDS, add it to your regular update workflow and make it available to all employees.
2. Make SDSs an Integral Part of Your Safety Culture
Provide SDS Management in Training
Keep your employees aware of the importance of Safety Data Sheets by including SDS Management training in your initial EHS training courses and continuing periodic training programs. By placing a deliberate focus on SDS use within your training programs, you will ensure that employees are keeping your facility’s SDS maintenance top of mind.
Designate an SDS Manager
Don’t leave your SDS management up to chance! Make sure that your SDSs are kept up to-date by designating a specific employee or task force to maintain your facility’s SDSs regularly. Assigning the role of SDS manager to one or a few employees will provide a sense of responsibility structure, so that information stays current and accurate.
3. Ensure SDSs are Easily Accessible
Time to Throw the Binder in the Trash
The days of disorganized paper files are behind us! Keeping an SDS binder in your facility may have once been the gold standard, but nowadays using printed or handwritten documentation of hazard communication is not the efficient way to go. Not only are paper files more likely to be damaged, misplaced, or forgotten, they also are difficult to make available across distributed teams. Your facility will benefit from replacing the SDS paper documents with digital hazard communication organization.
Implement SDS Management Software
Okay, so you’re done with printing out paper Safety Data Sheets – what now? SDS Management Software to the rescue! Implementing an SDS Management Software will increase accessibility of your hazardous chemical documentation and make it easier for your teams to add and update SDSs in a timely manner. By having a digital home for all of your SDSs, your facility has the tools to build a customized library of hazardous chemical documents that can be accessed within seconds, even when offline or in the field.
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