About 130 million workers rely on OSHA standards for workplace safety. Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) are an important function of OSHA oversight.
Millions of workers get hurt on the job each year. There’s a price to pay for these injuries in addition to human suffering. On-the-job accidents can also leave your company open to expensive liabilities.
OSHA SDS compliance can help you avoid worker injuries. Keep reading to learn more about protecting your business when working with hazardous chemicals.
SDSs and Hazardous Chemicals
Safety Data Sheets are a source of information for promoting workplace safety. They’re summary documents.
Datasheets provide information about working with hazardous chemicals. They also offer advice and safety precautions.
Usually, a manufacturer or supplier provides an SDS. Sometimes, however, an employer must create one. This can happen if you produce chemicals workers use exclusively in your workplace.
A Closer Look at Safety Data Sheets
SDSs cover vital safety protocol information for chemicals. This information might include:
- Chemical properties
- Environmental health and safety
- Handling recommendations
- Physical health information
- Protective measures
- Storage directions
- Transportation directions
Companies must provide SDS information in English. However, you may also produce alternative language versions when needed.
OSHA requires SDSs to have a specific minimum of information. SDS preparers might also include added information in various sections.
Hazardous Chemical Safety and the Law
OSHA rules require all companies to keep hazardous chemical SDSs readily available. Also, the forms must be easy for people to read.
They must be clear and organized. Also, they must go into considerable detail.
Most importantly, you should ensure that SDS information is easily accessible to workers from anywhere in your facility.
Companies must update SDS information a minimum of once every three years. That’s assuming there’ve been no new safety threats discovered before a scheduled update.
Gathering SDS Information
SDSs are a critical part of your organization’s hazard communications strategy. Typically, chemical suppliers provide SDSs in English and French.
You should receive a hard copy of an SDS for your chemical order by mail or hand delivery. A supplier may also forward this information to you digitally.
OSHA also allows suppliers to deliver this information by email with an SDS included as an attachment. Supplier manufacturers can also distribute SDSs on a USB or disk.
However, OSHA doesn’t allow suppliers to send only a link to SDS information. This practice is unacceptable, even if it leads to a resource to download the full SDS.
Managing Your Safety Data Sheet
There are 16 sections in an SDS. OSHA only requires companies, suppliers, or manufacturers to fill out 11 of the sections.
Still, it’s good practice to complete all 16 sections. This information ensures workers are as familiar as possible with hazardous chemicals. Furthermore, companies must catalog this information accurately and precisely.
After considering all the chemicals your company might use, you can imagine that maintaining SDS records manually could consume considerable resources. Fortunately, there’s a better solution.
You can digitize SDSs to ensure information is always accessible to workers. By digitizing your SDSs, you can ensure you don’t lose critical SDSs in paper files. You also can keep your hazardous chemical information up-to-date more easily.
Better Data Organization for Your SDS Information
It makes sense to digitize SDS information. OSHA requires companies to ensure all SDS information stays readily accessible.
By digitizing your SDSs, you’ll make it fast and easy for people to search for specific chemical information. There’s no need for them to search through hundreds of hard copy SDSs.
If you digitize SDSs on your own using a company computer, however, you must also manage frequent data sheet updates. Researchers are always finding new hazardous chemical threats. As a result, you’ll need to update your SDS database continually.
KHA Online SDS Management simplifies this process. Our platform serves as a centralized SDS information repository. It updates your digitized SDS forms automatically.
Leveraging Technology for Better SDS Management
Our SDS management software makes it easy for you to update information about hazardous chemicals. There’s no need to maintain your own database and make regular updates. We do all the work for you.
Our platform also saves the information you’ve manually entered from previous chemicals. This feature prevents you from needing to start new SDSs from scratch.
Also, you can cherry-pick the information you need for your new SDS. There’s no need to create a new document from the ground up.
The Benefits of SDS Software
The most important benefit SDSs provide is safety for your workers. You can use our online SDS platform to ensure you always comply with OSHA regulations.
Our software makes it much easier for you to provide transparency about hazardous chemicals on the job. It also helps you document risk.
Our online SDS management software prepares workers for potential problems. They won’t get caught off guard if they face a problem with a hazardous chemical. With current and easily accessible information, they’ll know exactly what to do if an emergency arises.
Your Partner in Workplace Safety
Now you know more about protecting your business when working with hazardous chemicals.
At KHA Online SDS Management, we specialize in providing software and services for managing Safety Data Sheets. We’re committed to products and services related to SDSs and hazardous chemicals.
We invite you to learn more about protecting your business when working with hazardous chemicals. Feel free to learn more about our online Safety Data Sheet management platform.
