<h1>SDS Training 101: What Employers Need to Know</h1?

According to the latest data, exposure to harmful substances caused over 800 separate fatalities in workplaces across the United States in 2022. However, that is a reduction of over a third from the prior 32 years, partly due to increased safety standards and training levels. So, what are the best ways to ensure every employee understands these standards and how to uphold them, especially when it comes to safety data sheets (SDS) training and helping employees understand the dangers of such materials?

Read on to discover some of the best practices and available tools that can streamline your SDS training efforts and SDS management in general. Address challenges you may have in such efforts, including:

Engaging with employees
Handling evolving regulations
Keeping your training relevant
Ensuring training is effective

Learn what it takes to integrate SDS training into your safety programs today.

The Importance and Purpose of SDS Training

SDS training can help employers meet OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standards (HCS). HCS mandates workplace safety training for any employee exposed, or who may potentially become exposed, to hazardous chemicals and ensures they understand how to best proceed. SDS and regulatory compliance training should include:

Handling
Storage
Emergency response
Signs of danger
SDS compliance requirements

Without such training, many employees may face harm if they do not understand the full scope of the damage such chemicals may cause. For example, in the 2021-2022 period, the US government tracked 835,040 cases of employees taking a day off from work due to injuries caused by transporting or handling materials. Without any training, that number could well have been much higher.

At the same time, proper SDS training can ensure that your employees comply with both federal and state regulations regarding these chemicals. As their employer, you also need to ensure employees have access to both SDS and training in using them as per OSHA’s HCS (29 CFR 1910.1200). If you do not provide such training, you cannot expect workers to know how to respond to various issues that might occur, leading to fines and liabilities that can become very costly.

Plan Effective SDS Training

Not only must you educate your employees on how to respond to the existence of chemicals and SDS in the workplace, but you will also need to ensure that the training is effective. Such activities can often include:

Lectures and discussions
Hands-on activities
Practical examples
Tests and examinations
Roleplay of real-life scenarios

Each offers a different form of understanding and appeals to different types of learners.

Leveraging SDS During Training

When training your workers, ensure that SDS are accessible at all times. If possible, do this electronically. Alternatively, provide the documents physically and show how best to store them during the training.

A significant part of your training will include teaching how to:

Search for specific SDS using keywords or chemical names
Recognize and interpret the different sections of an SDS
Identify different hazards based on descriptions or symbols
Perform first-aid in case of chemical exposure
Keep SDS updated both with changes to old sheets as well as entirely new chemicals
Use SDS effectively and quickly during emergencies

All of the above will give your workers the information they need to avoid most significant dangers or challenges when handling potentially hazardous material.

Clearly Communicate During Training

Use clear and concise language when talking with your employees about SDS and hazards. While your workers may handle complex chemicals, many may not need to know what the material does during their role. However, they should understand the dangers they potentially pose.

If necessary, use the following to ensure you offer a simple and effective way to comprehend what you are trying to train:

Pictograms or pictures
Videos of proper and improper handling of materials
Audio examples of encounters
Photographs of the results of taking improper steps
Physical examples of signage and SDS
Translations for non-native speakers
Example personal protective equipment (PPE) for demonstration and practice
Take-away laminated cards with helpful information to refer to

Each of these can simplify what your employees are trying to learn and ensure they retain more knowledge. The variety of interactions reflects real-world situations as best as possible, offering a strong memory association with the lesson.

Areas of Education

During your training in SDS, you will need to focus on several different areas of learning. For example:

Interpreting hazard symbols: Hazard communication was the second-most frequently cited OSHA standard in 2022-2023. As such, it is crucial that employees learn how to interpret hazard symbols you use in your industry, such as:

Globally Harmonized System symbols like flammable or toxic
The meanings of signal words such as “danger” and “warning”
Information on exposure limits and PPE requirements
How to react to the above

Proper handling and storage: This category includes understanding how to segregate incompatible chemicals and maintain environmental controls in your facilities. You should also highlight the importance of labeling containers clearly and start the process of replacing mislabeled or damaged containers.

Emergency response and first aid: Teach how individuals should interpret employee safety procedures as listed on an SDS. You will also need to ensure employees know how to identify the location of any emergency equipment, such as:

Eyewash stations
Sinks
Fire extinguishers
Showers

Educating your team on responding to chemical spills and fires will also help prevent further harm to your workers or facilities.

You should also emphasize the importance of notifying supervisors and the best way to do this when incidents occur. Doing this will help ensure the business avoids recurring or escalating the issue. At every step, you should also emphasize the role of SDS and how the information it contains will help prevent further harm from occurring.

Ensure Compliance and Safety with KHA’s Online-SDS

Consistent and high-quality SDS training can help you maintain a safer workplace for your team and meet OSHA’s legal requirements. To help with this, you can leverage systems like KHA’s Online-SDS to give your team ready access to the SDS they need. You can also teach your employees how best to use it to simplify SDS management and compliance.

To learn more about the long-term benefits of comprehensive SDS training and how our digital SDS system can help with that, contact us to discuss your requirements in more detail. Discover a customized solution to meet your SDS management needs today.