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SDS library procedures · Updated

Annual review: keep your SDS library inspection ready

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Purpose

Keep the SDS library complete, current and compliant, so it stands up to a health & safety review or inspection at any time.

Scope

Library admins and health & safety managers. Do the full review at least once a year; keep up with new SDS versions as SDS Manager reports them.

Procedure

  1. Archive SDSs for products no longer used — Archive rather than delete: users of chemicals must keep the SDS of each chemical for 10 years after its use has stopped, for health monitoring, post-exposure analysis and legal compliance.
  2. Add SDSs for newly introduced products — Add a Safety Data Sheet for every new chemical brought into use.
  3. Update outdated SDSs — Manufacturers revise SDSs for new findings and regulatory changes; replace outdated sheets with the newest versions. SDS Manager scans supplier sites for new versions and lists them under "SDS where newer version exists"; the revision year filter also finds old SDSs.
  4. Reconcile the library with what is really on site — Log the presence of products, then list SDSs without logged presence to find products that are no longer there.
  5. Review hazardous and restricted chemicals — Check the panel of active SDSs with ingredients on restricted chemical lists, and use filters (for example hazard statement H351, or a free-text search for "Carcinogenic") and the Health, Safety and Environment ratings to find products whose hazards should be evaluated.
  6. Check labels — Make sure every chemical container is labeled with the correct hazard symbols and handling instructions from its SDS, and that the labels are legible and still attached.
  7. Check that employees can reach the SDSs — Up-to-date SDSs must be easy for all employees to find at all times; test a QR poster and the intranet link.
  8. Refresh employee training — Cover where the SDS library is, how to read an SDS, and what to do in case of chemical exposure or a spill.
  9. Check regulatory changes — Stay informed about changes to the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) and the requirements in your own jurisdiction.