Understanding Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
Safety Data Sheets are standardized documents conveying information about chemical product properties. The primary purpose of an SDS is to ensure the safety of workers and end-users by providing detailed information on potential hazards, safe handling, storage, and disposal. You may have seen a safety data sheet without realizing it, common consumer products are paints, cleaners or detergents, electronics with batteries, gardening fertilizers, and many more.
Regulatory Compliance
Adherence to regulatory standards is paramount in product compliance. SDS play a pivotal role in achieving this by facilitating compliance with regulations such as the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). GHS, adopted globally, standardizes the classification and communication of chemical hazards. SAP S/4HANA for product compliance embeds GHS Classification and Labeling as part of our solution.
Risk Mitigation and Emergency Response
SDS contribute significantly to risk mitigation and emergency response planning. By offering detailed information on product hazards, SDS empower professionals to implement effective risk management strategies. In emergencies, having readily accessible SDS ensures swift and informed action to minimize the impact on human health and the environment. This information is very important in case of accidents like the train derailing written about here.
Protecting Occupational Health
Occupational health is safeguarded by SDS through information on exposure limits, protective measures, and first aid procedures. This knowledge allows employers to implement preventive measures, training programs, and proper personal protective equipment to minimize risks associated with workplace chemical exposure.
Continuous Improvement and Innovation
SDS are dynamic documents that evolve with changes in regulations, product formulations, and scientific knowledge. This adaptability facilitates continuous improvement and innovation within industries. Manufacturers, armed with updated SDS, can stay ahead of regulatory changes, adopt safer alternatives, and demonstrate their commitment to compliance and environmental responsibility. Our regulatory content service delivers the latest updates on a regular basis, you can read more here.
What's New with SDS
Well, we had a huge content update with the latest release in Q1 2024, you can check out the details here. Additionally, you can now assign label configurations to R&D sample products in the “Manage Label Assignments” app. This includes assignment of labels to unpackaged products that are flagged as research and development (R&D) samples in product compliance and are not yet linked with a product. There is also now dedicated functionality in the Validate and Print Labels app for determining and printing labels for R&D products.
When you create a product, you can now specify the product category. Until now, you had the choice between Mixture and Substance. Now, you also have the option of Article. The specified product categorization is maintained and displayed in the “Manage Basic Compliance Data - Unpackaged Products” or “Manage Basic Compliance Data - Raw Materials” app. This is really helpful when characterizing a product with the EU REACH framework because this products are very complex, exposure scenarios need to be realistic as well as downstream user considerations and for supply chain transparency.
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