Chemical Safety - The 10 most common mistakes made by producers and sellers.
Check that your company's processes ensure that you don't fall foul of these common mistakes:
1
Registration - Since 2018 all chemicals produced, imported or marketed in Europe need to be registered with ECHA (European Chemicals Agency), which in turn characterises the hazardousness of the substance or mixture of substances and assigns the corresponding labelling requirements identified in the CLP (Classification, Packaging and Labelling) regulation.
2
Lack of proper labelling: A common mistake is not providing adequate labelling on chemical products. Labels should contain important information such as product identification, instructions for use, risks and precautions.
3
Improper Storage: Storing chemicals improperly can result in leaks, spillages or dangerous reactions between products. Lack of appropriate storage facilities is a serious mistake.
4
Lack of Safety Data Sheets (SDS): The Safety Data Sheet provides detailed information on the hazards of chemical products and is mandatory.
5
Inadequate Safety Data Sheets (SDS): The SDS must be provided in accordance with the local language and legislation. Typically, local legislation requires SDS in the local language and fulfilment of all local requirements. If products are sold to another country, even within the European Union, the SDS provided must be in the language of the place of delivery and fulfil the relevant requirements. The SDS is not a document that can be automatically translated without adapting it to the respective legal requirements.
6
Ignorance of requirements and regulations: Not being aware of local, national and international laws and regulations related to chemical safety is a common mistake that can lead to heavy fines due to the associated chemical risks.
7
Lack of training: Not giving employees qualified training in the safe handling of chemicals is a mistake that can result in accidents and high monetary and reputational costs and low morale in the workplace.
8
Improper Disposal: Improper disposal of used chemicals can cause damage to the environment and human health. This includes failure to comply with waste disposal regulations.
9
Neglecting Risk Assessments: Failure to carry out adequate risk assessments for chemicals or processes can result in exposure to unknown risks.
10
Neglecting Risk Assessments: Failure to carry out adequate risk assessments for chemicals or processes can result in exposure to unknown risks.
Best Practices for Safety Data Sheet Management
Have a Chemical Inventory
Keep an inventory of all chemicals on site, including SDS:
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Chemical name/product name
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Information on the supplier/manufacturer.
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Identifier, i.e. CAS number.
Centralising the source of SDS
While it is good practice to assign responsibility to individual areas/departments for managing their own chemical inventory, it can be a huge time and resource saver to centralise the updating and effective management of safety data sheets.
Register the origin of the SDS
The most time-consuming part of obtaining the SDS is finding the right contact or collection method to obtain the SDS from each producer. Record all the information in detail, email, name, website, etc. That way, the next time you need it, ordering the SDS will be simple and quick.
Information Robustness
Incorrect or partial data can be an obstacle in SDS management. Organisations often ask for the exact name of the product to obtain the correct information. Any time invested at the outset in making the process robust will lead to daily savings in enquiry time.
Obtain SDS from producers
Even if you're getting your products from a wholesaler or end seller, the producer of the product is the only source where you can guarantee that you'll receive the most recent and up-to-date safety data sheet.
Extract Relevant Information
According to your sector, decide which are the key sections in the SDS from which you need to extract information. Usually, the key sections to extract data from are Sections 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 14. This information will help you prepare your chemical risk analyses