SDS Updating Services
What is the Purpose of Updating your SDS?
When a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) must be updated is dependent on the country it was generated for and used in. Different countries have different updating requirements.
The United Nation’s GHS Purple Book is updated every 2 years. Many countries base their hazardous chemical regulations on the UN’s guidance. This means that country specific regulations are often updated as well, usually to align with one of the latest revisions of the UN’s GHS Purple Book.
This continual revision of regulations is to ensure that SDSs are communicating the latest knowledge regarding hazardous chemicals and products. With the intent being to maintain workplace safety.
When Should I Update my SDS?
If a country revises its hazardous product regulations this will be a main driving factor of SDS updates.
SDSs could also be updated because they contain outdated product and chemical information. Some countries even require that SDSs be updated every so many years to ensure this information is frequently re-evaluated.
Product reformulations or new test data are other common reasons to update an SDS. It is also possible to update an SDS for the sole purpose of making it brand specific to a supplier or distributor who would prefer using their own document over the manufacturer’s.
Is Updating Mandatory?
The requirements depend on the country of jurisdiction. Countries like China and Australia require by law that SDSs be updated every 5 years. Other countries such as the USA do not have a specific time frame but encourage that SDSs be updated if new and relevant information is made available.
When a country’s hazardous product regulations are updated, these new laws are mandatory to follow.
What are the risks if a company chooses not to comply?
Worker safety could be compromised by an outdated SDS. Additionally, SDSs which do not follow new regulations would be considered non-compliant. The penalties for non-compliant SDSs vary from country to country.
How Can Nexreg Ensure Your Compliance?
Nexreg can update your SDS to comply with regulation changes for over 100 countries. Nexreg follows the country specific regulatory updates as well as the UN GHS revisions, so we can ensure your SDSs comply with the latest hazardous product legislation.
We can add new chemical substance data (such as acute toxicity values, occupational exposure limits, etc.) and regulatory information (such as California Proposition 65) to your documents. Additionally, we can update SDSs to add supplier or distributor information or company logos.
To update your documents, we would require the current SDS, full formula, and any raw material SDSs that are available. If we do not already have the product information on file, we may request that a “Product Information Form” be filled out with the necessary data.
Nexreg will review your product formula and either update the current SDS that we have on file or generate a new GHS-compliant document. The most current information from our databases and any additional data provided, such as test results, will be included in the updated SDS.