Question 1

What is a safety data sheet (SDS)?

Accepted Answer

A safety data sheet, commonly shortened to its acronym "SDS", is a standardized summary document provided by a chemical supplier to provide information about the hazards, ingredients, storage and transport instructions, safety precautions, and more. Safety data sheets are the primary source of information about chemical hazards that exist in a workplace.

Question 2

What is the difference between an MSDS and an SDS?

Accepted Answer

A material safety data sheet (MSDS) is the older version of the currently accepted safety data sheet (SDS). The information contained in an MSDS is limited and unstandardized as compared to an SDS. The development of SDSs requires suppliers to follow a rigorous process to ensure hazard information is presented in a consistent, user-friendly format. MSDS's were the standard in Canada until June 1, 2015. If you have MSDSs in your collection for products that are still in use and still being produced by a supplier, you are required to source an updated SDS immediately.

Question 3

What is included in a SDS?

Accepted Answer

A standard SDS has 16 sections as outlined in WHMIS 2015 and the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). Schedule 1 of the Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR) outlines the section numbers and headings that are required in Canada.

Question 4

What products require SDSs?

Accepted Answer

Every product that is classified as a "hazardous product" under WHMIS (see table in section 2.2 for applicable provincial/territorial legislation) that will be used, handled, or stored in a workplace must have a safety data sheet.

Question 5

What is SDS Management?

Accepted Answer

SDS Management is the practice of organizing and sharing safety data sheets with employees, to be compliant with health and safety regulations. SDSs contain critical workplace safety information. This is why WHMIS regulations include the requirement to store SDSs so they are readily accessible to employees, keep SDSs up-to-date, train employees based on SDS information, and much more. Having a management system in place can enable you to take the sometimes overwhelming task of SDS Management and make it simple.

Question 6

Do I Need SDS Management?

Accepted Answer

Any workplace that handles or stores products defined as hazardous by the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is required to have SDSs for those products in Canada. The workplace is required to have a method in place where employees are able to access the SDSs for chemicals they are exposed to in their work. This method is often referred to as SDS Management. There are different ways of managing SDSs which are discussed in the sections below. SDS RiskAssist is Rillea Technologies' next generation SDS Management software.

Question 7

What do government regulations say about SDSs?

Accepted Answer

In Canada, hazardous chemicals are governed by Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS). This system is aligned with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) which is used globally. WHMIS is regulated in the workplace by the provinces, territories and federal (for federally regulated workplaces) governments under their occupational health and safety legislation. Depending on your jurisdiction there may be slight variations in the implementation of WHMIS 2015.

Question 8

How often does an SDS need to be updated?

Accepted Answer

Although Canada's Hazardous Products Regulations requires suppliers to update their SDSs only if new information becomes available, occupational health and safety is regulated by each provincial/territorial jurisdiction in Canada. Therefore, your need to update your company's SDSs will depend on what jurisdiction(s) your business operates in.

Question 9

What if I can't get an accurate SDS?

Accepted Answer

If you are unable to get an accurate safety data sheet then you must contact the supplier. The best way to contact a supplier is to visit their website for their contact information. Some suppliers will have designated pages for their safety data sheet information and others you will have to contact by other means for the latest updates.

Question 10

Can I keep my SDSs digitally?

Accepted Answer

Yes, safety data sheets can be stored digitally as long as you meet several conditions including: 
- All employees have access to the digitally stored SDSs
- Employees are trained on how to access the digitally stored SDSs
- The computers and/or devices used to access the SDSs must be in good working order
- The employer must make a hard copy of the SDS available to the employee upon request

Question 11

Where should I keep SDSs?

Accepted Answer

Safety data sheets can be stored electronically or as paper copies and must be stored in a location that all employees can access during work hours. This means that your storage location must not be behind a locked door or on a password protected device that employees do not have the password for. SDSs should be stored in the work area so that employees have easy access to the required information.

Question 12

What are my training requirements for SDSs?

Accepted Answer

SDS management is only one part of meeting your chemical safety compliance requirements. Under WHMIS 2015 there are two distinct training requirements: general WHMIS education and workplace specific training. The general WHMIS education provides information about WHMIS principles, hazard classes and symbols, safety data sheets, labels, and other non-workplace specific subjects.

Question 13

Why is SDS management important?

Accepted Answer

SDSs tell employers how the chemicals they use can harm employees, the environment or infrastructure. Ensuring that you have the proper SDSs for the hazardous chemicals you are using is not only a regulatory requirement, it can guide you about how to safely use these needed chemicals without causing harm.

Question 14

How will I know if a SDS has been updated?

Accepted Answer

There is currently no notification system in place from suppliers of safety data sheets on when they've been updated. The onus is on the employer to check for any updates to SDSs. At the point of sale a supplier must provide the purchaser with the most up-to-date safety data sheet or inform them of new information, if the safety data sheet has not yet been updated. One of the best ways to stay on top of your SDS updating process is to measure the age of them.

Question 15

Where can I find SDSs?

Accepted Answer

Safety data sheets must be provided with the purchase of any hazardous product governed by Hazardous Products Regulations. The best source for the most up to date and accurate safety data sheets is directly from the product supplier. The internet is a great resource for finding a supplier's website and many of them will have designated SDS pages to download the latest versions. There are some services that advertise the ability to keep your safety data sheets up to date but be cautious because our data has shown that many SDSs are still out of date while using these types of services. The only way to be 100% confident you have the most up to date sheets is to obtain them directly from the supplier.

Question 16

How can I simplify the information on an SDS?

Accepted Answer

The best way to simplify the vast amount of information available about the hazardous chemicals you use in your workplace is to use software such as SDS RiskAssist.

Question 17

What are designated substances?

Accepted Answer

A designated substance in Ontario is a biological, chemical or physical agent or combination considered so hazardous that worker exposure is prohibited, limited, regulated, restricted, or controlled.

Question 18

How should I delete or archive old SDSs?

Accepted Answer

One of the first steps to do when managing safety data sheets is to remove ones that are out of date or no longer in compliance. For example, if your SDS collection contains Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) then these are no longer in compliance and need to be updated, if you still use the product. If you purchase a product and the supplier has made a significant change to the SDS, then you're required to make the update available to employees.

Question 19

Can I remove hazardous chemicals from use?

Accepted Answer

In the NIOSH Hierarchy of Controls the elimination of the hazard is the most important part of the pyramid. When looking to put controls in place to protect workers in the workplace, step one is to look at elimination of the hazards. Our data shows that many times, workplace have too many chemical products that aren't actually required. If the job to be done by the chemical product is absolutely required then step two is to look for substitutions. Ask the question "are there safer alternatives available that do the same job"? If there are not, then continue down the pyramid to Engineering Controls, Administrative Controls, and finally Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Question 20

What is SDS RiskAssist?

Accepted Answer

SDS RiskAssist is a next generation SDS Management and Chemical Safety software that empowers people to make more informed decisions to protect workers. The software automatically extracts more than 40 pieces of data from each SDS and cross-references it to jurisdictional regulations and best practices. This means that users gain fast, accurate data workplace safety summaries without the need for time-consuming manual data extraction.

Question 21

Why is SDS RiskAssist the best in the industry?

Accepted Answer

SDS RiskAssist goes beyond where most SDS Management systems stop: worker safety compliance rather than simply document compliance. The software platform exists for those who want more than an SDS binder and are looking to significantly improve their understanding of their workplace's chemical hazards.

Your Guide to SDS Management

Your SDS Management Roadmap

Your Guide Forward

SDS Management Basics

1.1 What is a safety data sheet (SDS)?

1.2 What is the difference between an MSDS and an SDS?

1.3 What is included in an SDS?

1.4 What products require SDSs?

1.5 What is safety data sheet (SDS) Management?

1.6 Do I Need SDS Management?

In Practice

2.1 What do government regulations say about SDSs?

2.2 How often does a SDS need to be updated?

2.3 What if I can’t get an accurate SDS?

2.4 Can I keep my SDSs digitally?

2.5 Where should I keep SDSs?

2.6 What are the training requirements for SDSs?

The Specifics

3.1 Why is SDS Management important?

3.2 How will I know if an SDS has been updated?

3.3 Where can I find SDSs?

3.4 How can I simplify the information on an SDS?

3.5 What do I do once I have all my SDSs accessible to employees?

3.6 What are designated substances?

Industry Best Practices

4.1 How should I delete or archive old SDSs?

4.2 Can I remove my hazardous chemicals from use?

4.3 What are two common misconceptions about SDS Management?

4.4 What does SDS Management due diligence look like?

4.5 How to measure results when improving SDS Management?

4.6 What are the steps to complete my SDS Management program?

4.7 Surprising statistics I should know

SDS Management & SDS RiskAssist

5.1 What is SDS RiskAssist?

5.2 How does SDS RiskAssist manage my SDSs?

5.3 Why is SDS RiskAssist the best in the industry?

Our Guide To Chemical Safety Compliance

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