In this article we will show you how to get started using SDS Manager to manage your library of Safety Datasheets.  We will cover the following areas:

Step 1: Create your locations (if you have chemicals stored and used on multiple locations)

Step 2: Import your existing SDS files (if you have any)

Step 3: Update the Safety Data Sheets you imported to latest version

Step 4: Add SDS or Chemicals to your locations by searching our database of 10Million+ Safety Data Sheets.

Step 5: Create QR code poster to allow your employees to access the SDS library using QR code

Step 6: Invite your employees to join you on SDS Manager

Step 7: Look through the SDS that contains restricted chemicals and substitute where necessary

Step 8: Create Secondary container labels for very hazardous chemicals

Optional steps:
Step 9: Print out SDS binders if you prefer to have hard copies on the locations (Optional)

Step 10: Do Risk assessment of all your chemicals (Optional)

Step 11: Create risk-assessed work procedures (Optional)

Step 1: Create your locations (if you have chemicals stored and used on multiple locations)

For organizations with large number of SDS, it can be beneficial to organize the Safety Data Sheets by locations / departments.

With a location structure,  you can delegate administrator access for a subset of locations to other team members.  It also allows you to let your employees only have access to Safety Data Sheets relevant for the site they are working.

You can create a location structure with unlimited number of levels.

With SDS Manager, you link your SDS to locations. The 

Below is an example of a location hierarchy. The number in the parentheses is the number of SDS linked to each location.

You manage your location structure under the menu "My locations" and use the indicated buttons to create new locations and the "+" button to create child-locations.

Step 2: Import your existing SDS files (if you have any)

When SDS Manager import your ZIP file, the locations are automatically created and the SDS are added to the corresponding locations:

After the import you will be notified about all SDS you imported that are outdated and should be updated with the updated version we have in our database.

To upload a single SDS file, you choose the "Upload PDF file".

If you already have SDS-binders  (PDF files that contain multiple SDS files) for each of your locations, you can simply upload the SDS-binder file to a location in our SDS Inventory Manager.

We will automatically read the PDF you import and find out what SDS are in the file and add them automatically to the location.

With this method you can populate your SDS inventory manager with thousands of SDS in a matter of minutes. The only requirement is that you have an SDS-binder for each location in your company

If you do not have any Safety Data Sheet file, but have XLS or CSV file with your substances, the list can be imported to SDS Manager. Let us know if you prefer to build your library of SDS by importing your product inventory and we will help you import the data.

Step 3: Update the Safety Data Sheets you imported to latest version

New revisions of Safety Data Sheets are issued every 1 to 3 years.

Step 4: Add SDS or Chemicals to your locations by searching our database of 10Million + Safety Data Sheets.

You manage your SDS Library under Location Management 

To add a SDS for a product simply search for the product name and press the + icon to add the SDS to your location.

If you want to add the same SDS to multiple locations in one operation, you should use the Global SDS Search page" when adding SDS to your library.

MANUAL ENTRY: Sometimes you want to add a product to your SDS library but don’t know what Safety Data Sheet to link to the new product.

To handle such cases, you can add the product information to SDS Manager and later link a SDS to the product. This way you can let your purchasing department or logistics personnel add products to SDS Manager and let the HSE-manager add the corresponding SDS later.

In SDS Manager you will find a list of substances that are missing Safety Data Sheets. Using this list, it is easy to add missing Safety Data Sheets to keep your library up to date at any time.

Step 5: Create QR code poster to allow your employees to access the SDS library using QR code

To create such a QR-code-login you open ‘User management’ (1), press ‘Add QR login user’ (2) and name the user and press ‘Create QR login user’. We recommend you name the account with a name that describe what SDS the QR code have access to. Next you select the locations you want the QR code login to access (4) and press ‘Change access’. The QR code login will get read access to all SDS on the locations you give the user access.

When the QR code user is created, you can view the QR code by pressing the QR icon (1) 

The button "Print QR code for login" will generate a poster with the QR code (2)

If you want to give access to your SDS library from your intranet, you can simply create a QR code user, scan the QR code and copy the link and add it to your intranet (3)

The button "Email access link to  your team" allow you to share access via email.

You can or click on the image  or scan the below QR code with your mobile phone to see how this will look for your employees.

If you want the link to access all SDS in your organization, the QR code user must be granted access to all locations.

You can create many “QR code users” – e.g., one for each of your locations or a “QR code user” that gives access to all the SDS your organization has in the SDS library.

Step 6: Invite your employees to join you on SDS Manager

With SDS Manager you can add unlimited numbers of users.  We suggest that you only create user accounts for employees that will administrate the SDS library.

Invited users can have an Admin Role, Staff or No Access Role.

You have flexibility to decide access type on location level. A user can be given an Admin role on one location and read-only access to other locations.

To be able to manage SDSs in your library,  the user needs an Admin role

Step 7: Look through the SDS that contains restricted chemicals and substitute where necessary

SDS Manager has an overview of all chemicals that are listed on a number of restricted lists like ZDHC, California Proposition 65, REACH and more.

The substances in these lists are identified with either EC or CAS number.

SDS Manager will extract the CAS and EC numbers from section 3 of the SDS you use, and we will check if any of the CAS/EC numbers are found in any of the restriction list.

In SDS Manager you will be able to list all the SDS you have in your SDS Library that have components found in any of these restriction lists.

Below is an example of how we list products with components on restricted list:

The above list is a prospective list of products that you need to assess.

When you have verified that the content is acceptable, you may want to mark the SDS as 'Approved'

Step 8: Create Secondary container labels for very hazardous chemicals

On the label icon you can generate Secondary Container labels.

The labels have QR code to view the actual SDS file and QR code to track chemical usage and disposal.

Icons from the Safety Data Sheet, Hazard statements and Prevention statements are shown to the large size of the labels. 

Step 9: Print out SDS binders if you prefer to have hard copies on the locations (Optional)

For each location in SDS Inventory Manager you will find a 'Print binder' button. This button will generate a PDF file that contains all the SDSs stored on that location. On the first page of the SDS Binder you will find a table of content of all the SDS in the binder.

The PDF file can be printed out if you need hard copies.

Step 10: Do Risk assessment of all your chemicals (Optional)

Risk assessment of chemicals and substances can be done either via work procedures or directly on the substance for cases where the risk related to the substance isn’t related to an actual work procedure or for the case where your company does not wish to document the work procedures in SDS Manager.

For this case you can do a risk assessment of the substance itself. The risk assessment of a substance (SDS) is nearly identical to risk assessment of substances in a work procedure and contains the following:

• The form of the substance

• What the substance is used for

• How the substance should be used

• How the substance should be disposed of

• Duration of exposure to the substance when handled

• Amount of the substance when handled

• Define the hazard types relevant for handling the substance

• For each of the hazard types, you can register classification of risk, classification of exposure and effect of PPE and controls

• Storage risk regarding safety events

• Storage risk regarding environmental release events

For all locations you have the substance stored, you can evaluate the storage risk.

Step 11: Create risk-assessed work procedures (Optional)

In SDS Manager you can assess your work procedure according to REACH, OSHA and COSHH.

In our Work-procedure risk assessment you will be able to record the following information elements:

• Frequency of the work procedure

• The user that will perform the work procedure

• The locations where the work procedures will be performed

• Description of the procedure

• Description of the job steps

• Description of the hazards

• Add substances (SDS) that are used in the Work procedure.
  
  For each of the substances in the work procedure you may register the following:
  -Form of the substance
  -What the substance is used for
  -How the substance should be used
  -How the substance should be disposed of
  -Duration of exposure to the substance in the work procedure
  -Amount of the substance used in the work procedure
  -Define the hazard types relevant for the work procedure
  -For each of the hazard types, you can register classification of risk, classification of exposure and effect of PPE and controls
  -Storage risk regarding safety events
  -Storage risk regarding environmental release events.

On the Work procedure risk assessment, the risks will be listed for use without PPE and Controls and the risk with Controls.

SDS Manager use a risk classification range from 1-5 for (H)ealth, (S)afety and (E)nvironment

In below example we see that all Health risks are medium high (H3) while the safety risk is very low (S1)

The controls identified on the work procedure are displayed on any secondary container labels available for any users of the SDS Inventory Manager.

Work procedures can be approved and revised.