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

• Hazard types relevant for handling the substance

• classification of risk, classification of exposure and effect of PPE and controls for each hazard type

• 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.

To create Risk assessments for SDS, you will need the PRO version. Click on “Add risk assessment” (1) to start.

As seen in the below example, SDS Manager allow you document the risk of the chemical when no controls are in place (2).

As part of the risk assessment, you can document required PPE and other controls required for safe handling, storage and disposal of the product. You can also determine the level of risk in handling and storing the chemical when used according to procedures and precautions documented in the risk assessment – i.e. risk rating after controls (3).

Storage risk is determined based on the quantity stored, the inherent safety dangers of the chemicals and estimated likelihood of an safety event where controls are required and document in the risk assessment are in place (4).

SDS Manager allows risk assessments to be approved (5) and when changes are needed, new revisions can be created.

Below is an example of a chemical risk assessment created in SDS Manager: