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How to Address the Digital Transformation of the SDS Management Process.

How to Address the Digital Transformation of the SDS Management Process.

by | Sep 12, 2023 | digitalization, Management Safety Data Sheets, Sustainability

How to Address the Digital Transformation of the Safety Data Sheet Management Process

Challenges, Opportunities and Essential Steps

How to deal with digitalization of the SDS management process - SDS-FullService from Every SWS

Digitalization of data and processes has become essential for companies in every industry. When dealing with hazardous chemicals, Safety Data Sheet (SDS) management becomes a crucial element for worker safety, regulatory compliance and environmental protection.

Many companies still operate with cumbersome and disorganized processes for managing SDS, but the digital transformation of this process offers tremendous opportunities to improve operational efficiency and business security.

In this article, we will explore how to approach a project at digitalization of the SDS management process, examining the tangible benefits, common challenges and essential steps to follow. We will discover how digitalization not only simplifies the flow of information, but can also spur innovation and promote business sustainability. It is time to embrace a new perspective on digitalization processes, because what was once difficult to digitalize is now no longer difficult, and the achievable results can make a real difference.

The Benefits

1. Centralized and up-to-date management of SDSs and elimination of dispersion

Having a single repository where to receive, store, and manage the SDSs of the entire company makes it possible to keep track of these documents normally scattered among various company departments and allows them to be updated efficiently on an ongoing basis. It often happens that SDSs are held in various offices that keep copies without sharing them with other business functions. This leads to the generation of unnecessary duplicates, prevents the proper circulation of information and the efficient distribution of updates. Some companies that have undertaken the process of digitalization of SDSs have seen the number of documents decrease by as much as a third after the assessment project and subsequent cleaning.

2. Simple Sharing and Dissemination of SDSs 

Centralizing the SDS repository also facilitates information sharing among different departments and business teams. All authorized users can access the latest versions of SDSs quickly and conveniently, ensuring a consistent and up-to-date flow of information.

3. Resource Optimization

Automation of processes reduces operational costs, enabling better allocation of human resources. This allows them to focus on higher-level activities such as data analysis, preventive measure planning, and staff training.

4. Increased Control of Hazardous Chemicals.

The company can more effectively monitor and assess potential hazards, making informed decisions for the safety of personnel and the environment and implementing appropriate preventive measures.

5. Increased Regulatory Compliance

A digital SDS management system facilitates monitoring and enforcement of current regulations. The ability to maintain traceability and history of actions taken enables companies to demonstrate compliance during inspections and audits. For example, the archive of obsolete SDSs or discontinued products to be maintained for at least 10 years can validate the presence of certain information in the company during a particular period, demonstrating actions taken over time.

6. Improvement of Commercial Compliance 

Efficient control of hazardous chemicals in the company enables it to respond adequately to stakeholder requests regarding risk management and compliance with industry and/or private protocols.

7. Quick and Easy Search for Information in Case of Emergency

All operational personnel can immediately search for and retrieve the information needed to address a hazardous situation, enabling a timely and effective response. SDSs contain safety information and instructions for hazardous chemicals that should be consulted immediately in the event of an accident.

8. Stimulation of Innovation and Opportunities Related to Sustainability

More efficient management of hazardous chemicals makes it easier to adopt safer and sustainable alternatives, contributing to overall corporate responsibility. It also enables verifiability and measurability of progress.

Implementation strategies

The many benefits of digitalization of the SDS management process can be achieved by addressing and overcoming certain challenges that bring with them fruitful opportunities for growth and improvement.

Here are some tips on how to approach the project effectively.

The digitalization of the SDS management process: challenges and opportunities - SDS-FullService from Every SWS

1. Resource Management

N

Select a scalable and modular technical solution that fits the company's needs and resources

N

Break down the process of digitalization into steps: focusing on one step at a time helps avoid overload and better manage available resources

2. Technical Skills

N

Collaborate with vendors who offer technical support, training and consulting

N

To facilitate the overall success of the project, the solution provider must be able to work closely with the relevant IT staff

3. Budget Management

N

Demonstrating the value of digitalization to decision makers, clearly highlighting risks and benefits, can help obtain the necessary financial support

4. Inter-Departmental Accountability.

N

because the information contained in SDSs is useful to many business functions, it is critical to identify the department responsible for the project

N

in some contexts it is preferable for top management to sponsor the project

Essential steps

Let us now take a look at the key steps to address a path to digitalization of the SDS management process.

The essential steps for digitalize the SDS- SDS- FullService management process of Every SWS.

Organizing the Input of SDSs.

Establish a structured system to receive and record SDSs in an organized manner.

The process of receiving SDSs is crucial to the whole project at digitalization and is unfortunately often ungoverned and unstructured.

It is very important not to underestimate this first step that initiates the entire SDS journey in the company.

Indexing SDSs

Develop an extraction and indexing process to homogenize the data contained in SDSs and make them easily accessible and searchable, ensuring the correct classification of chemicals and associated hazards.

The extraction and digitalization of the data contained in SDSs should be approached with specialized automated tools as, if done manually, it has many disadvantages such as:

N

relevant work time

N

resources devoted to repetitive and unskilled work

N

difficulty in reading the contents of SDSs, which have different formats depending on the manufacturer

N

Lack of uniformity in data compilation by different operators

N

possibility of transcription errors

N

difficulty in continuously updating data

Archiving SDSs.

Collect SDSs in a single, up-to-date and controlled system to ensure that SDSs can be accessed and consulted by all relevant personnel.

Searching for documents and information contained in the centralized repository should be simple and clear for each figure involved, without over-information, but always in compliance with regulations. For example, for some business figures, the distribution of a simplified SDS can be considered.

Automating Specific Processes

Once the main processes are organized, one can move on to implement a workflow for the processes of validation, approval, and distribution of SDSs, with steps that can involve both internal and external roles within the company.

It is essential that theSDS repository be accessible according to an efficient and structured authorization system that allows for the necessary security of information, but at the same time is able to make SDS available to all workers, as mandated by the regulations.

Monitoring of MRSLs

The digitalization of data contained in SDSs can make it possible to automate a system of continuous comparison of hazardous chemicals in the company with reference MRSL (Manufacturing Restricted Substances List) lists.

To be able to do this, it is essential that the chosen solution includes management of public, private and/or industry MRSLs of interest to the company, cross-referencing them with data in the SDS archive.

Conclusions

The management of Safety Data Sheets For companies that deal with hazardous chemicals, it is a crucial element for safety, compliance, and business efficiency. The digital transformation of this process offers tangible benefits, including increased regulatory and commercial compliance, faster response to emergencies, and optimized use of resources.

However, this transformation is not without its challenges, including resource and budget management, technical expertise, and interdepartmental accountability. It is critical to demonstrate the value of digitalization to decision makers, highlighting the economic, environmental and social benefits, as well as the risks associated with poor SDS management.

What makes this transformation even more exciting is the potential offered by the new technologies available today, such as the spread of Internet connections and mobile devices, Cloud solutions and, more recently, Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. These technologies generate a significant competitive advantage for those who adopt them. Indeed, they allow for simplification and significant savings in time and resources, as well as unprecedented access to vast amounts of information.

It is crucial to grasp a new perspective on digitalization processes such as SDS management. What seemed difficult to digitalizable and structure a few years ago can now become a driver of excellence. With the right approach and the right technologies, it is possible to transform SDS management and unlock its full potential.

 

Stefania Agiato

Every Software Solutions

digitalize SDS management process can be a driver of excellence for the company with SDS FullService from Every SWS
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Proper receipt and management of SDSs

Proper receipt and management of SDSs

by | Aug 9, 2023 | Management Safety Data Sheets

The proper receipt and management of SDSs: a key element for security, compliance, and corporate sustainability

The proper receipt, management and digitalization of SDSs - with SDS FullService from Every SWS

In an increasingly complex and regulated business world, the management of documents and information flows is essential for the proper functioning of every organization. Among the various types of documentation, the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) play a role of primary importance, especially when it comes to environmental risk, occupational health and safety, compliance and sustainability.

The critical role of SDSs

SDSs, in fact, contain detailed information about chemicals purchased and used within the company, including physical and chemical properties, health and environmental hazards, preventive measures, and precautions for safe use. If not properly received and managed, the enterprise can incur serious risks.

Risks associated with the mismanagement of SDSs

For the company, failure to control the process of receiving and managing SDSs can result in significant risks beyond the day-to-day operational challenges faced by HSE departments. If there is a lack of policy and guidance on how to strictly manage this, top management can even be held liable for the consequences of not having an adequate SDS management system in place.

First, there is the legal risk. Violation of occupational safety and chemical management laws and regulations can result in legal recourse, high penalties, and even criminal prosecution of managers.

Second, there is reputational risk. Failure to manage SDSs can lead to workplace accidents or environmental damage that attract media attention, damaging the company's reputation. In an era when consumers and investors are increasingly attentive to corporate social responsibility, reputational damage can have long-term consequences for a company's competitiveness and value.

Finally, failure to manage SDSs can undermine a company's efforts to document its sustainability. In fact, SDSs contain information crucial to the responsible management of hazardous chemicals, which is a key element of sustainability practices. This aspect, if not managed properly, has a fundamental impact on the final product, its eventual recycling or waste, and ultimately on all aspects related to responsible production and consumption. Without a proper SDS management process, the company may not be able to meet sustainability goals, obtain environmental certifications, or respond adequately to stakeholder inquiries about risk management.

The risks of mismanagement of SDS in the enterprise - SDS FullService by Every SWS

The importance of a well-defined process

Despite its obvious importance, the process of receiving and managing SDSs is often neglected or not clearly assigned to a manager. This represents a strategic mistake . In fact, a company's governance should not afford to manage such a relevant business process in an unstructured way.

Take, for example, the management of orders received from customers: in every company this process has been refined and structured to ensure that no document is lost. A well-defined workflow has been created, normally entrusted to the sales administration, from the receipt of the order, to its digitalization, to its entry into the computer system for proper handling. This process, taken care of in every detail, is essential to ensure the business continuity of the company and to avoid possible problems such as delivery delays, billing errors and, ultimately, the loss of sales, if not even customers.

Similarly, a process for receiving and handling incoming SDSs needs to be refined and structured. Such a process should include the timely receipt of SDSs from suppliers, their digitalization to ensure easy access and search,continuous updating according to new versions or regulatory changes, and finally training workers on their proper use.

The role of the digitalization

In this context, which may seem like a usual supply chain process, a peculiarity also emerges that should be taken into account from the outset: for the SDS management process to be truly efficient, it is not enough that we simply receive and store the documents (SDSs, which contain so much detailed information, are normally made available as simple PDFs).

It is also necessary for the documents received to be digitalized, meaning that the most important information is "extracted" from the documents and transformed into "classified digital information" so that it can be used in subsequent processing, such as research, reports and analysis. In addition, digitalization of the data allows the information from SDSs to be integrated into the company's information system, thus facilitating chemical risk management, compliance with current regulations, as well as providing relevant—and, most importantly, traceable and measurable—data for sustainability reporting.

Given the type and amount of information that is important digitalize, uploading it manually into the management system is not sustainable, as it would be too onerous and not sufficiently reliable (the data to be uploaded would be dozens, when not hundreds, for each SDS received). It is therefore essential that the SDS management system be able, upon receipt, to subject the documents to an automatic digitalization process.

Conclusions

In conclusion, it is necessary for a company's senior management—if it has not already done so—to understand the importance of a well-defined and efficient process for receiving and managing SDSs, and to be a diligent part of ensuring that it is properly implemented. Ignoring this reality can pose serious risks, operationally, reputational and legally. Conversely, proactive attention to this process is a hallmark of accountability and business excellence.

Today, thanks to the evolution of Digital Transformation, there are services, methodologies, and technologies that allow this process to be simplified and made efficient as well in ways that were not available just a few years ago. Tools such as artificial intelligence, process automation, and cloud solutions offer new opportunities to improve SDS management. These innovative solutions make it possible to automate the entire process of receiving, digitalization and managing SDSs, thereby reducing the time, effort required and increasing efficiency.

They also help to ensure that all SDSs are always present and up-to-date, not only for new products to be purchased, but also for new versions of SDSs of products in use, issued by chemical manufacturers to adapt to frequent regulatory changes. This ensures that the company is always in compliance with current regulations and that workers always have access to the latest information relevant to their safety.

So there is no excuse for not addressing and resolving the inadequacy of the process of receiving, managing and digitalization SDSs. The solutions are at hand, and the benefits, whether for business needs in terms of safety, regulatory and commercial compliance, and sustainability, are too great to ignore. Implementing an effective SDS management process should be a priority for every responsible company.

 

Roberto Di Martino

Every Software Solutions

CEO & Solutions Manager

 

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False beliefs related to email

False beliefs related to email

by | Feb 13, 2023 | Management Safety Data Sheets

False beliefs related to email

Although we use it every day and, in most cases, it is useful to us and does not create problems, in reality, sometimes we know little about e-mail.

This article provides some false beliefs regarding emails that clarify why they cannot be used for safe and compliant distribution of SDSs to product recipients.

They are divided into beliefs related to delivery and evidence value.

False beliefs related to email - SDS FullService

The Delivery

M

If you give the right recipient address, the email will certainly arrive

False

Even if the address is right, there may be reasons why an email fails to reach the recipient. For example, the recipient's server may be temporarily unavailable, the box may be full, or the message may be considered SPAM.

M

If the message is not considered SPAM by the antispam using the sender, certainly the recipient's antispam, whatever it is, will not block the email

False

This is not necessarily true. Even if an antispam does not consider a message to be SPAM, there is always the possibility that another antispam will recognize it as such.

M

If the message is not delivered, you will certainly receive a notification email from the recipient's server

False

This is not necessarily true. Depending on the recipient's server settings, it may not be possible to know whether a message was delivered or not.

M

Cases of non-receipt of emails are so rare that it is not worth considering them

False

Missing cases are quite common and should be considered in the process of sending a message, especially an important one. Some estimates report that the percentage of scattered emails varies between 1 percent to more than 10 percent, depending on the contexts.

The Trial

M

The sent mail folder represents a certain record of emails sent to recipients

False

The sent mail folder represents a record of emails sent to recipients and can be used in litigation, but cannot be considered as "non-repudiable evidence." This means that the evidence may be considered irrelevant or disputed by the other party. In fact, the messages contained among the sent mail can be easily constructed, such as by shifting among them emails that were never sent. Moreover, it cannot be proven that the messages were not altered after they were sent.

M

Printing a sent or received email is a valid way to authenticate its content

False

A printout of an email sent or received is not a valid way to authenticate its content. A printout of an email can be easily manipulated or falsified, so it cannot be considered as certain evidence.

M

The date and time stamp of the message reported in an email represents legally probative and non-repudiatory temporal evidence that a certain message was sent at a certain time

False

The Time Stamp can be used as legal evidence in court to prove that a certain message was sent at a certain time, but it cannot be considered as "non-repudiatory evidence." This means that the evidence may be considered irrelevant or disputed by the other party.

M

The display of an email stating that an interlocutor received a certain message constitutes conclusive evidence that the message was received

False

An email can be easily fabricated, manipulated or falsified, so it cannot be considered as certain evidence.

M

If the "return receipt" option is set, when the email is opened you will certainly receive a message confirming receipt

False

The return receipt option does not guarantee that you will receive a confirmation message when the email is opened, as this depends on the recipient's server and its configuration.

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Guiding the path of an SDS in the company

Guiding the path of an SDS in the company

by | Jan 4, 2023 | Management Safety Data Sheets

Guiding the in-house path of an SDS: the approval workflow

For the purpose of chemical risk assessment, it is necessary to guide the path of SDS in the company - SDS FullService

The SDS (Safety Data Sheets), the documents containing the information required by the European REACH regulation on the hazardousness of chemical substances and mixtures, are delivered along the supply chain in support of the chemical products purchased.

In order to be able to carry out a proper chemical risk assessment and make complete and correct information available to end users, the SDSs received must be included in a process consisting of activities aimed at verifying,using, and sometimesenriching the data that are extracted from the SDSs. The approval process promotes and advances the SDSs in the workflow along with the collection of metadata that are managed at various stages of the process.

The planned activities require specific professional figures, sometimes from outside the company, to perform.

Guiding this process is therefore a priority, both because it is critical to define who and when is called upon to perform a given task and because activities must be fully defined and monitored.

With Share-SDS Drive the path taken by SDS in the company can be guided through the configuration of an approval workflow.

The workflow consists of a set of rules prepared for the purpose of coordinating the flow of activities that make up the entire process and is configured precisely to the specific business needs of each client.

Assuming that the needs of companies can differ widely, the basic ingredients of a workflow are:

3

Roles

The roles correspond to the professional figures that each workflow involves. They can be either internal to the company or external (e.g., Loader, Validator, Regulatory Advisor, Competent Physician, Laboratory Manager, HSE Manager, etc.).

3

Activities

The activities correspond to the tasks to be performed by each professional figure on each SDS (e.g., receiving and loading into the system, verifying regulatory compliance, enriching the metadata accompanying the SDS both chemical and business, disseminating to the company)

3

Actions

The actions correspond to the alternatives that each professional figure has, once the assigned tasks are completed. For example, an SDS can be accepted if it meets the requirements, be rejected if it presents criticalities, or be subject to specific treatment determined by the company.

Thanks to the workflow configuration, Share-SDS Drive allows different types of processes to be defined to tailor to the customer, defining one or more flows for the management of receiving SDSs for a new product (including R&D), receiving the update of an SDS already in the company, validation, approval from a central HSE body, receiving and approving from the 'H&S plant (where present), and finally widespread distribution to end users.

Example of a low-complexity workflow:

Example of a low-complexity SDS workflow from Share SDS Drive - SDS Fullservice

Once a workflow is configured, the company can coordinate the management of all SDSs and the enhancement of accompanying metadata from when they arrive at the company to when they are distributed to workers.

In addition to tracking, setting up a workflow via Share-SDS Drive allows you to know the processing status of each SDS by monitoring:

    • Which professionals worked on the document and metadata,
    • What activities were carried out (detailed on all metadata),
    • At what time the activities were carried out ,
    • What actions the activities have generated.

Functionality is also provided to verify the enhancement of all metadata throughout the entire pathway, allowing each activity performed on the document to be traced back.

The correct use of workflow features, combined with the ability to access the SDS according to different levels of authorization, is the basis for defining a selective view of the Safety Data Sheets.

In this scenario, each professional figure, depending on his or her role, will be able to be authorized to act on the document he or she is responsible for at the time it is needed. A user in the role of Validator will, for example, be able to see the SDS throughout the entire path; the Competent Doctor will be able to see the SDS only after it has been uploaded and validated; read-only enabled users, such as Department Heads and Workers, will see the SDS only at the end of the approval path provided by the company.

 

Learn how you can configure a Workflow to guide the path of an SDS in your company!

A path to learning through concrete examples and cases

Download the White Paper of the SDS Approval Workflow for more information, insights, and practical examples!

(Available only in Italian)

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digitalization and Sustainability

digitalization and Sustainability

by | Nov 7, 2021 | digitalization, Management Safety Data Sheets, Sustainability

digitalization and Sustainability

12/05/2021 – Il Sole 24 Ore

Imagine having to search for important information - vital to the security, for the sustainability and for business-detecting names and codes among thousands and thousands of pages, opening one by one hundreds of PDFs stored in network folders.

Imagine that you have to jot down this information manually, transcribing it or doing thousands, tens of thousands, of "copy/paste" between PDFs and a spreadsheet.

Imagine that as you do this work, some of the documents you are working on are replaced because you receive updated versions.

Imagine having to cross-check the data in those documents against some lists, regulations and specifications. Imagine that this process never ends--because in the meantime some of the documents have been replaced and some of the regulations have changed.

It sounds impossible... but such a process exists, is present in virtually every company, of every industry and size, and is concerned with managing information about the hazardous chemicals the company uses.

This information comes with specific documents, the SDS (Safety Data Sheets), which suppliers usually send to their customers as PDF documents. Each document consists of many pages, at least a dozen, but sometimes many more, and each company has to manage hundreds and sometimes thousands (depending on the type and size of the company).

digitalization and sustainability with SDS FullService from Every SWS.

Digital Transformation: a bridge to the future

SDSs are used both to assess Chemical Risk, to determine Sustainability Indices, to check compliance with current Health, Safety and Environmental regulations , and to confirm to customers compliance with their Specifications regarding proscribed chemicals.

For Every Software Solutions, digitalization data is the lever to meet the challenges of Sustainability, Health, Safety and Environment

Every Software Solutions, which specializes in Cloud services concerning the management of processes based on digitalization business documents, to create efficiency in this context proposes Share-SDS Drive, a Solution that starts from a premise: transforming the information contained in SDSs into DIGITAL DATA, which can be processed using IT tools. Thus making them archivable, searchable and comparable with otherwise impossible automatisms.

To make this Solution efficient, Every Software Solutions has solved one of the main barriers that anyone who has approached this process manually has faced: the time it takes to digitalize this information.

The timeliness of the process is achieved through a service assisted by technology-unique data extraction from SDSs. These activities are handled by ChemParser, a company of which Every Software Solutions is a co-founder. This service makes it possible to drastically reduce the time of digitalization of the information, as well as the costs and inevitable errors that are made when this activity is done manually, thus making it possible to obtain a wealth of information and data analysis that would otherwise be impossible.

Share-SDS Drive is used by companies in every industry (e.g., Industrial, Chemical, Pharmaceutical, Fashion) and of all sizes. 

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The management of the SDS archive.

The management of the SDS archive.

by | Jan 1, 2021 | digitalization, Management Safety Data Sheets

The management of the SDS archive.

digitalize, reorganize and optimize the circulation of documents in the company

Cosmetic Technology – 2019

Eduardo Affinito – Every Software Solutions

Summary

Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) are the primary source by which hazard and management information on substances and mixtures is conveyed throughout the supply chain. In the face of ever-changing regulations, and consequently a constantly updating body of data, companies often find it difficult to properly find, consult and evaluate SDSs of chemicals in their companies. In some cases, the difficulties encountered may be caused by the failure of raw material suppliers to submit documents (either as first submissions or as systematic submissions of subsequent revisions) and the lack of effective checking of different versions of the same SDS, in many cases scattered among company locations or departments.
Presented below are the results of an analysis of key data regarding SDSs of substances and mixtures conducted in-house in a company with a real presence in the market, in order to demonstrate how digital management of these documents can simplify and optimize the circulation and use of unambiguous, up-to-date and correct information.

The digitalization of documents with SDS FullService

Introduction

Over the years of operation, companies in general, and so do cosmetic companies, receive numerous Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) from their suppliers regarding the chemicals and mixtures that are purchased. In accordance with the legislation governing SDSs (Regulation (EC) No. 1906/2007 (1)), they are provided, either on paper or in electronic form, by the time the substance or mixture covered by the SDS is supplied. Thereafter, SDSs are revised (i) as soon as new information becomes available that may affect risk management measures or new information on hazards; (ii) when an authorization has been granted or denied; (iii) when a restriction has been imposed (1); and, in addition to these cases provided for in the regulation, whenever the supplier deems it appropriate to transmit updated versions, making appropriate changes.

In the risk assessment required under Legislative Decree No. 81 of April 9, 2008 (National Unified Workplace Health and Safety Standards), the employer shall preliminarily determine the possible presence of hazardous chemical agents in the workplace and shall also assess the risks to the safety and health of workers arising from the presence of such agents, taking into consideration, in particular (and among other elements): a) their hazardous properties; b) the health and safety information communicated by the supplier through the relevant SDS.

In addition, under the TUSL, employers shall ensure that workers or their representatives have access to any SDS made available by the supplier (2). Similarly, Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 requires employers to make SDSs (or information documents where an SDS is not mandatory) of substances and mixtures available to all workers who use them or may be exposed to them in the course of their work (1).

In this framework, where it is easy to glimpse a wide movement of documents in a hopefully increasingly information-rich and up-to-date version, proper and accurate archiving is surely the starting point for any organizational process the company intends to set up.

In addition, with the arrival of new versions it would be necessary to have them immediately available so as to ascertain what elements have been changed and how they affect the assessments prepared in the company. However, previous SDSs should not be deleted, as it may be necessary to prove that one was in possession, at some time, of the previous version. Under the current regulations (1), each actor shall assemble all the information it needs to fulfill its obligations under the regulations and ensure its availability for a period of time of at least 10 years after it last manufactured, imported, supplied or used the substance or mixture, thus also in case of discontinuation of use of a particular product.

The filing of SDSs "on their own"

Initially, a large proportion of companies organize by creating a folder on a disk in the company's computer network, accessible by authorized personnel, where documents (usually in PDF format) are stored as they are transmitted by suppliers.

As time goes on, the number of documents available increases and it can become increasingly difficult to store them in a useful and unambiguously understandable way, as well as to find them. Recognizing files using name alone becomes virtually impossible, as each vendor uses a different nomenclature standard; therefore, attempts are made to make up for this by dividing SDSs into several network folders, but these soon begin to proliferate. In the most frequent cases, a folder is created for each vendor, in order to divide the mass of documents into many small, better manageable pieces.

It is not uncommon to find companies that, for production use of a few hundred products that come with an SDS, have a hundred network folders containing a couple of thousand documents.

In some cases, the company chooses to organize itself by equipping each production department or plant with only the SDSs within its competence (a concept that is in principle correct, not least to avoid the overinformation caused by anyone's indiscriminate access to information not within their competence or interest). In doing so, the matter is further complicated. Indeed, it is usual for PDF documents to be allocated in several folders, so when a new version of an SDS arrives, it should be distributed in several subfolders. Or, again, in cases where different versions relating to different languages of the same SDS are transmitted to the company (imagine the case of a distributor of raw materials who does not carry out rebranding work, who will resell the product in different markets, and who receives from its supplier different versions of the same document, marked with different names or dates), which contribute to the multiplication of archived documents and, likewise, to confusion.

In addition, the various delivery practices adopted by the various suppliers mean that any organizational procedure is further articulated: sometimes SDSs are delivered to the purchasing department, sometimes to the company'sH&S (Prevention and Protection Service Manager), and sometimes they are delivered with the goods and then received directly at the various plants. Many companies have tried to improve their ability to manage this complexity by, for example, compiling Excel sheets containing characteristic product data and, in the most virtuous cases, a link to the document stored in the appropriate folder. But even this method is complex to manage and, in most cases, you lose control of it in a short time.

In the medium term, the result is more or less always the same: the company finds itself managing many more documents than it should or could, and different people are likely to access outdated SDSs that have not been promptly updated in their own reference environment (computer or physical folder).

In doing so, in a short time we end up with duplicate, outdated SDSs or different versions in the various company sites, giving rise to confusion and possible errors. Hence the need to have solutions that actually help, with centralized and unified management of the documents received and digital processing of the data they contain.

Therefore, there is a need to implement a process that allows for the complete management of incoming SDSs in the company, including their receipt, content analysis, verification of the document's compliance with the requirements imposed by the regulations, highlighting of any hazard aspects that may have changed (and that could in some cases compromise the use of a given substance in the cosmetic sector), up to their use in production and the possible archiving of SDSs that are obsolete (because they have been replaced by a new version) or discontinued because they relate to products discontinued from production.

To this end, it was deemed appropriate to conduct an experimental study, using appropriate computer aids, to highlight, by means of a snapshot, what is the common status of document management (and SDSs in particular) in a formulation company, in order to identify appropriate and adoptable strategies in work contexts.

To continue reading and discover Materials, Methods and Results of the study conducted download the full article.

Download full article SDS archive management: digitalize, rearranging and optimizing the circulation of documents in the company

 

(Available only in Italian)

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