Monitoring hazardous substances: 6 key steps for effective and compliant monitoring
Have you ever wondered how to make it as easy as possible to control chemicals on the farm?
Here is a concrete cue!
Below we tell you about a structured pathway, starting with supplier Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) and culminating in a continuously updated monitoring system.
A flow that combines an obligation with a significant improvement in control, security and compliance.
Key steps to build an effective and always up-to-date control system
1 - Where to start
It all starts with the SDSs received from suppliers
- SDSs are the sheets of chemicals used on the farm
- contain all the substances to be monitored
- Are updated whenever the hazardousness of substances changes
2 - What to do with SDSs.
It is necessary to analyze each SDS to identify the hazards of:
- pure substances
- substances contained in mixtures
3 - Compare the substances you use with the regulatory lists
Check whether substances are banned or restricted.
You must compare each substance with:
- Regulatory lists (e.g., Candidates, Restricted, Authorized Substances)
- lists of CMR substances (carcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic)
- local or sectoral regulations
Lists change often, need up-to-date sources.
4 - Define your watchlist
Build custom lists of substances to monitor:
- Company Lists (lists defined by your company or parent company)
- Restrictions requested by your customers
5 - Enable continuous monitoring
Monitoring cannot be a one-off
- regulations change, lists update
- new versions of the SDSs are received
- new products are purchased
You need to constantly monitor noncompliant substances.
6 - Communicates and documents
Share the right information with the right people
- H&S, competent physician, purchasing, warehouse, production, R&D...
- Keep track of changes, actions, and responsible parties
- produce reports for audits or inspections
Now that you know what needs to be done.
With SDS-FullService this process is fully automated and digitalized:
- automatic extraction of substances from SDS
- Continuous updating of public lists
- Continuous integration and comparison with public and private lists
- Automatic alerts, full traceability, targeted reports
