Effective Hazard Communications with Omega Safety Data Sheets
Safety Data Sheets aren’t just convenient, they’re required by law and provide critical information on potentially hazardous materials found in products.
Mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is a technical document that provides detailed information on the potential chemical hazards within a product, including the properties of each chemical ingredient; the potential physical, health, and environmental hazards; safety precautions for the handling, storage, and transportation of the products, and more.
As outlined by the Hazard Communication Standard of 2012, an SDS – formerly known as a Material Safety Data Sheet, or an MSDS – must include 16 consistent, user-friendly sections outlining:
- Hazard Identification
- Composition and Ingredients
- First-Aid Measures
- Accidental Release Measures
- Handling and Storage
- Exposure Controls and Personal Protection
- Toxicological Information, and more
The hazards documented in the SDS should include components of the product that may pose a risk to human or environmental health, or which may cause a physical threat. Examples of these hazards include carcinogenicity, skin corrosion, respiratory sensitization, acute aquatic toxicity, flammability, and explosivity.
In addition to detailing the potential hazards of a product, the SDS must also describe the route of exposure for health hazards. The document must comply with strict rules and regulations per each of the 16 sections, which are developed by OSHA and the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.
Help from Hazardous Material Experts
Compiling an SDS can be time-consuming and costly – not to mention a complete headache – and many organizations lack the expertise of chemical hazards to develop an OSHA-compliant document. To ensure the accuracy and compliance of an SDS, many choose to outsource this work to environmental consultants who specialize in toxicology and hazardous materials.
Omega Environmental works closely with product manufacturers to understand the composition of a product, its materials, and the associated hazards. Our team of hazard experts and scientific writers will research and compile a compliant SDS, complete with information around the identification of hazards, safe handling practices, emergency control measures, and more.
An SDS must be readily available to consumers either within the packaging of the product or on the manufacturer’s website.
COVID-19 Startups Benefit from Outsourced Expertise
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a flood of new startups has brought a variety of sanitation products and services to the market. Recently, Omega worked with a company that manufactures UV-C disinfection devices capable of killing pathogenic viruses and bacteria.
As a new and fast-growing organization, the UV-C light manufacturer did not have the bandwidth or expertise to compile an SDS. Instead, they sent product information to Omega’s team who worked quickly to identify the potential hazards of the product and develop a detailed, compliant SDS.
From sanitation technology to paint products, chemicals, and more, Omega’s team of industry veterans and toxicology experts works closely with companies to develop proper hazardous material communication protocols and documents. With over 25 years of experience in environmental mitigation, we offer assessment, remediation, demolition, restoration, and construction consulting services to both the public and private sectors.
Contact Omega’s team through the link below to learn more about our environmental consulting services.
