Safety data sheets are vital to workplace safety. Allowing for ease of access via virtual retrieval is even more vital. Ensuring that safety data sheets are readily available for all your employees is necessary to maintain compliance, reduce company liability, and most importantly, ensure the health and safety of your employees.

What is a safety data sheet composed of?

A safety data sheet is an information sheet typically posted within a work area to communicate to workers potential chemical hazards. It is required to be provided by the chemical manufacturer, importer or distributor. It includes information such as chemical properties, health risks, different kinds of protective measures against harm, and how to safely handle, store, and transport the chemicals.

The safety data sheet is organized with users in mind and can be split up into 16 different sections. Some of the 16 sections are nonmandatory. The website of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) goes into greater detail about the mandatory information groupings. Here is a list of the mandatory sections of a safety data sheet:  

• Chemical identification.

• Hazard identification.

• Ingredient information.

• First aid measures.

• Fire-fighting measures.

• Accidental release measures.

• Handling and storage.

• Exposure control.

• Physical/chemical properties.

• Stability and reactivity.

• Toxicological information.

• Other information.

Nonmandatory sections include:

• Ecological information.

• Disposal consideration.

• Transport information.

• Regulatory information.

What makes virtual access so important?

• It’s easier for your company to remain compliant with OSHA chemical safety guidelines.

• It makes information on workplace hazards more accessible for your workers.

• It helps boost efficiency by making it easier to keep information up to date.

• It can help companies avoid noncompliance fines in the event that paper copies are damaged or destroyed.

Basin Safety can help you access your safety data digitally

Basin Safety offers a variety of services, including virtual access to all the safety data sheets your business is required to maintain. In addition, we’re committed to helping companies build a list of their own safety goals and helping them achieve those goals. We also believe in the power of safety metrics, providing adaptive training, promoting safety culture, and providing highly accessible data.

Contact us today to speak with one of our consultants about all our safety and compliance services.