Safety Data Sheets: ECHA Evaluates Quality Inspections and Issues New Guidelines

The REACH-En-Force (REF 5) monitoring project, aimed at improving the quality of safety data sheets (SDS), is entering a decisive phase. Its members will meet at the beginning of October to work out an overview of the problems with SDSs and advise about the appropriate countermeasures. In preparation for the meeting, inspectors from 28 EU countries examined the completeness and accuracy of SDSs and exposure scenarios. They then collected the results in a database.

According to a report from ChemicalWatch, Sinead McMickan, the vice chair of the REACH-EN-Force-Forum, criticized the quality of SDSs even before the meeting. At the Chemical Watch Enforcement Summit Europe 2018 at the end of September, she stated that the quality of the SDS was worrisomely poor. The final results are to be presented in November.

Meanwhile, the ECHA has published a new guideline for SDSs and exposure scenarios. It is available in 23 languages and can be downloaded free of charge from the EU Bookshop.

We can create safety data sheets in almost all country versions. If you have any questions, please contact us at sds@kft.de.