Dr. Birgit Rahm Principal Consultant – Datachem LTD PO Box 51768, Pakuranga, 2140 info@datachem.co.nz (P16, Wednesday 26, Civic Room 3, 2.00)

1. Coping with SDS’s
Prepared for the
OHSIG Conference 2011
Dr. Birgit Rahm
Datachem LTD

2. Coping with SDS’s
SDS’s and compliance with HSNO
Legal Requirements & Responsibilities
NZ requirements
International SDS’s
Writing your own SDSs

3. Legal requirement (HSNO)
- Level 2 documentation requirement
Suppliers of Hazardous Substances
• Obligated to provide SUPPLIERS
HSNO compliant SDS’s.
Users of Hazardous Substances
• Need information – SDS
• Know the hazards PERSON in
CHARGE
• Safe use/PPE/Exposure control
• Safe storage
• Safe disposal.
• etc

4. Purpose of a Safety Data Sheet
- Safety for users and the environment
• A SDS is an important part of the responsibility
of an employer to ensure a safe working
environment
• SDS provides information on safe use and
emergency management of a substance.
• Must be available in 10 Minutes.

5. Responsibility as a Supplier of
Hazardous Substances
Regulations: HSNO
Hazardous Substances (Identification) Regulations 2001
Hazardous Substances (Emergency Management)
Regulations 2001
Hazardous Substances (Disposal) Regulations 2001
HSE
Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992
How to?
Code of Practice – NZCIC
16 Header SDS
Comply with Group Standards

6. Who has the responsibility?
From Group standard:
In each place of work where the substance is
manufactured, stored or used, the person in charge
of the place must ensure that every person handling
the substance has access to a safety data sheet of
that substance

7. Trigger Quantities for Level 2
Regulations and/or Group Standards.
Regulations: Schedule 2 Quantities requiring Level 2 documentation
- eg; 3.1B Flammable substance: 1.0L

8. How do I know if the SDS is NZ compliant?
Checklist:
• 16 headers
• NZ contact details & Emergency Tel#
• Group standard or HSNO approval number
• HSNO Classes
• Hazard & Precautionary statements
• Regulatory Information (section 15)
• Not older than 5 years.

9. Checklist:
Important:
• Ingredient information
• Comprehensive First Aid Information,
• Emergency response information,
• PPE and WES information,
• Tox and Ecotox information,
• Transport information

10. USERS of Hazardous Substances
Keeping up to date with SDS’s
FIRST STEPS:
• Inventory – what chemicals do we have on site?
• SDS’s - For all hazardous chemicals on site?
• Are the SDS’s readily accessible?
• Are they current NZ compliant SDS’s?

11. Coping with SDS’s
Building up the SDS library
Don’t have NZ compliant SDS?
Ask supplier for a NZ compliant SDS.
Considerations:
• Don’t use that chemical
• Change supplier
• Prepare your own SDS and compliance record
• Use SDS/SDS authoring service
• Can I group my SDS – generic SDS’s

12. Suppliers of Hazardous Substances
SDS’s from other countries are not acceptable.

13. Example of Australian SDS:

14. Example from NZ SDS’s

15. Example of Australian SDS:

16. Example of NZ SDS’s (same substance)

17. Example of an US SDS

18. NZ version of same SDS

19. Suppliers of Hazardous Substances
SDS’s from other countries are not acceptable.
NZ information must be added to SDS.
NZ contact details and Emergency tel no
HSNO classification –see Compliance Record
Hazard and Precautionary statements
Relevant controls

20. Compliance Records
record of how HSNO classification has been
assigned (calculations)
must be available for inspection if requested
by a HSNO enforcement officer.
include HSNO approval (approval
number, group standard)

22. Preparing your own SDS
First steps
Collect information
• International SDS available?
• Full Formulation available?
• Physical data (flashpoint, appearance etc)
• Specific risks and hazards of the substance

23. Preparing your own SDS
Assign HSNO Classification
• Information on each ingredient
• Assign a group standard.
• Compliance record

24. Preparing your own SDS
Further Information
• Workplace Exposure standards
• PPE
• Spill procedures
• HAZCHEM code
• Disposal
• Transport Information

25. Considerations
• Grouping your substances
• What happens to two pack substances?
• Combining International & NZ information
• Safety information (Safety Cards)

26. Coping with SDS’s
• Finally remember
• A SDS is a living document and must be
reviewed at least every 5 years or when new
information comes to hand.
• The requirement is NOW and
• There are no exemptions (cf Labels)

27. Thank you for your attention!
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