Safety Data Sheets - copies:
I am aware that we need to keep a digital record of SDS and also paper copies of SDS (in case digital records are not accessible). With respect to paper copies of SDS - should we have one copy in a location that is accessible by everyone, or should there be multiple copies (ie one in the prep room and one in each teaching lab?
Submitted by sat on 04 April 2023
Science ASSIST has recently prepared an information sheet: Chemical registers, manifests and safety data sheets in science.1 This document contains the information you are seeking regarding accessibility of the SDS for all staff.
A printed copy of the chemical register/manifest and safety data sheets should be kept where the chemicals are used and stored (i.e., in the laboratory prep room). Information regarding the chemicals used in a particular experiment will be covered during a risk assessment carried out for each practical. As a result, there is no need for a copy of the SDS in each laboratory.
It is also advisable to have a printed copy of the SDS in a central location away from the science laboratories, in the event of a power outage or emergency. E-copies of SDS may be stored on the school intranet for the relevant staff to access if required.
1 Science ASSIST website, (2022, October), ‘AIS: Chemical registers, manifests and safety data sheets in science’, retrieved from https://assist.asta.edu.au/resource/4812/science-assist-information-sheet-chemical-registers-manifests-and-sdss
Science ASSIST website, (2023, March), ‘AIS: Risk assessments’, retrieved from https://assist.asta.edu.au/resource/4867/science-assist-information-sheet-risk-assessment