SDS System Supports Global Regulatory Compliance

Environmental health and safety (EH&S) compliance and information management services firm 3E Company has announced the immediate availability of MSDgen 6.53, the latest version of its safety data sheet (SDS) authoring system.

The new release includes enhancements aimed at streamlining global hazard communication initiatives, including expanded regulatory information for the Vietnamese and South African adaptations of the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System for the Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), the company says.

MSDgen 6.53 fully aligns with the most recent adaptation of the classification, labeling and packaging (CLP) regulation, which implements the fourth revised edition of the UN GHS. Working with regional specialists, 3E Company expanded MSDgen to support the new Vietnamese and South African GHS regulations. The latest version of MSDgen now supports those authorities with a complete set of new configurations, calculations, rules, and document templates, including new SDSs, labels, and GHS classification sheet documents.

MSDgen was the first authoring platform to support the US Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) 2012, which aligns with the UN’s GHS, according to 3E. MSDgen now includes new sets of ratings from the Hazardous Materials Identification System (HMIS) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) for use on HCS 2012 SDS and labels. The new ratings are based on the US GHS classifications to ensure consistency and support conformance to the HCS 2012.

MSDgen 6.53 also enables new stand-alone authored exposure scenario (ES) documents to be generated. This new ES document is identical to the ES portion of the eSDS and allows users to generate an ES without a complete SDS.

Beyond the new regulatory updates, the latest version of MSDgen includes new product features such as 34 LABELgenerator optimized templates, six of which are completely new and certified for regulatory compliance. Each of the templates may be used from within MSDgen or through a web browser using LABELgenerator.

Other new features include:

• Multithreaded calculations designed to break down materials into their components and calculate them concurrently. Using any number of connections and taking advantage of multiprocessor database capabilities, the new service improves the performance of MSDgen calculations by allocating additional connections, the company says.
• Systemwide performance optimizations for improved automatic calculation, classification, and rules generation.
• Configuration access for toll manufacturers through the "Alternate Trade Names" tab, which allows users to designate a particular set of ATNs as belonging to one or more toll manufacturers. Once a toll manufacturer is set up in the system, users can generate and produce labels with the set of manufacturer information and requirements.
• A comprehensive set of the latest rules updates, including the assignment of glossary statements for all SDS and label sections based on GHS category, including acute toxicity inhalation, combustible dust, sensitization, skin, serious eye damage/eye irritation, skin corrosion/irritation, and nonhazardous defaults.