If you supply chemical substances or mixtures, you are required to provide a safety data sheet (SDS). This document contains information about the risks of the substance and instructions for safe working practices. The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) checks whether you provide customers with an up-to-date and complete SDS.
A Safety Data Sheet, SDS is known as a veiligheidsinformatieblad, VIB in the Netherlands.
The importance of an up-to-date and complete SDS
As a supplier of chemical substances and mixtures, you are legally obliged to provide your customers with an up-to-date and complete SDS. The SDS helps your customers take measures that protect employees and the environment against the risks posed by chemical substances.
Incorrect, out-of-date or incomplete information in the SDS can potentially be harmful to an employee’s health, for example because they may not be using the correct personal protective equipment. It can also lead to hazardous substances being released into the air, soil or surface water.
Required information on the SDS
You can find out which legal requirements the SDSs for your chemical substances and mixtures must meet on ECHA’s SDS checklist. If you want to check whether you meet all requirements under the European Union’s REACH Regulation and the Classification, Labelling and Packaging of chemicals (CLP) Regulation, check what your obligations are on chemischestoffengoedgeregeld.nl (in Dutch).
The information in an SDS always has 16 fixed sections. It covers, for example:
- The properties of the substance or mixture.
- The chemical composition of the substance or mixture.
- The risks to people and the environment.
- Measures for safe use.
- Steps you must take in the event of an accident.
- Rules for storage and transport.
The SDS may be in paper or digital form. Draw up the SDS in the language of the country to which you supply the chemical substances or mixtures.
When to update the SDS
As a supplier of chemical substances and mixtures, you must update the SDS in the following situations:
- New information becomes available regarding the risks of the substance or its risk management measures.
- You are granted or denied authorisation by the European Commission (EC) for the use of the chemical.
- The EC imposes a restriction on the use of the chemical.
- The requirements for SDSs change. This last happened on 18 June 2020. As a supplier, you must have updated all SDSs after that date.
The SDS check for purchasers of chemical substances and mixtures
If you purchase chemical substances or mixtures from a supplier, use the SDS check (in Dutch) to see whether the SDS is up to date and complete. It also enables you to check whether the SDS complies with the REACH requirements.
ILT oversight of SDS
The ILT oversees chemical substances and mixtures in the Netherlands (in Dutch). The ILT carries out inspections at manufacturers, importers and traders of substances, mixtures and articles intended for professional use. During these inspections, the ILT checks, amongst other things, whether your SDSs are up to date and complete. If this is not the case, the ILT may issue you with a warning or impose a penalty payment. In the event of serious breaches, the ILT may also draw up an official report.