Since the June 1st, 2015 deadline for complete MSDS to GHS SDS conversion is now less than a year away, you probably have already started thinking about how you will proceed to create your new GHS-compliant safety data sheets. The two main paths to complete GHS SDS compliance are MSDS to SDS conversion services and SDS authoring software.
Each method comes with its own inherent set of advantages and disadvantages. Many companies believe they will need software when, in reality, their needs are much better suited to GHS conversion services. How can you tell which method of GHS SDS authoring is best for you and your company?
Let’s take a look at software. A lot of companies start thinking about MSDS to SDS conversion and immediately center their plan around software. This makes sense for a few reasons. The main reason that manufacturers want software is confidentiality. Since formulas are the core of production, and therefore the core of your business, most chemical experts reason that getting software to do the work in-house is the best way to protect those formulas from being exposed.
Doing the authoring within your own company is also desirable in that it allows you full control over the SDS from start to finish. You control the design, you control the rate of production, and you control which ingredients are or aren’t displayed. If you have changes to be made, you can do them easily by yourself instead of waiting to communicate with the conversion service.
Being able to create the new safety data sheets using in-house software does come with a unique set of issues. Most important of all is having the manpower and time to operate the software. While the SDS authoring software is designed to be user-friendly – especially Quantum’s, which has just launched a new version with an updated user interface that makes operation much more streamlined – there is no way to evade the problem of data input.
Updating your material safety data sheets to the new UN GHS safety data sheets requires all of the information from the original MSDS to be put into the software in order to create new SDSs. For a company with more than a few SDSs to create, this data entry can take much longer a time than they might be willing to give up to devote to rote work. Many companies may even find themselves needing to hire a new person in order to manage the work of operating the software.
Another issue with in-house software is cost. SDS software often costs thousands of dollars just for access or licensing alone, with additional fees for training or support. Some companies will even charge by the features the software itself offers rather than just selling one all-inclusive package. These costs also don’t include the time or manpower ones that companies operating the software will have to incur.
Overall, the choice as to whether software is right for you and your company is an entirely individual one. One of the best ways to determine if you need software is to talk to a specialist at a conversion company like Quantum. With years of experience behind us, we know how to best advise you as you go forward.
