New Approaches in MSDS Management

Requirements vary by industry, company size, areas of operation, the number of hazardous chemicals and a host of other criteria. Compile a list of program objectives that this system should achieve when fully implemented.

There are a few common misconceptions about MSDS management solutions, most notably that one size fits all, and that cheaper is better. It is important to remember that solution components do not need to be purchased and activated simultaneously, and that outsourced solutions do not eliminate the need for IT support (critical to the vendor approval process and during many implementation phases) or back office and administrative support.

If you decide to choose an MSDS management vendor, we recommend referencing the following checklist:

• Do your homework thoroughly — the implementation of this program is likely one of the most important and impactful decision your company will make.
• Analyze your internal data and performance requirements from EMIS (organizational) perspective.
• Determine and compare vendor capabilities.
• Understand your organization's role and resource requirement in a vendor partnership.
• Get what you need today, avoid what you don't need right now and add what you need, when you need it.
• Ask for SoWs, KPIs and implementation timelines.
• Ensure vendors under consideration have implemented a quality management system that includes customer concern processing with documented corrective action procedures.
• Find out if your outsource provider subcontracts their services (on and offshore).
• Determine if you are billed annually, transactionally or both.
• Check references.
• Take advantage of structured bidding processes.

CREATING A TRANSITION PLAN

Once you have selected a new system, likely the most arduous part of transition from one chemical inventory management program to another is transferring site-specific inventories (and other internal data) from one system to the other. If current lists have not been updated in the last 12 months, it may be a good time to take accurate inventory.

Full-service providers should be able to ease this pain, as it is probably a standard element of their implementation plan. They may even offer onsite inventory assessment services. Tiered training should be available and scheduled as implementation comes to a close. Time commitments from all high-level users (inventory managers) will get the rollout started on the right foot.

Management of change processes should be invoked to guide and control the successful transition. Internal documentation (standard operating procedures, work instructions, work references) should be revised to reflect the change in process that will be affected by the new solution.

Finally, review your program annually — sooner if required — to assess its value and impact. Break out the list of program objectives generated when this system was being developed and determine if they were met. If not, are they still relevant? If they are, what gaps exist, what process must be improved, what capabilities are missing and what training is required to bring the system in line with organizational goals and objectives? As technology, regulations and what currently is known about substances we use and the environment in which we live change, so must our efforts to upgrade and improve our ability to be safe and protect our environment.

Kami Blake is a solutions engineer with 3E Company. She is responsible for providing technical support for 3E's broad suite of services and solutions. Blake has held a variety of positions since joining the company in 2002, including quality assurance manager, workload management manager and manufacturer services manager. She has achieved Environmental Health and Safety Specialist Certification (issued by the National Association of Safety Professionals) and Six Sigma Greenbelt Certification.