Communication throughout a supply chain

The need to provide a safety data sheet (SDS) has grown mainly due to demands from downstream users. Many former SDSs were meaningless as they included little or no relevant information; particularly for unclassified substances.   Following REACH,  industry can now address this situation and provide an appropriate and useful SDS when required.

Note that a substance SDS is mandatory only for those substances that meet the following criteria (see REACH article 31 and CLP article 59):

The substance:

(a)   Is classified as hazardous under the CLP Regulation (1272/2008/EC) or as dangerous under the Dangerous Substances Directive (67/548/EEC); or

(b)   It is persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT), or very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) as defined in Annex XIII of the REACH Regulation; or

(c)   Is included in the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) Candidate List of substances of very high concern.

Note if you are a REACH registrant of the following Mn-based substances it is not mandatory to provide a SDS as these substances do not meet any of the criteria mentioned above:

• Manganese Metal - Massives only (EINECS: 231-105-1)
• Manganese oxide (EINECS: 215-695-8)
• Manganese carbonate (EINECS: 209-942-9)
• Slags, FeMn-manufacturing (EINECS: 273-728-1)
• Slags, SiMn-manufacturing (EINECS: 273-733-9)

If required, an information sheet can be provided- see proposed template (this is not a mandatory requirement, hence has no standard format).