What does SDS mean?
A Safety Data Sheet, or SDS, is the main source of information for a chemical product.
The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (OR-OSHA) requires that employers provide their employees with information regarding the hazardous substances (chemical products) with which they work. The OR-OSHA definition of “hazardous substances” is quite broad and includes products such as gasoline, hand sanitizer, office cleaning products, Sharpies, and copier or printer toners. Even items such as lumber can be a hazardous substance if the lumber is cut, sanded, or otherwise processed such that an employee can breathe the generated dust.
Database
Multnomah County's Online Chemical Inventory System (aka Right to Know) SDS database is the official repository of which products are approved for use and in which buildings and also the archive for past products. Anyone can look up information. You may search by product or manufacturer.
With the Advanced Search option, you may also search by building to see everything that is listed for that building.
You can find instructions here.
If you have need of a product that you can't find in the SDS database, please work with the Library Facilities team to submit a new chemical review for the product you want to use in our library buildings. The new chemical review can take some time, so please plan a head or create lists of products that are already approved and in the County's SDS database.
Responsibilities
Safety committee members
All “chemicals” in the building need to be listed. If products need to be added or removed, tell Grant Swanson and he will request updates. A reminder that chemicals that are approved for use in one county or library building may not be approved for a different building. For example, products that are approved for use in the library's print shop may not be approved for use elsewhere in the county.
Trained MMP shoppers and supply requesters
If you are ordering a new product for your building, make sure that it is in the County SDS database first. Just because a product is in MultCo Marketplace does not mean it is approved for use in County buildings.
If you do order a liquid not in the SDS database that could come in contact with an employee or a member of the public—especially if it could be splashed in the eyes or consumed—it may be delayed before it gets to you. Once a new chemical is received and confirmed not to be in the SDS database, you will get an email either offering alternatives or asking the appropriate supervisor if they want to submit a new chemical review for approval and adding to the database from County Risk Management. This process is in place to ensure our libraries are safe and in compliance with OR-OSHA guidance.
Please be sure to complete this training to better understand the SDS process when ordering supplies.
Flash drive
The flash drive is the backup in case the online database is inaccessible. The information on it is a snapshot of the database, taken quarterly. If your location is without internet or power, you can use a laptop or Chromebook to look items up using the kiosk.exe file on the flash drive.
You can find instructions here.
What about the notebook?
We no longer need to keep paper copies of Safety Data Sheets, unless it is a new product that was added since the electronic backup was updated. OR-OSHA now allows us to use an electronic backup.
Your location will still have a notebook and all staff should know where it is kept. The binder should contain: