Q&A on dissemination & confidentiality of Safety Data Sheet information

ECHA/NA/12/27
News alert
Media enquiries: ECHA Press

More information on chemical substances usually found in the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) will be made publicly available on ECHA's website from autumn 2012. ECHA publishes a Q&A document to provide details in advance on the dissemination and new confidentiality claims of such information in IUCLID 5.4, and encourages registrants to familiarise themselves with the upcoming changes.

Helsinki, 07 June 2012 – The new SDS information, which will be made publicly available, concerns the identities of the registrants of a substance, the registration numbers, an indication of whether a chemical safety assessment (CSA) was performed and the results of the PBT (Persistent, Bio-accumulative and Toxic chemicals) and vPvB (very Persistent and very Bio-accumulative) assessments.  

The Q&A document provides detailed information on the new fields that will be disseminated, how the information will be published and how confidentiality can be claimed in a IUCLID 5.4 dossier. The Q&A document also addresses specific questions related to confidentiality claim charges, the foreseen timetable and the potential need to update registration dossiers. It also clarifies that uses of the substance, uses advised against and generic exposure potential will be disseminated according to the new IUCLID format.

From the launch of the new REACH-IT version scheduled for July 2012, companies will have a three month window to submit an update of their registration dossier with new confidentiality claims. Note that, where relevant, confidentiality claims under REACH require payment and will be assessed by ECHA. Updated versions of the IUCLID REACH plug-ins (TCC, Dissemination and Fee calculation plug-in) and relevant manuals will be made available in July together with the REACH-IT update. The plug-ins and manuals will help registrants to verify completeness, preview the disseminated information and assess the fee for potential new confidentiality claims.

ECHA plans to start publishing the SDS information from dossiers submitted in IUCLID 5.4 format on its website from November 2012.

Volunteering data

The information normally found in an SDS will be disseminated from all registration dossiers regardless of whether the substance requires an SDS or not, unless the information is claimed as confidential. If the substance does not require an SDS, it is assumed that the registrant volunteers to publish this information, if it is not flagged as confidential.