A reporting template released by the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) is expected to enhance supply chain efficiency and communication regarding chemical information.
Retailers require detailed information to safely handle chemical products in accordance with various regulations promulgated by federal agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In an effort to streamline the requests made to chemical manufacturers by retailers, RILA created an SDS template, which aligns with the sixteen-section format prescribed by OSHA’s Hazard Communication (HazCom) Standard which became effective in May 2012.
“The recent changes to the HazCom Standard provide an opportunity for the retail industry to upgrade requests for chemical information since chemical manufacturers must rewrite their SDSs based on the global harmonization criteria,” said Lisa LaBruno, senior vice president of retail operations for RILA.
Consistent retailer requests will “assist retailers in properly handling chemical products for the benefit of customers, workers, communities and the environment,” LaBruno added.
Target, Publix, Lowe’s, The Home Depot, Walmart, American Eagle Outfitters, Meijet and Sears Holdings are among the major retailers that helped drive the SDS initiative forward, along with providers of product safety compliance and information services.
In related news, green building industry leaders last November officially released the Health Product Declaration (HPD) Open Standard Version 1 — an open standard format for reporting contents and chemical hazards in building products.
In the absence of up-to-date federal regulation on toxic substances, industry efforts add an additional layer to the increasing patchwork of state regulations and initiatives, as explained in a earlier editorial by environmental lawyer Stephen Jones. A multi-state initiative, for instance, currently is working to provide standardized guidance to companies that want to produce greener, safer products through chemical alternatives assessments.
@Bart_King is a freelance writer and communications consultant.
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Bart King is the founder and principal at New Growth Communications. He specializes in helping sustainability leaders develop thought leadership content and strategy
Published Jan 24, 2013 8am EST / 5am PST / 1pm GMT / 2pm CET