MSDS Authoring System Offers REACH and GHS Enhancements

Dec. 15, 2008
3E Company unveils MSDgen 6.0

3E Company introduces MSDgen 6.0, an updated version of its MSDgen Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) authoring system. MSDgen 6.0 boasts several innovative enhancements to further simplify the development and maintenance of globally compliant and reliable hazard communication documentation, including features which facilitate compliance with Europe's Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) regulatory framework for chemical substances as well as the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) for classification and labeling of chemicals. In addition to promoting environmental regulatory compliance, these new features also benefit users by helping them work more efficiently and increase productivity.

MSDgen 6.0 features several GHS-specific enhancements, which together enable users to instantly and automatically classify their products using the proven MSDgen GHS classification algorithms. These enhancements include:

  • Enhanced GHS Auto Classify and Calc procedures. Average calculation time has been reduced by 50%, increasing user productivity.
  • The addition of a new Generic Search Object entitled "GHS Acute Toxicity Estimates." This new search object in the Regulatory group shows the table used by MSDgen to determine the GHS Acute Toxicity Point Estimate in the GHS Classification Algorithms.
  • Enhanced identification of carcinogenicity. The identification of carcinogenicity has been enhanced to include the presence of substances on the ACGIH, NTP, California Proposition 65 and EU carcinogen Ariel Regulatory Lists.

MSDgen 6.0 also features REACH-related enhancements, which together enable clients to instantly identify their products that are affected by REACH. MSDgen 6.0 also facilitates the communication of this data to REACH IT either directly or via IUCLID5, streamlining the process for the user. Additional REACH-related enhancements include:

  • Improved REACHsync error handling. If the Legal Entity's UUID number is missing, the user will be prompted at the time of the export.
  • New location for Legal Entity's UUID number. The number is now stored within the name/address module instead of at the substance level. The Legal Entity may be an entry in either the Manufacturer or Addresses module within MSDgen.
  • New substance definitions. Users now have the ability to identify a substance as Mono-constituent, Multi-constituent, or UVCB (Substances of Unknown or Variable Composition, Complex reaction products or Biological Materials).
  • New REACH Compliance Analysis Search Object. New search assists with the identification of substances requiring registration/pre-registration.
  • Automated determination of envisaged registration date. Determination has been automated based on tonnage band and CMR assessment.

MSDgen 6.0 offers other enhancements, including expanded language support through the addition of new language search methods, which enables users to easily search and view glossary statements in all languages. Users will also benefit from improved application behavior and performance, as the third party libraries previously used by MSDgen have been replaced with optimized, in-house libraries.

The MSDgen authoring system can be used to develop a variety of hazard communication documents that meet international regulatory compliance and business requirements. It provides full support of hazard communication, classification and labeling directives to generate globally compliant MSDSs and label documents as well as business/user definable documents, such as technical data sheets, product data sheets, hazard summaries and product stewardship summaries.