MSDS Authoring System Can Simplify Hazard Document Development

3E Co. announces the availability of MSDgen 6.04, the newest version of its material safety data sheet (MSDS) authoring system. The new system offers users access to data that simplify the development of hazard communication documents that conform to the various country-specific implementations of the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) for classification and labeling of chemicals.

As part of this release, MSDgen includes a new GHS classification system developed over two years through the collaboration of numerous specialized technical and regulatory experts within 3E. Every aspect of the core UN GHS classification system was thoroughly analyzed and reviewed, as well as the specific adaptations of the UN guidelines for each competent authority, including those from the EU, Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan.

The new system allows for a distinct set of classifications to be maintained for each material in the system for each competent authority. The system takes into account variations in classification logic, variations in generic cutoffs and concentration limits, and variations in labeling elements for each authority. In addition, the classification tools and logic are open to the user, allowing any aspect of the classification system to be altered in cases where interpretation may vary. Along with this new release comes a complete set of complementary phrase assignment rules that assign the required statements to the various sections of the MSDS and label documents, based on the unique classification for each authority.

3E develops and provides the default standard set of GHS authority logic based directly off of both the UN guidelines and the adaptations for each competent authority. The flexible design of the system is such that as new authorities adopt GHS in the future, the inclusion of these authorities and associated logic can be easily and quickly managed since the logic for each GHS authority is built using the same set of open tools.