Perhaps you are considering changing your chemical management system, but are unsure how demanding it really is. How does the process work in practice, what is required of you, and what happens to your existing data? Here we show you step-by-step how a migration to Workplace Safety is carried out, and how smoothly it can go.
1. Export data from existing system
The first step in a migration is to extract the data from your current chemical management system. This can include safety data sheets (SDS), chemical lists and storage information.
Factors that can affect the process:
Organisation size: Larger businesses with many departments often have more complex structures to consider.
Amount of data: The number of chemicals and associated SDS to be transferred can vary greatly. For example, we have assisted customers in transferring hundreds of SDS, but also up to 80,000 SDS.
The quality of existing data: A clean and up-to-date system makes exports more efficient, while incomplete or outdated records may require extra work.
Own involvement: The better the company’s own overview, the faster the process can be completed.
A good and thorough export lays the foundation for a fast migration. That is why it is important to ensure that all relevant content is included and that a structure is created that makes it easy to import the data further into Workplace Safety.
We have standard processes for carrying out migrations with quality checks of data points, ensuring that there is minimal work for our customers. If you need help, we are happy to assist you, from data migration and chemical mapping to finished chemical inventory and setup in Workplace Safety.
2. Import data to Workplace Safety
Once the data is extracted from your current system, it is imported into Workplace Safety. With automated processes, this is done safely and efficiently.
If you already have an up-to-date and tidy chemical inventory, we will make sure this setup is transferred to Workplace Safety. If your current system has not been updated for a while, this is a good opportunity to clean it up: remove irrelevant chemicals, add missing information and make sure all SDSs are up to date. For example, outdated SDSs can be updated automatically if they exist in the global database, while SDSs that only exist in PDF format can be digitised and imported.
To ensure the quality of the data imported, the data undergoes both automated quality assurance processes and manual verification in the form of regular checks along the way. This is how we ensure that you get a complete and correct chemical inventory, with you to Workplace Safety.
We cannot guarantee that absolutely all data will be transferred automatically. Some manual work must always be expected to ensure that all information is transferred correctly.
3. Optimise and customise
Once the data has been moved over to Workplace Safety, the next step is to customise the system so that it provides the most value in everyday life. This may involve:
Organise the chemical inventory : Structure the content in a way that suits your business, e.g. by department, location or application. A well-organised chemical inventory makes it easy to find information quickly, which can be crucial in both daily operations and emergencies.
Customise user access: Not all employees need the same level of access. An HSE manager may need full insight and editing capabilities, while an operator may only need to see the SDS for the chemicals they work with. The right distribution of roles ensures both overview and data security.
To set up a risk assessment plan: Identify hazardous chemicals and prioritise the order in which they should be risk assessed.
Set up notification routines: Map and automate the recording of exposure to hazardous and exposure registerable chemicals.
Train your employees: The system is most effective when those who will be using it know its functions. This creates confidence and ensures that everyone knows where to find the right information when they need it.
Changing your chemical management system can seem like a daunting task, but Workplace Safety makes the transition easy. Our experts can guide you through the entire process, from start to finish, ensuring you are well supported before, during and after the migration. We customise the migration to you and your needs.
Are you responsible for HSE and chemical management in your organisation? Here are 10 tips to help make your working day a little safer.
1. Create a clear chemical inventory
Make sure that your company has a chemical inventory that provides a complete overview of all hazardous chemicals in the workplace. Here, employees can easily see where the chemicals are located and what hazards they can cause.
2. Easily accessible safety data sheet
All chemicals must have an updated safety data sheet (SDS) with information on chemical handling, hazards, protective equipment and first aid measures. Therefore, make sure that these data sheets are easily accessible to employees (e.g. via QR code, on mobile/tablet), so that they can be actively used in the daily operation.
3. Training in safety practices and procedures
Employees must receive thorough training in the company’s safety routines and procedures. This can include everything from risk assessment to the choice and use of protective measures. If there are no clear guidelines for handling chemicals, the employer must ensure that such guidelines are established quickly and that employees receive adequate training in them.
Training can typically include:
Hazardous chemicals in the workplace, their names, risks and limits
Use of chemical inventory, risk assessments and changes to these
Correct use of work equipment
Necessary protective measures for safe execution
Managing disruptions and emergencies
4. Clear labelling and storage
All chemical products must be labelled with names and hazard symbols in accordance with the CLP regulations, and stored properly. This may involve storage in separate cabinets or rooms. For particularly hazardous chemicals, it may be necessary to lock cabinets or restrict access so that only qualified personnel have access.
5. Customised protective measures
Safety measures must always be adapted to the actual use of the chemicals and the specific work operation.
Examples of measures can be:
Spot extraction and fume cupboards
Sufficient general ventilation
Process-adapted ventilation when needed
Correct labelling and signage
Secure storage solutions
Restricted access
Protective gloves and goggles
Respiratory protection
Emergency response equipment
6. Follow established regulations
Working with chemicals is regulated by several laws and regulations, such as REACH and CLP. Be sure to follow these regulations carefully as violations can lead to fines and orders, but more importantly, compliance contributes to fewer accidents and a safer working environment.
7. Consider alternative chemicals
Always consider whether hazardous chemicals can be replaced with less hazardous alternatives (substitution). This reduces risk and is part of the substitution obligation. If your business uses a chemical management system, it can often provide automatic suggestions for safer alternatives.
8. Digitise documentation
A chemical inventory can be kept both on paper and digitally, but digital solutions often provide a better overview and ease of use. When documentation is digitised, it becomes easier to search for chemicals, update safety data sheets and share information across departments. Many systems also offer functions such as automatic notification of expired SDSs, suggestions for substitution and integration with risk assessments and internal control. A great idea is therefore to gather all documentation digitally in one place.
9. Revise and improve
Safe handling of chemicals is not a one-off task, but a continuous process as part of the company’s systematic HSE work. New chemicals, changed work routines or updated laws and regulations may require adjustments to routines and measures. Therefore, the company should regularly review the chemical inventory, safety routines and risk assessments to ensure that they are still relevant.
10. Involve your employees
Involve employees in chemical management and auditing work, as they have practical experience that can contribute to better solutions. When the people who actually work with chemicals are actively involved, you create both better routines and a stronger safety culture.
Safe chemical handling is about combining well-structured routines and systems with the right equipment and active employee involvement. By following these 10 tips, your business can reduce risk, prevent accidents and contribute to a safer working environment.
Companies that handle hazardous chemicals or other high-risk processes may be legally required to maintain an exposure register. The register must document which employees have been exposed to dangerous substances and may be of crucial importance if illness develops many years later.
Here, we examine the purpose of an exposure register, the relevant legal obligations, and how companies can ensure compliant registration and documentation practices.
What is an exposure register?
An exposure register should document employees’ potential and actual exposure, including accidents, spills and other incidents that may have led to contact with hazardous substances. This may be in connection with hazardous substances or processes related to:
Chemicals (carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic to reproduction)
Asbestos
Mining work
Biological material
Radiation
Keep in mind that only certain chemicals are relevant for inclusion in the exposure register.
The exposure register is an important tool for identifying and monitoring exposure to hazardous factors. Because illnesses resulting from such exposure often develop over a long period, sometimes many years after the exposure occurred, it is essential to record incidents continuously and as early as possible.
An exposure register can help to:
Monitor employees’ health over time
Provide a basis for health surveillance and support risk assessments
Ensure documentation if illness develops several years after exposure
Who may be exposed?
Several occupational groups that may be exposed to hazardous substances and processes.
Typical examples are:
Employees in industry (chemical industry, metal production, welding and woodworking)
Employees in construction (demolition, remediation, work with asbestos and concrete dust)
Healthcare and laboratory workers (radiation, chemicals and infectious agents)
Employees in renovation and waste management (biological material and hazardous waste)
Employees in mines and tunnels (dust, gases and explosives residues)
Employees within energy and research (radioactive material and ionising radiation)
What must an exposure register contain?
The content of an exposure register may vary. The information that must be recorded depends on the type of exposure involved – for example chemicals (CMR substances), asbestos, biological agents, mining work, or ionising radiation.
The purpose of the register is to ensure traceable and verifiable documentation over time. The regulations therefore set clear requirements regarding the information that must be included. It is also specified that the register must not contain health data beyond what is authorised by the legislation.
Although the details vary depending on the type of exposure, an exposure register will typically include:
The employee’s name and national identification number
The work carried out
The substance, material, or process to which the employee has been exposed
The period and duration of the exposure
Any measurement results or assessments of exposure levels
The date of registration
An exposure register must only contain the information required by the regulations. It must not function as a medical record.
Documentation and storage requirements
The register must be kept for a very long time, often between 40 and 60 years, depending on the type of exposure. The information must be available for as long as the employee is alive, and can be decisive in documenting occupational diseases and any compensation cases.
Individual employees have the right to access their own registrations. In addition, the register must be available to relevant personnel, for example the occupational health services, safety representatives, the working environment committee and any other persons working with HSE in the company.
Who is responsible for the register?
Both employer and employee have certain responsibilities, but it is the employer who has the main responsibility for creating and maintaining the exposure register.
Employee’s responsibility
Follow the company’s routines and guidelines in connection with registration
Report accidents, exposures or other situations that may have led to contact with hazardous substances
Participate in necessary training and help ensure that the information recorded is correct
The employer’s responsibility
Establish routines and guidelines for exposure registration
Provide training on how employees should report
Thoroughly document and retain records for a sufficient period of time
Ensure that the register is used
Ensure that employees have access to their own registrations
Common challenges
Inadequate reporting and follow-up
Many companies find that employees do not report exposures, either because the incident is perceived as minor, the routines are unclear, or because it is simply forgotten. This is often linked to a lack of training in chemical safety and understanding of the risk. In addition, many companies are unsure when they are actually required by law to keep an exposure register.
Difficulty storing registrations over a longer period of time
As some types of exposure require the register to be kept for up to 60 years, it requires good routines for both storage and for safeguarding privacy (GDPR). As long as the employee is alive, it should be possible to document any exposure, especially if there is a risk of cancer. As there are no specific requirements for how records are kept, many companies lack good enough routines to handle this.
A well-maintained exposure register is an important tool for both the employee and the employer. It contributes to prevention, follow-up and documentation, especially because health damage often only becomes apparent many years after exposure. Digital HSE and chemical systems can help companies identify chemicals that are subject to registration, carry out the actual registration and ensure safe storage of the information.
