Chemical inventory

A chemical inventory is a collection of essential information about hazardous chemicals in the workplace and includes, among other things, safety data sheets (SDS). The purpose of a chemical inventory is to make it easy for employees to find relevant information for the safe and efficient handling of chemicals.

A chemical inventory must comply with the requirements set out in guidance from the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority, the European regulatory framework, REACH, and the CLP Regulation. As a minimum, the chemical inventory should include:

• An overview of chemicals including names, classification, hazard pictograms and up-to-date SDS
• Information on non-classified chemicals and hazardous factors, such as pharmaceuticals, welding fumes and other process-generated chemicals
• Risk assessments of the chemicals, including preventive measures

Yes, organisations that use or handle hazardous chemicals are legally required to have a chemical inventory.

The employer is responsible for ensuring that the chemical inventory is established, kept up to date and made available to employees. Day-to-day responsibility may be delegated, for example to an HSE manager, but the employer retains overall responsibility for ensuring compliance with legal requirements.

A safety data sheet (SDS) provides detailed information about a specific chemical, while a chemical inventory provides a consolidated overview of all chemicals used within the organisation. In Workplace Safety, SDS are integrated into the chemical inventory so that all relevant information is gathered in one place.

The manufacturer or importer is responsible for preparing and updating the safety data sheet (SDS) in accordance with applicable regulations. Organisations that use chemicals are also responsible for ensuring that the SDS in use are current, accessible to employees, and used as the basis for risk assessments and safe handling.

Implementation of a new chemical inventory begins with identifying which chemicals are used within the organisation. A digital system is then set up and adapted to the organisation’s structure and needs. Existing data can be imported, and employees are given the necessary access and training to ensure that the chemical inventory is used safely and effectively.

A chemical inventory must comply with guidance from the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority, the European REACH Regulation and the CLP Regulation. As a minimum, it should include:

• Up-to-date safety data sheets (SDS) for relevant chemicals
• An overview of chemicals including name, classification, hazard pictograms and intended use
• Risk assessments with preventive measures
• Procedures for handling, storage, waste management and emergency preparedness

Yes, a digital chemical inventory provides fast and easy access to up-to-date information. It is an efficient way to collect and store documentation and simplifies handling during inspections.

You can digitalise the chemical inventory by using a digital chemical management system such as Workplace Safety. This involves collecting all chemicals and associated safety data sheets (SDS) in a single shared digital solution. Existing information can be transferred from, for example, Excel files, PDFs or other systems, and kept continuously up to date.

The organisation can choose how to organise the chemical inventory, for example by storage location, department or area of use. The most important factor is that employees can quickly and easily find the information they need.

The chemical inventory should be updated when new chemicals are introduced, when new SDS become available, or when chemicals are phased out.

An outdated or incomplete chemical inventory can increase the risk of accidents and may result in enforcement actions or sanctions from the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority.

The chemical inventory must always be easily accessible to employees, both during training and in emergency situations, either in digital format or on paper.

Organisations must assess whether hazardous chemicals and work processes can be substituted with less hazardous alternatives where possible. Such substitution assessments must be documented in writing as part of the organisation’s systematic HSE work.

H statements (Hazard statements) describe the hazards posed by a chemical. P statements (Precautionary statements) describe the measures that must be followed for safe handling, storage and use.

EUH statements provide additional hazard information defined by the EU. They are used when a chemical presents specific hazards that are not fully covered by standard H statements and provide supplementary information that is important for safe use.