What really needs to be archived and for how long?
When you receive several MSDSs, how do you set up a REACh-compliant archive that meets your operational needs?

The various documents to be archived depend on the nature of the MSDS received:

• for paper MSDSs, also keep the envelopes with the postmark indicating the day of dispatch;

• for electronic MSDSs, you will usually receive them in PDF format, which is considered tamper-proof. To ensure traceability, keep a record of the e-mails you receive. It's also a good idea to keep all your MSDSs in a specific database, and to back them up regularly.

Time is an important factor that varies depending on the regulatory field:

• REACh (Tool ) requires SDSs to be kept for at least 10 years (article 36 of REACh (Tool )). Archiving any successive versions of SDSs is a precaution that should not be overlooked.

• In the event of an inspection by the...