The Safety Huddle Series! MySDS and My Peace of Mind

Nov 12, 2020

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The sun shines brightly on another beautiful day in the lab; the window giving way to the sights of the world outside, birds flying by, the deep blue of the sky, sights that you will soon never see again.

It happened faster than you could have imagined, before you even had time to process the electrical cord snagged around your ankle you were on your back, the acid already soaking through the glass cuts in your face.

Thankfully, you're sharp enough to make it to the eyewash station, after all, what are all those safety meetings about if you can't react in a crisis? Your training kicks in, call an ambulance, inform the supervisor, there's a safety sheet somewhere for this right? The SDS! Everything I need to know! In a moment of clarity, you reach for the binder to find… nothing. Pages askew, outdated information, and dust so thick you begin to wonder the last time it was opened. The words “Fix me” scratched in the dust was once a thing to laugh at, but you're not laughing anymore.

Hypochlorite? Or was it Hypochlorate? You always just called it the blue stuff. The paramedic has even less of an idea of what is burning out your eyes, and the last 20 minutes on google provided even fewer answers. You are rushed to the hospital just the same, with the hope an answer can be found on the way.

“If only we knew what we were working with...”

No one wants to get hurt at work, but accidents happen. Long before laying any blame the first priority is the safety and wellbeing of the worker. In those critical moments after an accident having the right information is key to providing proper medical care.

With information sharing becoming ubiquitous in modern society, MySDS looks to capitalize on a growing need to stay up to date and relevant, by offering comprehensive services to take SDS into the future. The company offers easy access to SDS sheets relevant to the hazards relevant to your job. With up to date access available 24/7 on a multitude of digital devices, from tablets to cell phones, accessing relevant information has never been easier.

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MySDS started in 2010 when CEO and owner Michael Moellenkamp, Used his knowledge and experience in waste management to open up Green Lights Environmental Solutions and has since grown the company to service 1000s of companies along various industries, ranging from mining to health care, to hazardous material transport and everything in between. Mike and his team continually saw issues with SDS compliance and in 2015 launched MySDS, a digital database that is fully compliant and exceeds current regulations.

MySDS offers to take the burden of maintaining physical copies, ensuring that the information is relevant and SDS compliant. Maintaining binders within every department is virtually (pun intended) removed and can save countless man hours in checking and reviewing products that are used by your employees. Health departments can rest easy knowing the information their employees are accessing is up to date and relevant to them should the worst occur.

Recently I had a moment to discuss their services with the General Manager Christa Henning and try out MySDS for myself, and the program is impressive to say the least. Within seconds I had access to thousands of SDS sheets, with up-to-date safety precautions and required PPE for handling. “Yellow Paint?” A quick search resulted in several results, with industry-specific nicknames linked directly to the product they are referred to. Advanced search options offer hazard-specific products and the manager’s database let you create a site-specific list.

Christa said, “Companies hire Lawyers to handle Legal issues, so why not hire professionals to handle your SDS needs?"  The argument is hard to refute. Maintaining your own digital SDS database of around 200 products can cost from $30-60,000 to maintain in house, with no real assurance of compliance. Companies such as Glencore, Kirkland Lake Gold, and McEwen Mining have all signed up for the service, with more companies being signed up by the day.”

I have come to learn in addition, MySDS offers a range of training courses so that your health and safety team can keep up to date with hazardous material handling. They offer safety audits and can identify areas of improvement to ensure a safe and happy workforce. In short, if you are working with hazardous chemicals in any capacity, MySDS has options to help you and can be contacted on their website https://mysds.ca .

With new technologies comes new innovations, and MySDS is a shining example of innovation born right in the heart of Northern Ontario. With a product so unique, it is only a matter of time before the company becomes an industry standard around the country.

Stay tuned to mininglifeonline.net for all your mining and exploration news, and as always, Take care and stay safe!

Tags: Eastern Canada / Mine Safety / All Articles

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