Safety Data Sheet (SDS) Translation Services
Safety Data Sheet Translation
A safety data sheet (SDS) is a document that contains vital information on the hazards of a specific product. Mostly, these documents help to label chemical products. It’s impossible to comply with global regulations or avoid regulatory fines/sanctions without the safety data sheet. More crucially, none of that would be possible without safety data sheet translation services.
It’s important to mention that safety data sheet translation is legal. Consequently, it has to follow the laid down regulations and procedures. Fortunately, every jurisdiction has the appropriate policies and laws that govern this kind of translation. The laws provide direction and guidelines to protect everyone involved in the translation.
Benefits of Safety Data Sheet Translation to Chemical Companies
A safety data sheet (SDS) is a document that contains vital information on the hazards of a specific product. Mostly, these documents help to label chemical products. It’s impossible to comply with global regulations or avoid regulatory fines/sanctions without the safety data sheet. More crucially, none of that would be possible without safety data sheet translation services.
It’s important to mention that safety data sheet translation is legal. Consequently, it has to follow the laid down regulations and procedures. Fortunately, every jurisdiction has the appropriate policies and laws that govern this kind of translation. The laws provide direction and guidelines to protect everyone involved in the translation.
Benefits of Safety Data Sheet Translation to Chemical Companies
Chemical companies need these translation services. However, many of these companies issue the original instructions in their first languages. That could be a problem if the products they manufacture are required where the first language differs from the one in the instructions and guidelines. That’s where safety data sheet translation can have quite an impact. Through such services, SDS is translated into multiple languages. Some companies are capable of translating these documents into 50 or over 200 languages. This is true for companies that operate at the regional or international level. For them, communication with the final user has to be clear and concise. Otherwise, workplace safety would be in jeopardy. Worldwide, workers perform better when they receive instructions in their native languages. The instructions become more important when hazardous materials are involved. SDS only deal with these types of materials. For this reason, workers need to understand what they are handling thus enabling them to minimize exposure to the following:
- Work stoppages
- Personal injury
SDS translation services also remove language barriers. Inability to handle hazardous materials is often directly associated with a lack of understanding. Instructions can be impossible to understand, especially if they are in a foreign language. In this regard, working with SDS translation services helps you to empower and prepare your employees to:
- anticipate risks
- take precautions
- act correctly in case of emergencies
Accidents occur due to misunderstandings, which can be the result of inaccurate details. Poor translation services increase the likelihood of publishing inaccurate information, which creates room for accidents. Sadly, accidents caused by poor handling of hazardous materials can be fatal. They could also leave workers with long-term health conditions and injuries.
Some of the most common inaccuracies touch on the following issues:
- formatting and content
- poor phrasing of sentences
- incorrect hazard classification
- missing data or values of the limit of exposure
In translation, the content of the document must remain the same. The form or structure should not be messed up with either. The only thing that changes is the language used in the entire text. Again, the intention is to make the document as easy to understand as possible. Most translation works hand-in-glove with professional adaptation to make sure that the document complies with all laws.
Safety Data Sheet Translation Regulations and Regulatory Bodies
As stated earlier, safety data sheet translation has to comply with all the relevant regulations and laws. However, these laws change from one jurisdiction to the next. For example, SDS translation laws in Europe are quite different from those in either the United States or Canada. In the US, one has to perform this critical service by adhering to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations.
In the US, the name of the exact regulation that translation firms ought to adhere to is OSHA Hazard Communication Standard. Since the regulations differ, check with the local authorities to identify them. More importantly, remind the SDS translation company to confirm the exact piece of policy, law, statute, or regulation first before proceeding.
Irrespective of the regulations or the regulatory body, SDS translation must be:
- Written by a person of unquestionable competence
- In the official language of the country where the hazardous material is to be sold
- In the required format that features around 16 headings
- Specific to the hazardous chemical
- Clear and understandable
- Provided electronically or on paper
- Must be provided exactly when the material is delivered
- Updated as soon as new details on the hazardous material become available
- Properly dated with all the pages numbered
On the issue of competence, the person or people providing safety data sheet translation have to be chemical experts. They need to be experienced in working within the chemical industry. Their translation experience is not as important as the years spent in the chemical field. In most places, such individuals must be well trained too in their respective chemical and hazardous material.
The SDS translation must be scientific and accurate. Inaccuracy leads to lawsuits and possible massive financial losses. Language nuance also eliminates the inaccuracy that could create misunderstandings and wrong interpretations. Without the requisite expertise, it would be impossible to translate SDS effectively and accurately.
Some of the qualifications that the translators need include:
- Advanced degree
- Professional work experience
- 7 years of worth of experience of translating relevant content
Quality control also comes into the equation when talking about the translation of safety data sheets. For the umpteenth time, accuracy is everything. It’s the goal of the entire translation too. Proper translation requires more than one layer of examining the content to ensure that it captured the original manufacturer’s instructions and warnings accurately.
Quality control is subject to the following:
- Translators
- Editors
- Desktop publishing team
- Proofers
- Project managers
- Client reviews
Safety Data Sheet Translation at Technovate Translations
The good thing is that Technovate has you covered for all your Safety data sheet translation needs. We have translated hundreds of data sheets over the years and our translators are familiar with the rules and regulations in the specific country you’re translating the SDS for. Let our SDS translation experts help you with your specific requirements.
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