Hosted Services Tapped to Manage Data on Chemicals
Manufacturers replace paper safety info sheets with online systems
October 3, 2005 12:00 PM ETComputerworld -
An emerging class of hosted services is designed to make it easier for manufacturing companies to manage the material safety data sheets (MSDS) required for each of the chemicals used in their products.
Last week, 3E Co., a Carlsbad, Calif.-based provider of Web-based chemical management services, launched Version 2.0 of its 3E Online offering. The upgraded service allows users to more quickly search for MSDS information across multiple sites, and it makes it easier for manufacturers to verify their compliance with international standards regulating the use of chemicals, according to 3E.
Due to make a similar announcement next week is Actio Corp., a Hampton, N.H.-based application service provider that offers a portfolio of chemical management services. Enhancements to Actio's MSDS Vault service include new features for handling preliminary screening of chemicals, inventory management and chemical tracking.
"The primary return on such services is compliance assurance," said Jeet Radia, assistant vice president in charge of environmental issues at McWane Inc., a maker of cast-iron pipes and fittings in Birmingham, Ala.
Regulatory Requirements
Like other manufacturers, McWane is required to maintain detailed MSDSs listing the physical attributes, toxicity and health effects of each of the chemicals used in its products, as well as its procedures for disposing of them.
How It Works | ||
|
Until recently, McWane maintained 10,000 MSDSs across its 25 facilities using a paper-based approach that made the information difficult to access and even harder to update. The process was cumbersome and imprecise, said Radia, adding that the data sheets lacked a consistent format and often were illegible.
McWane signed up for a managed MSDS service with Safetec LLC in Vancouver, Wash., about six months ago. Under the arrangement, Safetec is scanning all of McWane's MSDSs into a more organized online system that makes it easier to retrieve information, Radia said.
The improved access has also allowed the company to tie its enterprise environmental management system to the MSDS data to allow for quicker chemical compliance checks during the manufacturing process.
Behr Process Corp. in
Outsourcing
Additional Resources



White Papers & Webcasts
IDC Research Report: The Business Value of Consolidating on Energy-Efficient Servers
Download this Resource Now!
HP Technology Guide for Scalable Business Solutions
Download This Resource Now!
Architecting Business Intelligence Applications for Change: The Open Solution
Register for this webcast today!
Clipper Group Report: HP Provides Enhanced Options for Data Center
Download this Resource Now!
Enterprise Data Governance: Bridging the Business-IT Gap
Register for this live webcast today!
Technology Brief: Technologies in HP ProLiant G6 c-Class server blades with Intel Xeon processors
Download this Resource Now!
Informatica 9 Launch: Transform your Business. Transform your world.
Business and IT will finally be on the same page. Data quality issues will be a thing of the past. The promise of...
Introducing the HP ProLiant G6 servers
Download this Resource Now!
Lower IT Costs with Oracle Database 11g Release 2
Register for this webcast now!

