Communication and transparency are key elements of GPS. One step to increase
the transparency on the safety, health and environmental aspects of chemicals
is to make information available to the public via Product Safety summaries. A
Product Safety summary provides public information on a specific chemical in a
general, understandable language. The summaries are not intended to provide
in-depth discussion of safety and health information and do not replace
documents that are required by law.
DSM addresses the following items in its Product Stewardship summaries:
0. Introduction (key issues, including benefits)
1. Chemical identity
(name, CAS number, short description)
2. Use of the chemical
(application, functions)
3. Physical/chemical properties (for example
flammability, vapor pressure, boiling point, etc)
4. Health effects
(description of the known effects on health or toxicity)
5.
Environmental effects (description of the known effects on the environment)
6. Exposure potential (worker, consumer, environment, general public)
7. Risk management (recommended measures)
8. Sources for additional
information (link to Safety Datasheet, official evaluations of the substance)
9. Contact information
10. (Revision) date
The level of detail describing the specific chemical will vary depending upon
the physical properties. The Product Safety summaries will be frequently
reviewed and updated to incorporate changes or new information.
