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Glossary

Glossary

What Is a Hazard Communication Program?

A Hazard Communication Program (HazCom Program) is a written plan that describes how an organization complies with OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom). Under the standard, any employer with hazardous chemicals in the workplace is required to have a written program that outlines how the company manages SDS documentation, labels chemical…
Hawk SEM
08/25/26
Glossary

What Is Chemical Compliance Software?

Chemical compliance software is a category of tools designed to help organizations meet the regulatory requirements that govern how chemical substances are classified, documented, labeled, and managed in the workplace or throughout the supply chain. It brings structure and automation to compliance processes that would otherwise require significant manual effort,…
Hawk SEM
08/25/26
Glossary

What Is a CAS Number and Why It Matters for SDSs

A CAS number, short for Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number, is a unique numerical identifier assigned to every chemical substance that has been documented in the scientific literature. Think of it as a universal ID card for chemicals: no matter what name a substance goes by in different countries, languages,…
Hawk SEM
08/25/26
Glossary

What is GHS Compliance?

GHS compliance means meeting the requirements of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), an internationally recognized framework for communicating chemical hazards. For organizations that manufacture, import, distribute, or use hazardous chemicals, GHS compliance means classifying chemical hazards correctly, labeling products according to GHS standards, and…
Hawk SEM
08/25/26
Glossary

What Is the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom)?

The OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom), also known as the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), is a federal regulation designed to ensure workers understand the hazards associated with chemicals they may encounter on the job. Often referred to as the "Right-to-Know" standard, HazCom requires employers, manufacturers, and importers to communicate chemical…
Hawk SEM
06/30/26
Glossary

What Is SDS Management?

SDS management is the process of organizing, maintaining, updating, and providing access to Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) across an organization. It encompasses everything from building an SDS library and maintaining a chemical inventory to ensuring employees can quickly access accurate safety information whenever and wherever they need it. For organizations…
Hawk SEM
06/30/26
Glossary

What Is SDS Authoring Software?

SDS authoring software is a specialized solution that helps chemical manufacturers, formulators, distributors, and regulatory teams create accurate, compliant Safety Data Sheets (SDSs). Instead of manually researching regulations, classifying hazards, and building documents from scratch, SDS authoring software automates much of the process through structured workflows, regulatory intelligence, and built-in…
Hawk SEM
06/30/26
Glossary

What Is a Safety Data Sheet?

A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is a standardized document that provides critical health, safety, handling, storage, and environmental information about a chemical substance or mixture. Whether an organization works with industrial chemicals, manufacturing materials, cleaning products, or laboratory compounds, SDSs help employees understand potential hazards and follow proper safety procedures.…
Hawk SEM
06/30/26

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“The software helps guide you—if something’s wrong, it tells you where to go back and fix it. It’s very user-friendly, especially with the wizard tool. I would absolutely recommend TotalSDS. The support is great. The service is great. It’s a major improvement—and I know we’re in good hands as regulations evolve.”

Danielle KnoxRegulatory Affairs Manager, Brandt Consolidated
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“I wanted something that's easy to understand, easy to use, and easy to teach, we're a construction company. We're not constantly dealing with specialty chemicals, but we still have to stay compliant.”

Jeff SadlerSafety Manager, Coastal Division CA Murren & Sons Co., Inc.
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“Just having the peace of mind that the SDSs are secure, we can access them whenever, wherever we need to, and that they are going to be current at all times without me having to spend hours Google searching and making sure that I've got the latest and greatest. TotalSDS™ Manager has been incredibly helpful and efficient, saving me at least 10 hours every month—time that I can now invest in achieving more strategic HR goals, making the software invaluable to our operations.”

Margie SleigherDirector of Human Resources, Caldwell Electrical Contractors
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“Because we’ve done business together for so many years, I’ve really appreciated having a trusted partner. I’ve been able to rely on TotalSDS’s expertise and say, here's what I want; here’s what I need. Help me get there. ..... Adding the QR code feature, for us, has really transformed the process of quickly getting safety information. Being able to immediately access that critical information in the field has made all the difference. It's just amazing!”

Matt RehlanderCorporate Director of EHS & Risk Management
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“The level of customer service provided surpasses all of my expectations. TotalSDS is a responsive team of regulatory experts that clearly place their client’s needs at the highest priority. The team responds to us with answers in hours rather than weeks with our old service. The software provides a level of customization and control that was not available with our previous GHS software. Additionally, TotalSDS isn’t afraid to take our feedback into consideration to continue to improve their product. Our organization appreciates the cloud-based service and the unique levels of access for each user.”

Chris GehlyChemical Services Manager
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“The ease with getting everyone up to speed on the system was impressive. It was a smooth transition. The software is very intuitive. What I appreciate most is the excellent support I receive from the TotalSDS team. Any questions or concerns I have are addressed immediately with a simple phone call.”

Lenny FrancisEHS Specialist
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“The TotalSDS software system is a good tool for our company to create compliant SDS and labels for multiple countries and languages. We are able to create customized documents catering to each business needs. The software is user-friendly and new users can start generating SDS with minimal training.”

Tammy CardHazard Communication Specialist
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“The TotalSDS™ platform does everything it says it can do. There are no surprises. What is advertised is exactly what you get. The customer support is outstanding! TotalSDS has been available to help with any kind of regulatory or software question I have, and they are extremely responsive. And more than that, the software capabilities are consistently getting better as they are adding more and more features.”

Greg SwitzerProduct/Formulation Chemist
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“TotalSDS™ Author has been instrumental in managing our SDS documents efficiently. The flexibility to edit and customize our safety data sheets to meet specific regulatory requirements is invaluable. It’s intuitive, time-saving, and essential for keeping up with the ever-changing regulatory landscape.”

Mark PolaskyChemical Regulatory Compliance Manager