JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON – (Aug. 26, 2025) – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazard Communication standard 1910.1200 requires Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) to be readily accessible during each work shift for all hazardous chemicals in the workplace.

Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) San Antonio maintains over 1,500 SDSs within its Emergency Management System (EMS) for all chemicals in its inventory which takes countless man-hours to review and update with the newest information.

Physical copies of SDSs for each chemical are maintained alphabetically in large binders in the laboratories.

According to NAMRU San Antonio Safety Officer Jhohn Joiner, printing paper copies of SDSs for over 1,500 plus chemicals and updating them annually is time consuming.

“The administrative burden can be an extraordinary feat not to mention the large amount of paper required to maintain SDSs,” said Joiner. “To clear shelf space for needed consumables and equipment, it was determined that maintaining large SDS binders with limited shelf space was futile.”

Joiner added that it takes approximately one to two uninterrupted work weeks to ensure all SDSs are the most current along with the usages of two cases of paper for printing.

The solution was the procurement of a digital SDS database system that could be used on non-networked computer tablets in all laboratory spaces which would replace all physical SDS binders. The digital SDSs can be accessed on a computer tablet within seconds after scanning the chemical barcode or by using the search bar.

The initial planning for the digital SDS library and chemical inventory began in March 2025 with the Chemical Safety Software Company.

“NAMRU San Antonio received the first quote for the Chemical Safety Software, which only included the digital SDS library and only one user account,” said Joiner. “Personnel started consolidating SDSs already on file (containing 592 chemicals) and prepared a spreadsheet with the chemical name, manufacturer, product number, and SDS file name. Prior to importing into the EMS Inventory Management software, there were some challenges with refining the SDS list which contained 890 chemicals. The refining included fixing chemical, manufacturer, location, and point of contact naming conventions, and adding a units of measure table for container sizes. Having the EMS Inventory Management module would link a digital SDS to every chemical on the inventory, which would ensure OSHA compliance.”

In June, SDS list No. 1 was refined and imported to the EMS Inventory Management software. After a month, 592 SDS PDF files and SDS list No. 2 were uploaded to the Chemical Safety Company’s SharePoint with the Chemical Safety Support Team importing SDS list No. 2 to the EMS Inventory Management software.

“At this point, the EMS Inventory Management software was partially operational,” said Joiner. “Personnel then began designing a chemical label suitable for the authorized users list (AUL) which included the chemical name, product number, laboratory location, and AUL QR code.”

Personnel, with view only access, were able to scan QR codes on chemical labels which allowed the SDS to be displayed on the computer tablet for 592 SDSs.

“Going digital will increase operational efficiency by focusing on high-priority tasks first, while saving paper, and printer ink required for hard copies,” said April Ford, a chemical hygienist specialist. “Response time will be greatly decreased with easier accessible digital copies during a chemical spill emergency.”

On July 21, Joiner and Ford briefed the digital SDS system to members of the Safety Committee and received approval from NAMRU San Antonio leadership to implement the system within the command’s laboratory spaces.

“Currently, the Chemical Safety Support Team is obtaining the remaining SDSs from manufacturers for uploading into the software which will streamline the process of identifying precautions needed in handling hazardous chemicals,” Ford said.

NAMRU San Antonio, part of Navy Medicine Research & Development, conducts gap-driven combat casualty care, craniofacial, and directed energy research in support of Navy, Marine Corps and joint U.S. warfighter health readiness and lethality while engaged in routine and expeditionary operations.