By QuiMatrix · Updated
How to review changes between two SDS versions
A revised safety data sheet may contain changes to content or presentation. Comparison helps locate differences and focus the technical review. To make it useful, first establish exactly which documents you are comparing.
1. Confirm that the context matches
Check the product identifier, supplier, language and stated scope of use. Files with similar names can relate to different products or markets. Where the context differs, record that before treating every difference as an update to the same document.
2. Keep both originals
Record the earlier and newer versions, their source and the dates available. Avoid overwriting the only retained copy. History helps explain which information was available when a decision was made and lets reviewers return to the source if extraction is uncertain.
3. Categorise differences for review
Distinguish formatting changes, data changes and points requiring clarification. Pay attention to identification, hazard information, composition and handling or protective measures where these sections differ. The significance of each change should be assessed by a person competent in the product and its use.
4. Record a conclusion and an action
A list of differences does not complete a review. Record who reviewed the document, which questions remain and what should happen next: supplier clarification, input from another team or an update to the documentation in use. Do not mark a version as reviewed merely because a comparison tool has finished running.
5. Communicate with the relevant teams
Identify the teams that use the affected information. Share the document and relevant conclusion while retaining the review context. Where a question remains open, assign an owner and follow-up date so it does not disappear in email.
Review record: an illustrative example
| Finding | Next step |
|---|---|
| The layout changed | Check whether the content also differs |
| A different value appears | Find it in both originals and assign a technical review |
| Part of the PDF extracts poorly | Review the source visually before concluding |
| The product identifier does not match | Confirm which documents correspond with the supplier |
| A question remains unresolved | Record the question, owner and follow-up |
Illustrative example: comparison identifies different wording in handling recommendations. The team checks both originals and records a question for the supplier. The detected difference prompts a review; it does not, on its own, determine the operational decision.
A template for recording an SDS version review
Copy this record into your document system. Keep differences detected by a comparison tool separate from findings checked by a person against the originals. Resolve differences in product, language or market before treating the documents as successive versions.
Download editable template (.txt)Free download. No email required. Open it in any text editor.
PRODUCT AND SUPPLIER: Internal reference: Language / market: Previous document: version, date and link to original New document: version, date and link to original FOR EACH DIFFERENCE Section and page in each original: Previous content: New content: Checks completed against source documents: Type: formatting / data / clarification needed Person or team to assess the change: Question for the supplier, if needed: REVIEW CONCLUSION Reviewer and review date: Recorded conclusion: Outstanding actions, owners and follow-up: Teams to receive the outcome: Link to the superseded document:
Illustrative example: the new PDF changes a supplier contact and rearranges a table. Record these findings separately. A visual difference does not establish a technical change; matching text does not replace a context review. If extraction returns an empty cell, retain the question until the original page has been checked.
Before you finish
- Product, supplier and language are identified.
- Both original documents are retained.
- Relevant differences have an assigned reviewer.
- Conclusions and outstanding questions are recorded.
How QuiMatrix can help
QuiMatrix provides document comparison and access to structured information to support this workflow. Automation helps locate differences, while conclusions should be checked against the original document and the appropriate professional review.
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