ISi information system for safety data sheets

Open database (in German)

The information system for safety data sheets (ISi) comprises a safety data sheet collection of more than 6 million SDSs. This has been recorded since the mid-1990s until the end of 2023.

The information system for safety data sheets (ISi) has been created jointly by the Association of the German Chemical Industry (VCI) and the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA). Its purpose was to provide public authorities, emergency services and the German Social Accident Insurance Institutions with access to the most comprehensive and up-to-date repository possible of safety data sheets for chemical products. The participating companies initially supplied the material safety data sheets voluntarily to ISi. With the implementation of the ISi database in the German Chemicals Act in November 2011 as part of the transitional regulation for product notification requirement for hazardous mixtures, the number of participating companies jumped to over 2,000.

The transitional regulation (§28 Chemical Act) ended on December 31, 2023.

With over 5 million safety data sheets supplied as product notifications since the implementation of the notification requirement, the ISi will remain an important source of information for public authorities, emergency services and the German Social Accident Insurance Institutions beyond the transitional regulation. The ISi database will remain available to these institutions for research purposes beyond 2023.

We would like to thank the around 2,000 companies for their confidence placed in the ISi. Thanks to your participation, the ISi was the mainstay for notifications for the health emergency response in Germany for over 10 years. Finally, we particularly like to thank the VCI for its many years of excellent co-operation and support.

Statutory basis

Article 45 of the CLP Regulation forms the statutory basis for the notification requirement for hazardous chemical mixtures.

Since January, 01, 2024, this notification requirement is fulfilled in Germany, if a notification has been submitted to the German Federal Institute of Risk Assessment (BfR) in accordance with §16e of the national Chemicals Act.

Please visit the BfR website for information on the current notification procedure.

Since 1 January 2024, the information system for safety data sheets no longer accepts product notifications on hazardous chemical mixtures.

Access permissions

The database is not available to the general public, owing to contractual constraints. Access is granted to:

• The German Social Accident Insurance Institutions
• State bodies with surveillance functions (such as the labour inspection authorities)
• Emergency services (such as poisoning emergency hotlines or the TUIS transport accident information and emergency response system)

Some companies have consented to their safety data sheets being made accessible to the public. These are displayed under the "GAST" (guest) access.

Conditions of use

The German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) and the IFA draw attention to the following:

• The safety data sheets stored in the database are produced by the companies themselves and placed in the database by the DGUV/IFA without changes to their content.
• Users make use of the safety data sheets at their own risk. In particular, no guarantee is given that the safety data sheets are up to date, complete, correct or free of errors.
• The safety data sheets may be used only for fulfilment of the users' tasks in accordance with the statutes or legislation.
• Rights to use are granted only to the extent necessary for fulfilment of the users' tasks in accordance with the statutes or legislation; all rights are otherwise retained by the authors of the safety data sheets.
• Commercial use is subject to the express approval of the company or companies providing the safety data sheets.
• The user code is to be kept confidential.

Liability

The VCI, the companies supplying the safety data sheets and the DGUV/IFA accept no liability for the safety data sheets being up to date, correct, complete or free of errors, nor do they accept any liability for direct or indirect damage or loss resulting from use of the safety data sheets. This provision does not affect companies' responsibility for their safety data sheets and for the content thereof in accordance with the companies' statutory obligations.