Can someone calrify whether a company should keep SDS sheets on file ? I assume we want these sheets on a site where the work is being done. This gives a injured person or medical peronal quick access to the sheet for infomation. 

My question is should all products on a site that come with a SDS sheet have those sheets stored onsite? Say threadlocker or brake cleaner or other cleaning products like bleach etc. 

All legally traded products that are hazardous will have the basic information upon their product label, and where such information is present upon the label there is no duty to provide a Safety Data Sheet hence you will often see the line "Safety Data Sheet available upon request".

The content of Section 2 of a current Safety Data Sheet is the hazard and precaution information the supplier must communicate to the end user as label elements including the pictograms and signal word.

An SDS is just a more covenient way of filing this information, especially as an electronic file.

As AK mentions your workplace COSHH assessment is more important for how the product is, and is not, used at your site.

A COSHH assessment should form part of employee training BEFORE something happens rather than acting as a reference guide after an event has occurred.

Along with "copious" amounts of water most SDS Section 4 (First Aid) bear the instruction "Treat symptomatically" i.e. we have no guidance for you to follow.

SDS are only part of the information you will need. The risk assessment should tell you the real situation. Note that SDS do not necessarily tell you what the real hazard will be when the chemical is used for the purpose for which it was brought on site. This is covered in the ACoP, 6th edition, for COSHH as well as section 2(1) of COSHH itself. “Employers should regard a substance as hazardous to health if it is hazardous in the form in which it may occur in the work activity. A substance hazardous to health need not be just a chemical compound, it can also include mixtures of compounds, micro-organisms or natural materials, such as flour, stone or wood dust.” - “Employers should regard a substance as hazardous to health if it is hazardous in the form in which it may occur in the work activity. A substance hazardous to health need not be just a chemical compound, it can also include mixtures of compounds, micro-organisms or natural materials, such as flour, stone or wood dust.” - COSHH ACoP (6th edition), para. 10

There are thousands of chemicals that, for example in contact with skin, will not have been identified as hazardous and for which, therefore, there will be no SDS. Water, as wet work or from excessive wearing of occlusive gloves, is the most common cause of occupational contact dermatitis, but when did you see a SDS for water? Actually is some respects more relevant is section 6 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Section 6(4) states: It shall be the duty of any person who designs, manufactures, imports or supplies any substance for use at work:-

It shall be the duty of any person who designs, manufactures, imports or supplies any substance for use at work:- (c) to take such steps as are necessary to secure that there will be available in connection with the use of the substance at work adequate information about the results of any relevant tests which have been carried out on or in connection with the substance and about any conditions necessary to ensure that it will be safe and without risks to health when properly used.

HSE has prosecuted suppliers of chemicals on the basis that they have not complied with this part of the Act.

Your risk assessment should take account of all chemicals being used during a task, identify the real hazard that arises when they are used, the potential for exposure and the consequences and the remedial action that should be taken in the event of excessive exposure. The SDS does not provide this information, only on the chemical as supplied.