Direct answer: Control both periodic review and immediate change-driven assessment.
Calculate the review deadline
Store the last completed review and a due date, with alerts early enough for technical work and approval.
Monitor change signals
Formula, supplier, hazard data, physical properties, uses, exposure standards and regulatory guidance can trigger earlier review.
Assess the full document
A supplier change may affect classification, labels, controls, toxicology, transport and emergency information.
Record no-change decisions
A review that finds no update necessary still needs evidence, scope, reviewer and completion date.
Distribute approved revisions
Preserve the superseded version and identify customers or workplaces that need the current SDS.
Practical example
An SDS is only two years old, but the raw-material supplier revises acute toxicity data. The product is reopened immediately rather than waiting three more years.
Release checklist
- Store last review date
- Set five-year deadline
- Monitor source changes
- Document impact decision
- Control revised distribution
Common mistakes
- Treating five years as guaranteed validity
- Changing only the date
- Deleting the superseded SDS
Frequently asked questions
Is an Australian SDS valid for exactly five years?
No. Five years is the periodic review interval; information must also remain correct and current.
What triggers earlier review?
Any material product, evidence, use or regulatory change can require assessment.
Must a no-change review be recorded?
Yes, for defensible version control.
Where is the revision date shown?
Safe Work Australia notes it is usually included in Section 16.
Primary sources
Review notice: AUSTRALIAN REGULATORY AND JURISDICTIONAL REVIEW REQUIRED BEFORE INDEXING.