Everywhere I go, I am seeing gradual signs of “getting back to normal.” More places are opening up, restrictions are being eased, but most importantly, the number of Covid cases are going down. I think we are all thrilled with this, even though we are being warned to continue staying vigilant. Most of us will take the continuance of some level of caution if it means we can start doing the things we love again. What are you looking forward to doing this summer? For me, it’s outdoor concerts.
When it comes to product regulations and product stewardship, are you getting back to normal yet? Is it time to take a hard look at what you’ve been doing and what you should have been doing? When just getting product out the door was your primary focus, it’s understandable that other activities had to take a back seat. Is it now time to revisit your priorities?
Let’s think about some of those product stewardship priorities, many of which have been covered in previous blogs:
- Do you understand the compositions of your products? This may first require understanding the compositions of your raw materials.
- Make assessments based on your compositions. Do you have hazardous substances? If yes, do you have the right Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in place? Is it possible to remove or reduce the hazardous substances? Do you need to inform your downstream customers about the hazardous substances?
- Do you have customer questionnaires that require answers? Downstream customers may have given you a pass last year, but they are soon going to demand responses.
- Are you meeting Industry requirements for banned and restricted substances?
- Are your hazard communication documents in good shape? Are you meeting all regulatory requirements?
- Are you shipping product to other countries? Do you meet all chemical inventory, hazard communication, and banned/restricted requirements in those countries?
As much as we all embrace the idea of getting back to normal, we need to realize what that means for our products we are selling. Having good product stewardship and product regulatory systems in place are critical. Contact us at Strategic Realm Consulting if you need help answering any of the above questions. We can conduct an audit if needed, or help set up systems and protocols. We also make it a priority to train your personnel to keep the process evergreen.
