The pictogram, hazard statements and sixteen sections of the safety data sheet for a chemical do not appear on their own. In Türkiye, the same title is usually behind this information: the chemical assessment expert, or KDU for short, after its Turkish name. The title was defined by the Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (KKDİK), published in the Official Gazette dated June 23, 2017, issue No. 30105 (repeated).
This article explains what a KDU does, who can obtain this certificate, how the training and certification process works, and why a buyer looking at a safety data sheet should also ask about the competence of the person who prepared it.
What does a chemical assessment expert do?
A KDU is the person who assesses the hazards of a substance or mixture and turns that assessment into the documents required by the legislation. The training content defined by the Ministry also shows the scope of the expertise: chemicals management; legislation on classification and labelling, KKDİK, the transport of dangerous goods, storage and occupational health and safety; classification based on physicochemical, toxicological and ecotoxicological properties; human health and environmental risk assessment; exposure scenarios; and the requirements for preparing safety data sheets.
In practice, the main duties can be listed as follows:
- Classifying substances and mixtures into hazard classes and determining the label elements,
- Preparing the safety data sheet and updating it when new information emerges,
- Where required, carrying out the chemical safety assessment (KGD) and writing the chemical safety report (KGR),
- Defining exposure scenarios and risk management measures,
- Contributing to the technical content of registration dossiers under KKDİK.
A chemical safety report is required for substances manufactured or imported in quantities of 10 tonnes or more per year; at lower quantities, the classification and safety data sheet obligations for hazardous substances still apply. The general framework of the regulation is summarized in the article on REACH and KKDİK.
Who can become a chemical assessment expert?
According to the criteria announced by the Ministry (today the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change), a candidate must have completed at least 64 hours of KDU training and meet one of the following conditions to sit the KDU exam:
- Graduating from an undergraduate programme related to chemistry, biology or environmental sciences in a faculty of science, of science and letters or of engineering; biochemistry, biotechnology, chemistry, biology, molecular biology and genetics, biomedical engineering, environmental engineering and chemical engineering fall within this scope,
- Pursuing a master's or doctoral degree related to chemistry,
- Graduating from an undergraduate programme outside this scope and having worked for at least 5 years in chemicals-related production, laboratory work, quality control or chemicals management.
For example, a graduate in mechanical engineering or business administration can apply for the exam only if they can document the five years of experience in the last condition.
Training, exam and certificate
The process has three stages, and a different body is responsible at each stage:
| Stage | What is done? | Authorized body |
|---|---|---|
| Training | At least 64 hours of KDU training is completed | Training body approved by the Ministry |
| Exam | The competence exam is taken after the training | Certification body approved by the Ministry and accredited by TÜRKAK |
| Document | The successful candidate receives the KDU certificate, which is valid for 5 years | The certification body that held the exam |
Because the certificate is time-limited, changes in legislation and in classification rules must also be followed. Training and exam schedules vary from body to body, so up-to-date information should be followed in announcements from the Ministry and the authorized bodies.
Who prepares the safety data sheet?
Under the previous regulation, safety data sheets could be prepared by people holding an SDS preparer certificate. With the end of the KKDİK transition period, preparing KKDİK-compliant sheets has become the task of chemical assessment experts. What each section of the sheet covers is discussed in detail in the article on the safety data sheet.
The practical consequence for a buyer is this: when reviewing a sheet, not only its content but also its version, date and the competence of the person who prepared it are checked. The safety data sheet published for our facility's product (version 1.0, 10.07.2026) was prepared by a chemical assessment expert certified by TÜV AUSTRIA under TÜRKAK accreditation, whose certificate is valid until 2029. In the sheet, the product is classified as Acute Tox. 2 (H300) by the oral route, Acute Tox. 2 (H310) by the dermal route and Acute Tox. 1 (H330) by inhalation. Which toxicity ranges these categories correspond to is explained in the article what is LD50, their label equivalents in the article on the GHS06 pictogram and H statements, and copies of the documents are on the Documents page.
