Who is this article for?

Users who need to understand compound data files permissions and how to link these with user tags.

Administrator role is required.

The Compound Data Field Permissions feature gives organisations fine-grained control over who can edit specific chemical profile fields in the SafetyStratus Chemical Management System (CMS) by linking permissions to UserTags.

1. Understanding the benefits

By linking permissions to UserTags, you can ensure that sensitive, compliance-critical, or specialised catalogue data is only updated by the right people—without restricting other admins from doing their jobs.

Key benefits include:

• Protect Sensitive Data: Prevent unauthorised edits to regulatory codes, hazard classifications, or other safety-critical fields
• Delegate Smartly: Allow certain admins to manage basic catalogue details whilst reserving specialised data for experts
• Maintain Consistency: Reduce errors and keep hazard information uniform across your entire organisation

2. Reviewing industry examples

Different industries use this feature to control access to specific types of chemical data:

• Academia: Only Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) staff with a Hazard Data Manager tag can edit Globally Harmonised System (GHS) hazard classifications
• Manufacturing: Limit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) hazard rating edits to the safety compliance team
• Construction: Restrict Department of Transportation (DOT) shipping classification edits to a logistics coordinator
• Industry and Utilities: Use a Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) Data Admin tag to control Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Chemicals of Interest updates

3. Configuring field permissions

To configure compound data field permissions, follow these steps:

1. Go to Edit Settings
2. Select Chemical Inventory
3. Choose Compound Data Field Permissions: Link with UserTags
4. Use the drop-down menu to select the UserTag you want to configure
5. The chosen tag defines the permission set for chemical profile editing

4. Assigning permissions to fields

To assign permissions to specific fields, follow these steps:

1. Click Add UserTag to All Columns to give full edit access to all profile fields, or select specific fields individually, for example, Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) number, GHS hazard, or NFPA rating, that this UserTag can edit.
2. Use the red bin icon to remove a UserTag from a field if needed.

3. Confirm the configuration.
4. Save your changes.

Note: Changes take effect immediately.

5. Understanding how permissions work in practice

When an admin with a UserTag opens 

1. Data Manager
2. Selects Catalogue
3. Chooses Chemical Profile

• They will see edit access only for fields linked to their UserTag
• All other fields will appear as read-only

4. This ensures that even admins with broad access to the catalogue can only make changes to the fields they are authorised for.