Inadequate traceability and incomplete documentation are frequent causes of citations at electroplating shops. This guide presents a complete system for staying legally compliant and making audits easier.
Why Traceability Is Fundamental
Mandatory Legal Compliance
Environmental legislation (CONAMA 430/2011, Brazil's federal resolution on effluent discharge) and safety standards require full traceability of chemical inputs. Without a proper system, an electroplating shop is operating in nonconformity.
Easier Audits
Environmental audits, ISO certifications and inspections all require proof. Organized documentation turns an audit into a smooth process.
Problem Investigation
When a quality problem arises, traceability makes it possible to identify the specific batch and the root cause quickly.
Professional Management
It shows organization and seriousness. It makes negotiations easier with customers that require certified suppliers.
Traceability System
Boreto & Cardoso®, with 53 years of experience since 1972, provides full traceability on all its products.
Element 1: Batch Number
What it is: A unique code that identifies a group of products manufactured together.
Where it should be: Visible on the packaging, printed (not just on a sticker that can come off).
What to check:
- Legible and clear
- Not defaced
- Permanently printed
- Manufacturing date included
Simple test: Take a photo of the batch number when you receive the product. It makes later lookup easier and proves receipt.
Element 2: Batch-Specific Certificate
What it is: A document with the physicochemical analyses of that specific batch.
Mandatory features:
- Number matching the batch on the packaging
- Actual analyses of that batch
- Signature of the responsible technical officer
- Recent issue date
- Laboratory identification
WARNING: A generic certificate, or an identical one for different batches, indicates fake traceability. It has no legal or technical value.
Verification test: Ask for certificates from 3 different batches. The results should vary (even if only slightly). Identical certificates = a problem.
Element 3: Up-to-Date SDS
What it is: A Safety Data Sheet compliant with ABNT NBR 14725:2019 (the Brazilian standard for safety data sheets).
Mandatory requirements:
- Compliant with ABNT NBR 14725:2019 (16 sections)
- Valid revision date (maximum 5 years)
- Responsible technical officer identified
- Complete emergency information
- Correct GHS classification
Outdated SDS: A frequent cause of fines during inspections. Environmental agencies check compliance with the standard.
Where to keep it:
- Paper copy at the point of use
- Digital backup copy
- Accessible to the team
Element 4: Lookup System
What it is: An organized way to look up a batch's history.
Information needed:
- When it was received
- Where it is stored
- How much has been used
- Which process it was used in
- When it ran out
Tools:
- Excel spreadsheet (minimum)
- Management software (ideal)
- Integrated ERP system (advanced)
Complete Documentation
SDS: Safety Data Sheet
Mandatory structure (ABNT NBR 14725:2019):
- Product and company identification
- Hazard identification
- Composition and information on ingredients
- First aid measures
- Firefighting measures
- Accidental release measures
- Handling and storage
- Exposure controls and personal protection
- Physical and chemical properties
- Stability and reactivity
- Toxicological information
- Ecological information
- Disposal considerations
- Transport information
- Regulatory information
- Other information
All 16 sections must be complete. An SDS with missing sections does not comply with the standard.
Certificate of Analysis
Minimum information:
- Batch number
- Manufacturing date
- Percentage purity
- Main contaminants (Fe, Cu, Cl, etc.)
- Concentration
- Physical appearance
- Analytical method used
- Responsible technical officer
- Issue date
Invoice
Mandatory checks:
- Correct tax classification (NCM, the Mercosur Common Nomenclature code)
- Proper product description
- Correct quantity and unit
- Carrier details
- Proper transport documentation
Consumption Record
Information to track:
- Date of use
- Product (name + batch)
- Quantity consumed
- Process/application
- Waste generated
- Person responsible for use
Frequency: Updated monthly at a minimum. Daily records are ideal.
Getting Organized for Audits
Filing System
Recommended structure:
📁 PRODUCT 1 (e.g. Hydrochloric Acid)
├── Up-to-date SDS
├── 📁 Certificates (last 5 years)
│ ├── Batch 2023-001
│ ├── Batch 2023-002
│ └── ...
├── 📁 Invoices (last 5 years)
└── 📊 Consumption Spreadsheet
📁 PRODUCT 2
├── ...
Retention period: At least 5 years for all documents.
Control Spreadsheet
Essential columns:
- Date received
- Supplier
- Product
- Batch number
- Quantity received
- Date opened
- Quantity consumed (monthly)
- Waste generated
- Date finished
- Notes
Input-to-Waste Link
Full traceability: Relate each input consumed to the waste it generated.
Why it matters: Environmental audits check the mass balance. Input entering the process must match what leaves it (product + waste).
How to do it: Add a column to the consumption spreadsheet for the corresponding waste generated.
Legal Compliance
CONAMA 430/2011
A resolution on liquid effluents. It requires:
- Traceability of the products used
- Control of effluent generation
- Proper treatment
- Correct waste disposal
ABNT NBR 14725:2019
The standard for SDSs. Updating is mandatory. Older versions (2009, 2012) no longer comply.
ISO 9001:2015
Quality certification requires:
- Raw material traceability
- Document control
- Organized records
- An implemented management system
The Boreto & Cardoso® Experience
Serving the Brazilian market for 53 years since 1972, we provide full traceability:
Visible batch number: Printed on all packaging.
Specific certificates: Each batch has its own certificate with actual analyses.
Up-to-date SDSs: Compliant with ABNT NBR 14725:2019 and reviewed periodically.
Lookup system: We provide the complete history on request.
Complete documentation: We provide history and technical information on request.
Documentation Checklist
For Each Product
- Up-to-date SDS (ABNT 14725:2019)
- SDS with all 16 sections complete
- Valid revision date (<5 years)
- Batch certificates on file
- Specific (not generic) certificates
- Invoices organized
- Correct NCM on the invoice
- Consumption spreadsheet up to date
- Input-to-waste link established
Overall System
- Physical folder organized for each product
- Digital backup in place
- 5-year archive maintained
- Control spreadsheet updated monthly
- Documents accessible to the team
- Paper copies at the point of use (SDS)
- Working search system
- Annual review carried out
Audit Preparation
- Complete documentation for every product
- Up-to-date SDSs available
- Certificates organized by batch
- Invoices on file
- Consumption documented
- Waste traced
- Consistent mass balance
- Responsible technical officer identified
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Generic Certificate
Accepting generic documents that do not match the batch. They have no legal value.
Mistake 2: Outdated SDS
Keeping an old SDS (2009, 2012). The current standard is from 2019.
Mistake 3: Disorganized Files
Documents mixed together with no way to search them. The audit becomes a problem.
Mistake 4: No Backup
Losing one-of-a-kind documents for lack of a digital backup.
Mistake 5: No Input-to-Waste Link
Not relating consumption to waste generation. The environmental audit fails.
2025 Trends
Digital Traceability
QR codes on packaging will give immediate access to:
- The batch-specific certificate
- The up-to-date SDS
- The product's complete history
- Safety information
Blockchain
The technology will guarantee the authenticity of certificates and make forgery impossible.
ERP Integration
Integrated systems will make automatic traceability easier, reducing manual work.
Conclusion
Proper traceability and documentation are not unnecessary red tape. They provide legal protection, make audits easier and demonstrate professional management.
Boreto & Cardoso®, with 53 years of experience since 1972, provides complete technical documentation in line with current legislation, making compliance easier for our customers.
Contact Us
Boreto & Cardoso® Ltda
📞 Headquarters: (11) 3931-1722, (11) 2366-6260, WhatsApp (11) 99108-2229, (19) 97685-0233 📞 Limeira Branch: (19) 99458-6331 📱 Branch WhatsApp: (19) 99557-1693 📧 boreto@boreto.com.br
📍 Headquarters: R. Alagoas, 30, Santana de Parnaíba/SP, 06530-245 📍 Branch: R. Aratibá, 759, Limeira/SP, 13481-208
🕐 Monday to Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Boreto & Cardoso®: Full traceability and compliant documentation for 53 years.
Note to the reader
This article brings together technical information drawn from different sources, with the aim of broadening knowledge about the raw materials mentioned.
It is informational material only and does not represent, on the part of Boreto & Cardoso, any indication of application, formulation or direct recommendation for use.
Boreto & Cardoso®, with 53 years of experience, acts strictly as a supplier of chemical inputs for a wide range of applications, and it is up to each user to verify the suitability and compliance of their application.