General requirements

Make sure your hazardous chemicals are always properly labelled, even after they have been transferred from the original container. Once emptied, clean the container before you use it again.

You also need to label or sign-post any pipework that contains hazardous chemicals.

Get a current safety data sheet before you use any hazardous chemical and, where you can, when a hazardous chemical is first supplied to your workplace. You must also obtain any updated safety data sheets and ensure your workers, emergency services personnel or anyone who asks is provided with that information.

Keep a register that lists all the hazardous chemicals (except certain consumer products and certain chemicals in transit) used, stored and handled at your workplace. It must include the current safety data sheet for each chemical listed.

Make sure everyone affected by the hazardous chemicals can view the register.

You may need to keep a manifest of hazardous chemicals. Your manifest must include the type, quantity and location of the chemicals, a site plan and contact details for emergency services.

Notify us if you have:

• hazardous chemicals in excess of the ‘manifest quantity’
• made a significant change to the quantity, location or way you store the chemicals
• stopped using or storing the chemicals
• abandoned an underground, partially underground or fully mounded tank that was once used to store flammable gases or liquids
• changed contact details or ownership of the business
• never received or have lost your acknowledgement notification, or it has a printing error.

Display placards to assist emergency services if you store hazardous chemicals that exceed the ‘placard quantity’.

A HAZCHEM placard must be displayed on the outside of your workplace and other placards must be displayed at other locations around your workplace.

Also display warning signs near the chemical storage area.

Make sure food, cosmetics, face washers and the like are not contaminated by chemicals used or handled in the workplace.

Keep the ingredients and temperature stable, to ensure the chemicals don’t change.

Wherever chemicals are used, handled or stored, have something handy to enable spills and leaks to be contained.

Make sure chemical containers and pipework can’t be damaged in any way.

If you have certain quantities of hazardous chemicals in use, fire extinguishers will not be sufficient and suitable fire protection and firefighting equipment will be necessary. Consider installing monitors, alarms and automatic sprinkler systems.

Make sure your equipment is always available and operational for emergencies. Where manifest quantities of hazardous chemicals are involved, give a copy of the emergency plans to your primary emergency service organisation and neighbouring sites so responses to emergencies are coordinated.

Safety equipment must be given to anyone who needs it.

The manufacturer’s instructions must be followed for all systems installed to store and handle chemicals. Anyone who operates, tests, maintains or decommissions the system must be trained.

Also make sure chemical containers are secured to stable foundations and supports.

When you no longer need to store or handle chemicals, clear any chemical handling system of chemicals. If that’s not possible, label the system listing any hazardous chemicals not removed.

When you no longer need to store chemicals in an underground tank, you must remove the tank.

If your tank – whether underground, partially underground or fully mounded – has been used to store flammable gases or liquids, notify us when it has been removed.

Let your workers know their health will be monitored if they are likely to be exposed to hazardous chemicals.

Workers who are regularly exposed to certain hazardous chemicals must undergo health checks by an appropriate registered medical practitioner.

If a worker is exposed to chemicals, you need to tell a doctor your name, the worker’s name and date of birth, and describe the work and how long the worker has been doing it. They will provide a health report outlining your worker’s test results, negative or otherwise, and they’ll let you know if your worker needs counselling, and whether they can continue work or not. Make sure you give a copy of the report to the worker and to any other employer who may be responsible for the worker’s health and wellbeing. Also give a copy to us if it contains negative results or any recommendations. You will need to keep a copy of the report for at least 30 years. Don’t show the report to anyone without either the worker’s consent or professional confidentiality.

You must supervise anyone who is likely to be exposed to hazardous chemicals, including those who use the handling and storage systems.

There are certain carcinogens and chemicals you can’t use, unless they are used for research or approved by us. Or, in the case of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), you are getting rid of them or using them in existing electrical equipment or construction material.

If you want permission to use a prohibited or restricted carcinogen, fill in this application form.If permission is granted, you need to keep a copy of your authorisation for at least 30 years.

You must give any worker who uses a prohibited or restricted carcinogen a written statement outlining:

• the name of the carcinogen
• how long they have been exposed to it
• where they can get records of possible exposure
• what health tests are recommended.

You must also keep a record of the names of all those likely to be exposed to these carcinogens, together with their address and date of birth.

If you own a pipeline used to transfer hazardous chemicals, you are responsible for all the risks associated with it.

If your pipeline carries certain chemicals and crosses a public place, the builder of the pipeline must let us know the owner’s/operator’s name, the specifications of the pipeline, how it will be used and maintained, and the intended emergency procedures. We need to be told this information before the pipeline is commissioned, before chemicals are put into it, and if it is repaired or no longer used.

The operator of the pipeline is responsible for ensuring it is properly labelled and sign-posted. They must also let us know the correct classification of the chemical, and the names of the supplier and receiver.

For more information or to notify us of a pipeline email serviceDGEM@safework.nsw.gov.au

For the specific laws about working safely with hazardous chemicals, see clauses 328 - 391 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017.

There are also general work health and safety laws that will apply to you in any situation, including when working with hazardous chemicals.

For more specific information about exposure standards, safety data sheets, health monitoring and emergency plans, see the code of practice for managing risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace.

For information about label elements, special labelling situations, updating labels and hazardous pictograms, see the code of practice for labelling of workplace hazardous chemicals.

For information about preparing, reviewing and amending safety data sheets, see the code of practice for the preparation of safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals.