A hazardous chemicals register is a record of all hazardous chemicals used, handled, or stored at your workplace, accompanied by the current safety data sheet (SDS) for each chemical.
Under the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 and the Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations, a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) must ensure that:
- a register of hazardous chemicals is prepared
- a register is kept at the workplace in a location that is readily accessible to workers and anyone likely to be affected by a hazardous chemical in the workplace
- information in the register is up to date.
Only chemicals classified as hazardous should be included in the register. The register must:
- include the current SDS for each chemical listed
- be easy to use
- be available for workers and emergency services at any time.
The register may be kept electronically, provided all workers who need it can access a computer or similar device and know how to use the system. A backup plan must be in place to ensure the register remains accessible during foreseeable incidents, such as a power or network failure.
You can use Safe Work Australia’s Hazardous chemicals register template to help you prepare a hazardous chemical register for your business.
If you store hazardous chemicals in large quantities, you may also need to keep a manifest.
Exceptions — chemicals not required in the register
The register does not need to include:
- chemicals not classified as hazardous
- hazardous chemicals bought or used as a consumer product, for which an SDS is not required under the WHS Regulations
- hazardous chemicals in transit that are unopened, unused, and stored for five days or fewer.
A consumer product is one packed primarily for household use and used in a way consistent with normal household use. For example, a 1 kg container of laundry detergent used once a week by a worker to wash their work clothes is a consumer product and does not need to be included in the register. In contrast, a 30 kg container of the same detergent used by a commercial laundering business is not a consumer product and must be included. Consumer products also include office chemicals such as printer toner and whiteboard cleaners.
Hazardous chemicals in transit must still be included in the register if they are present in large amounts at your workplace or are frequently stored there.
Communicating safety information
Having a hazardous chemicals register does not replace the requirement to communicate safety information to workers and visitors.
Safety information must be made available to everyone in the workplace, regardless of whether the chemical is listed on the register. This applies to both hazardous and non-hazardous chemicals.
This information should cover:
- safe use
- handling
- storage.
This information can be found on the chemical label and in its SDS.
Workplaces involving more than one PCBU
In some workplaces, more than one PCBU may be responsible for maintaining a hazardous chemicals register. For example, if external cleaning staff are contracted to clean an office and their chemicals are stored on-site, both PCBUs have obligations.
The office PCBU must maintain a register and hold the current SDS for each chemical. This ensures that all workers, not just the cleaning staff can access safety information in the event of a spill or exposure.
Maintaining this register does not, however, exempt the labour hire firm from its own obligation to provide hazardous chemicals information directly to the cleaning workers.