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Draft regulatory material July 2009

Development of additional regulatory material

The new workplace chemicals model regulations will be supported by a suite of additional regulatory material.

Stakeholder comment has been sought on the following material:

Document Name	Document	Release date	Due date for comments
Draft National Code of Practice for the Labelling of Workplace Hazardous Chemicals	Word Version (Word 2.17MB) PDF Version (PDF 1.45MB)	Friday 31 July 2009	Closed
Draft National Code of Practice for the Preparation of Safety Data Sheets	Word Version (Word 2.3MB) PDF Version (PDF 1.41MB)	Friday 31 July 2009	Closed
View the public submissions
Australian Criteria for the Classification Hazardous Chemicals (previously known as the ‘Approved Criteria’).	Word Version (6.9MB)	Tuesday 6 October 2009	Closed
View the public submissions

The introduction of the new draft Australian Criteria for the Classification of Hazardous Chemicals (the Classification Criteria) is to introduce to the Australian workplace the international classification criteria for classifying and labelling hazardous chemicals as contained in the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). This draft Classification Criteria supports the Policy Proposal (the basis of model regulations covering the safe management of both dangerous goods and hazardous substances used in the workplace) and is scheduled to be introduced into the Australian workplace in 2012 at the time model legislation is put in place.

The draft Classification Criteria is a large and complex document based on the 3rd revision of the GHS. It is NOT intended as a workplace or general OHS guidance document but is intended for expert classifiers and competent persons preparing safety data sheets. It is NOT expected that significant comment would be received by OHS generalists as a result. It is also recommended that you examine the draft Labelling Code also on this page for simple explanation of the GHS categories as they relate to labels. Please read the preface and introduction for an overall explanation of the document.

Safe Work Australia will be preparing guidance material for different audiences on the GHS and introducing two training courses (as basic and an expert one) to understand GHS classification.

To facilitate the understanding of the draft Classification Criteria, Safe Work Australia has prepared two summary tables, comparing the classification classes and categories between the current dangerous goods and hazardous substances criteria (in the ADG Code and the Approved Criteria respectively) and the new GHS Classification Criteria. It should be noted that these summary tables are not part of the Classification Criteria but have been provided as additional guidance.

Summary Table 1	Summary table relating classification in accordance with the Approved Criteria for Classifying Hazardous Substances – 3rd edition [NOHSC:1008(2004)] and the Australian Criteria for the Classification of Hazardous Chemicals	Print A3 version            Print A4 version
Summary Table 2	Summary table relating classification in accordance with the Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road & Rail – 7th edition and the Australian Criteria for the Classification of Hazardous Chemicals	Print A3 version Print A4 version

The review of the workplace chemicals framework has been underway for many years. Find out more information on previous activities.