Hazardous chemicals

Hazardous chemicals are chemicals that pose a physical or health hazard. 

Some chemicals can create physical hazards like fires, explosions or corrosion. Other chemicals may produce health effects shortly after contact (like skin, respiratory or eye irritation) or cause long-term health conditions (like cancer or organ damage). Some chemicals may become more harmful when mixed with another chemical. Some chemicals cause both physical and health hazards. As such, exposure to these chemicals can be harmful to workers and others in the workplace. 

Common types of hazardous chemicals used in the healthcare and social assistance industry include:

• cleaning products (e.g. bleach, peracetic acid)
• disinfectants and hand sanitisers (e.g. sanitisers with ethanol or isopropyl alcohol)
• chemicals used to preserve specimens in theatres and pathology (e.g. formaldehyde)
• anaesthetics
• by-products of treatments (e.g. acrylonitrile and hydrogen cyanide from surgical smoke)
• noxious airborne contaminants and gases generated from lasers (e.g. carbon, benzene, toluene, carbon monoxide)
• medications in solution or powder form which may cause irritation if used or stored incorrectly, and
• cytotoxic drugs (e.g. anthracyclines used to treat cancer), and
• fumes from diathermy.

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You must keep your workers and others safe from the risks of using, handling, generating, and storing hazardous chemicals in the workplace. You must eliminate risks as much as you reasonably can. If this is not possible, you must minimise risks as much as reasonably can by using the hierarchy of controls. 

In addition to this primary duty, you also have other legal responsibilities under WHS laws if there are hazardous chemicals in the workplace. These include:

• ensuring all containers of hazardous chemicals are correctly labelled
• storing hazardous chemicals safely and informing your workers about them
• maintaining an up-to-date hazardous chemical register that is easy to access, and that includes a copy of the current safety data sheet for each hazardous chemical on the register
• displaying safety signs (if identified as a control) at the workplace to warn people about the hazardous chemical, or state any responsibilities people at the workplace may have because of it
• ensuring no one is exposed to a hazardous chemical in an airborne concentration above its exposure standard, and
• monitoring the health of workers who handle, generate or store hazardous chemicals where there is a significant risk of exposure. 

Safety data sheets (SDS) are an important source of information about hazards, safe handling and storage when working with the hazardous chemical. Information found in a SDS includes:

• the chemical identity and ingredients  
• the dangers it can pose, such as health and physical hazards
• how to safely handle, store and clean up the chemical
• first aid and emergency procedures, and
• disposal considerations. 

Manufacturers or importers of a hazardous chemical must prepare the SDS. The manufacturer, importer or supplier must provide the SDS when a hazardous chemical is first supplied to a workplace, or in future supplies if the SDS has been updated. 

You must request a copy of the SDS if you do not have one and must always do so before the chemical is used in the workplace.  

You must ensure the SDS is current and easily accessible to anyone working with or around hazardous chemicals (e.g. printed out and displayed close to where the chemical is used). This includes emergency services workers or anyone else who may be exposed. 

You must also keep an up-to-date hazardous chemical register, listing the hazardous chemicals used, handled or stored at the workplace. The register must include a copy of the current SDS for each hazardous chemical. It should be regularly updated as new hazardous chemicals are introduced or if particular hazardous chemicals are no longer being used.

You may not need to obtain a SDS or include the hazardous chemical on the workplace’s hazardous chemical register if the hazardous chemical is a consumer good:

• used in small amounts in a way that is consistent with household use, and
• is incidental to the nature of work carried out by a worker using the hazardous chemical. 

For example, a disability support worker using a common household cleaner to clean a client’s home is unlikely to need an SDS. However, if they use the chemical for a different purpose than its intended use, or in greater amounts than what is normal for household use, an SDS is likely to be required. 

You can choose to request a SDS from the manufacturer, importer or supplier if you are unsure and want to find out more.

Comprehensive information on SDS, including duties and responsibilities, is available in the following resources:

• Code of Practice: Preparation of safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals
• Using safety data sheets

These are just some of the duties and responsibilities for businesses or organisations working with hazardous chemicals. The managing risks section outlines additional duties that apply for hazardous chemicals relating to the work environment. It is important that you read the relevant WHS laws and other legislative frameworks applicable in your jurisdiction and consult with the relevant people involved at your workplace (e.g. workers handling hazardous chemicals).

Comprehensive information about duties and responsibilities when working with hazardous chemicals is available in the following resources:

• Code of Practice: Managing risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace
• Code of Practice: Labelling of workplace hazardous chemicals
• Code of Practice: Preparation of safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals
• Health monitoring
• WHS duties related to hazardous chemicals
• Workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants (2024)

In addition to the general risk management process, there are also additional considerations you should think about if your workplace uses hazardous chemicals. 

Know the hazardous chemicals in your workplace

Products containing hazardous chemicals often go unnoticed. You should take all reasonable steps to find out what chemicals are being used by all workers you are responsible for. 

Workplace exposure to airborne contaminants, including airborne hazardous chemicals

Work processes can release contaminants in the form of dusts, gases, fumes, vapours, or mists into the air, which may be harmful to health or safety. These are known as airborne contaminants and may be invisible. People that breathe in airborne contaminants at work may be at risk of adverse health effects. 

You must eliminate or minimise risks from airborne contaminants in the workplace as much as you reasonably can, and ensure that workers and others are not exposed to levels of airborne contaminants above their workplace exposure standard (WES). 

Health monitoring

For hazardous chemicals, you must provide health monitoring to workers if there is a significant risk to a worker’s health because of exposure to particular hazardous chemicals, and if there is a valid way to determine the effect on health or biological exposure. 

Health monitoring must be done by a doctor with experience in health monitoring. If health monitoring indicates a worker may be being harmed by chemical exposure, this must be reported to your WHS regulator.

Health monitoring is not an alternative to using effective controls to manage risks, including using the hierarchy of controls. Health monitoring provides information about the controls used in the workplace and if they are working. If a worker’s health is still being affected by exposure to hazardous chemicals, health monitoring lets you know so you can do more to protect the workers’ health and safety.

Further information on health monitoring, including health monitoring guides, is available on the Safe Work Australia website.

Work environment

The work environment where hazardous chemicals are used and stored is important to consider in a risk assessment. If your workplace contains hazardous chemicals, you must: 

• manage any WHS risks associated with ignition sources
• ensure that flammable and combustible substances are kept to a minimum
• provide a spill containment system if there is a risk of hazardous chemicals spilling or leaking
• provide fire protection or firefighting equipment:
  • designed and built for the hazardous chemicals and conditions in their workplace
  • compatible with the equipment used by the main emergency service organisation in their area, and
  • that is properly installed, tested and maintained.
• provide other emergency equipment that may be needed in the workplace.

If a hazardous chemical storage and handling system no longer needs to be used, you must ensure, as much as you reasonably can, that the system is free from hazardous chemicals when the system is no longer used or is disposed of. If that is not possible, you must ensure that the handling system is correctly labelled.   

You must also use proper signage when large or bulk quantities of certain hazardous chemicals are stored in the workplace and notify regulators where required. 

More information about maintaining a safe work environment in the Work environment hazards section below and in the following resources:

• Code of Practice: Managing risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace
• Code of Practice: Managing the work environment and facilities
• Guidance on the interpretation of Workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants

Cytotoxic drugs are common hazardous chemicals used in the healthcare and social assistance industry to treat cancer and other medical conditions. Workers may be exposed to cytotoxic drugs through handling them directly, or through contact with bodily fluids (including waste like faeces or urine) from a patient who has been treated with them. Contact with cytotoxic drugs or related waste that is not properly controlled can pose serious WHS risks to workers.

Cytotoxic drugs can be highly toxic to non-target cells, mainly through their action on cell reproduction. Even at low exposure levels, cytotoxic drugs can cause cancer, affect foetal development, affect fertility, damage DNA, and cause organ toxicity. Some have also been shown to cause secondary cancers in cancer patients. 

Cytotoxic substances can generally be identified by the following purple symbol:

Figure 8: Symbol for cytotoxic drugs

Managing risks associated with cytotoxic drugs

When working with cytotoxic drugs, you should follow the general risk management process of identifying hazards, assessing risks and controlling risks, while also keeping in mind any additional considerations when working with hazardous chemicals. 

The following table outlines some considerations that you should consider when managing the risk of worker exposure to cytotoxic drugs in the healthcare and social assistance industry. These considerations can also be applied when managing the risk of other hazardous chemicals in the workplace.

Workers who are pregnant, breast-feeding or planning parenthood and are involved in the preparation or administration of cytotoxic drugs or exposure to cytotoxic waste should be informed of the reproductive risks and possible effects on foetal development. Those required to perform these duties may elect not to do so and appropriate and suitable alternative duties must be provided.

You can refer to the following guidance below for more comprehensive information about what to consider when working with cytotoxic drugs:

• Guide for handling cytotoxic drugs and related waste – WorkSafe QLD
• Cytotoxic drugs and related waste – risk management – SafeWork NSW
• Cytotoxic Drugs and Related Waste – A Risk Management Guide for South Australian Health Services 2015 – SafeWork SA