Know what you've got, where it is, and how to handle it safely
If you use, handle or store hazardous substances, the Hazardous Substances Regulations 2017 apply. You must keep an up-to-date inventory of what you hold, have a current safety data sheet (SDS) for each substance, and label, store and handle them safely. The WorkSafe Calculator helps you build your inventory and work out which controls apply.
A hazardous substance is one with properties like explosiveness, flammability, oxidising capacity, corrosiveness, toxicity (including long-term toxicity) or ecotoxicity.
That covers a huge range of everyday workplace products — fuels, solvents, cleaning chemicals, paints, gases, agrichemicals and more — not just obvious “chemicals”. Hazardous substances are a major contributor to New Zealand's estimated 600–900 work-related disease deaths and tens of thousands of cases of serious ill health each year, as well as causing acute harm through fires, explosions and burns. If you have them, you have duties.
Two agencies share the job — it helps to know which does what.
WorkSafe regulates hazardous substances in the workplace under the HSWA and the Hazardous Substances Regulations 2017. The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) regulates them under the HSNO Act — approving substances for use in New Zealand and setting the rules for labels, safety data sheets, packaging and disposal. In short: the EPA sets many of the product rules, and WorkSafe enforces how you manage them at work.
The foundation is knowing what you hold, having the safety information, and controlling the risks.
| Duty | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Inventory | Keep a current list of every hazardous substance and the maximum quantity likely on site — including hazardous waste — readily accessible to emergency service workers. |
| Safety data sheets | Hold a current SDS (or condensed key information) for each substance, readily accessible to workers. |
| Labelling & signage | Make sure containers are correctly labelled wherever substances are used or stored, with signage as required. |
| Safe storage & handling | Store and handle substances safely, with the containment and separation their hazards require. |
| Training & supervision | Ensure workers are trained and supervised to work with the substances safely. |
| Emergency response | Plan for spills, fires and exposure, in line with your emergency plan. |
The inventory and SDS are the two records auditors, inspectors and emergency services ask for first.
Your inventory must be kept correct and up to date — update it whenever the substances or maximum quantities change — and be readily accessible to emergency service workers attending your site, so they know what they're walking into. Each substance needs a current safety data sheet, which workers can get to, and an SDS should be reviewed and replaced at least every five years or sooner if new hazard information emerges. WorkSafe accepts both paper and digital records; what matters is that they are current and instantly accessible.
The specific controls you need depend on the substance and how much you hold.
Beyond the core duties, higher quantities or particular hazard types can trigger additional requirements — for example a location compliance certificate for storing certain quantities of flammable liquids, certified handlers, secondary containment, tracking or signage. WorkSafe's free Hazardous Substances Calculator lets you enter your substances, builds your inventory, and tells you which controls apply — the simplest way to find out exactly what you need.
Hold a current inventory and safety data sheets, accessible when it counts. Book a demo and we'll show you how it works — free 30-day trial included.
Yes, if you use, handle or store hazardous substances. You must keep a current inventory listing each substance and the maximum quantity likely on site, including hazardous waste, and it must be readily accessible to emergency service workers attending your workplace.
An SDS sets out a substance's hazards and how to handle, store and respond to it safely. You must hold a current SDS (or condensed key information) for each hazardous substance you have, readily accessible to workers, and review or replace it at least every five years or sooner if new hazard information emerges.
WorkSafe regulates hazardous substances in the workplace under the HSWA and the Hazardous Substances Regulations 2017. The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) approves substances and sets rules for labels, safety data sheets, packaging and disposal under the HSNO Act.
Yes. WorkSafe accepts both paper and digital records. The key requirement is that they are kept current and are instantly accessible — to workers for the SDS, and to emergency services for the inventory.
It depends on the substance and the quantity you hold. Higher quantities or particular hazards can trigger extra requirements such as a location compliance certificate or certified handlers. WorkSafe's free Hazardous Substances Calculator builds your inventory and tells you which controls apply.
