About the Safety Data Sheet Checklist:
Your employer has a responsibility to provide you with a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for any potentially hazardous substances that you use in the course of carrying out your work. This checklist is made to HSRs to check that your employer is providing you with your necessary information in each Safety Data Sheet.
Click here to download the Safety Data Sheet Checklist.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: GHS 7 is now the only system to classify newly manufactured and imported hazardous chemicals and prepare their labels and safety data sheets (SDS) across Australia.
Safe Work Australia has updated:
- Model Code of Practice: Managing risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace
- Model Code of Practice: Labelling of workplace hazardous chemicals
- Model Code of Practice: Preparation of a safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals
- Classifying hazardous chemicals – National guide
as well as other fact sheets on hazardous chemicals to reflect Australia’s adoption of GHS 7.
Existing products labeled under GHS 3 do not need to be re-labeled or disposed of, but the SDS must comply with GHS 7.
Manufacturers and importers need to update SDSs as necessary to reflect correct and current information. Suppliers must ensure that hazardous chemicals manufactured or imported from January 1, 2023, are labeled according to GHS 7. Users of hazardous chemicals need to ensure that stock accepted from January 1, 2023, is labeled and has an SDS prepared according to GHS 7.
SDSs at the workplace must comply with GHS 7 from January 1, 2023, even if the label doesn't.
SafeWork Australia’s GHS 7 information page provides more details and guidance for manufacturers, importers, suppliers and users.
The main changes Under GHS 7 are:
- The hazard class ‘flammable aerosols’ is now called ‘aerosols.’
- A new category, Category 3 aerosols, is introduced for non-flammable aerosols.
- Flammable gas category 1 is split into 1A and 1B. Category 2 remains unchanged (not used in Australia).
- Three new subcategories are added under flammable gas category 1A: pyrophoric gas, chemically unstable gas A, and chemically unstable gas B.
- Desensitized explosives have a new hazard class, referring to modified substances to enhance safety during handling and transport.
- Eye irritants are expanded to include category 2A and 2B in the definition of hazardous chemicals.
- Precautionary statements are now easier to read and can be combined or reworded without changing the safety message.
- Manufacturers/importers of hazardous chemicals must update labels and SDS based on changed safety information or chemical classification and include new precautionary statements.
More information here
Updated July 2023