Chemical Management Requirements for Specific Chemicals: Dangerous Goods
On this page:
- What are Dangerous Goods?
- Hazard recognition using Hazard Class Diamonds
- Compliance Requirements for Dangerous Goods in the workplace
- Dangerous Goods Manifest
- Labelling
- Storage and Handling
- Placarding of Buildings
- High Consequence Dangerous Goods
- More information
What are Dangerous Goods?
Dangerous Goods are substances that present an immediate hazard to people, property or the environment due to properties including flammability, explosiveness, acute toxicity and dangerous reactivity.
The formal definition of what substances are classified as Dangerous Goods occurs in the Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods(Cth).
Suppliers of Dangerous Goods are obliged to:
- assign a Class, Subsidiary Risk and Packing Group to the goods, which will be represented by a Hazard Class Diamond; and
- pack the goods in a special way that complies with the packaging requirements.
In order to use and store Dangerous Goods in the workplace, you must comply with certain requirements.
Hazard recognition using Hazard Class Diamonds
In Victoria, Dangerous Goods are grouped into classes based on their dangerous properties. Each class is labelled with a coloured, diamond-shaped Class Label to ensure that people can quickly recognise the dangers it presents.
Class Label visual reference
Illustrations of Class Labels are available in the following publications:
- Chemical Storage and Handling - Quick Reference [.pdf for A3 print];
- WorkSafe Victoria's Recognising Dangerous Goods Segregation Chart [for A4 & A3]. Note: this chart has not yet been updated to reflect changes to the law regarding transportation of Dangerous Goods at 1 Jan 2009.
Compliance requirements for Dangerous Goods in the workplace
To use or store Dangerous Goods in a workplace, you must meet the following requirements:
- All general requirements, as described in Chemical Management Key Topics.
- This includes determining safety requirements via risk assessment, with reference to the Material Safety Data Sheet.
- A number of generic risk assessments for Dangerous Goods are available.
- A further set of requirements specific to Dangerous Goods, as described below.
Packaging
In the event that you need to transport Dangerous Goods, you will need to pack the goods according to their Packaging Group classification - refer to 4.2.3. Packaging Group in the Chemical Management Guidelines [.pdf].
Dangerous Goods Manifest
A Dangerous Goods Manifest must be kept listing all Dangerous Goods stored in the workplace. You can fulfill this requirement by keeping a chemical inventory as described on the Chemical Inventories page.
At the University of Melbourne, a Dangerous Goods Manifest is kept in the fire panel of certain designated buildings, to ensure its availability to emergency services. The Building Emergency Controller for each designated building is responsible for keeping the manifest up to date. The General Manager, EHS, determines which buildings are designated to have this requirement.
Labelling
All Dangerous Goods must be labelled with their appropriate diamond-shaped Class Label.
This is in addition to general labelling requirements set out in section 1.11 Labelling in the Chemical Management Guidelines [.pdf].
Storage and Handling
Quick References
- Chemical Storage and Handling - Quick Reference [.pdf for A3 print] provides storage and handling advice;
- WorkSafe Victoria's Recognising Dangerous Goods Segregation Chart [for A4 & A3] provides segregation advice for large quantities. Note: this chart has not yet been updated to reflect changes to the law regarding transportation of Dangerous Goods at 1 Jan 2009.
Detailed Advice
Refer to section 4.6 [Dangerous Goods] Storage and Handling in the Chemical Management Guidelines [.pdf] for more detailed advice.
Placarding of Buildings
- HAZCHEM outer warning placards are required on all entrances to buildings where Dangerous Goods are stored in quantities that exceed the Placarding Quantity. Dangerous Goods Class Labels are also required on or near storage locations whose contents exceed the Placarding Quantity.
- The Placarding Quantity is set out in Schedule 2 of the Dangerous Goods (Storage and Handling) Regulations 2000. This Schedule is available as Appendix II in the Chemical Management Guidelines [.pdf]
- To determine whether your building exceeds the Placarding Quantity, you will need to determine the quantity of Dangerous Goods in the building.
- Refer to section 4.7 Placarding in the Chemical Management Guidelines [.pdf] for more detailed advice.
High Consequence Dangerous Goods
High Consequence Dangerous Goods are a special type of Dangerous Goods with extra compliance requirements - refer to High Consequence Dangerous Goods.
More information
- Further detailed information is available in section 4, Dangerous Goods in the Chemical Management Guidelines [.pdf].
- For advice and assistance, please contact your EHS Adviser or Manager in the EHS Unit.
- For advice about the chemical management systems that are in use in your workplace, please consult your laboratory manager, EHS Coordinator or supervisor.