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Chemicals - Handling and Use Risk Assessment

Chemicals - Handling and Use Risk Assessment

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Chemicals - Handling and Use Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with Chemicals – Handling and Use through a structured, management-level WHS Risk Management approach that focuses on systems, governance and planning rather than task-by-task procedures. This Risk Assessment supports compliance with the WHS Act, Regulations and relevant Australian Standards, helping demonstrate Due Diligence and protect your business from operational and legal liability.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • Procurement & Supplier Governance: Assessment of chemical sourcing, supplier approval, Safety Data Sheet (SDS) provision, and product selection to minimise inherent chemical risks entering the workplace.
  • Chemical Inventory & Information Management: Management of chemical registers, SDS currency, access to information, and version control to ensure accurate hazard communication across the organisation.
  • WHS Governance & Legal Compliance: Alignment of policies, procedures and roles with WHS legislation, chemical-specific obligations, and organisational due diligence requirements.
  • Risk Management Framework & Assessment Processes: Systems for identifying, assessing and controlling chemical hazards, including standardised risk assessment methodologies and approval workflows.
  • Training, Competency & Supervision: Requirements for induction, role-specific training, competency verification and supervision arrangements for personnel handling or exposed to hazardous chemicals.
  • Storage, Segregation & Inventory Control Systems: Controls for compliant storage design, segregation of incompatible substances, stock rotation, and inventory volume limits to reduce fire, explosion and exposure risks.
  • Labelling, Decanting & Container Management: Protocols for GHS-compliant labelling, decanting practices, secondary container controls and management of unlabelled or legacy containers.
  • Engineering Controls & Equipment Management: Selection, inspection and maintenance of ventilation, fume cupboards, local exhaust systems, safety showers, eye wash stations and chemical handling equipment.
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Management: Assessment of PPE selection, fit, maintenance, replacement schedules and training to ensure effective last-line-of-defence protection.
  • Health Monitoring & Exposure Management: Systems for exposure assessment, biological monitoring, health surveillance, and medical management for workers at risk from hazardous chemicals.
  • Emergency Preparedness, Spill Response & First Aid: Planning for chemical spills, leaks, fires and exposures, including emergency equipment, spill kits, first aid protocols and communication arrangements.
  • Contractor, Visitor & Third-Party Interface Management: Controls for non-employees who may handle or be exposed to chemicals, including induction, permit-to-work, and information sharing requirements.
  • Transport, Logistics & Off-Site Handling Governance: Management of on-site and off-site transport of chemicals, including packaging, documentation, load restraint and interface with transport providers.
  • Environmental Protection & Waste Management Systems: Processes for waste classification, storage, disposal, emissions control and environmental incident management to prevent contamination and regulatory breaches.
  • Monitoring, Review, Audit & Continuous Improvement: Frameworks for inspections, performance monitoring, incident analysis, internal audits and management review to continually improve chemical risk controls.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, Safety Managers, Operations Leaders and WHS Advisors responsible for planning, governing and auditing Chemicals – Handling and Use across their organisation.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. Procurement, Supplier Management and Product Selection
  • • Procurement of hazardous chemicals without formal approval or risk assessment
  • • Inadequate review of Safety Data Sheets (SDS) prior to purchase
  • • Selection of highly hazardous substances when safer alternatives are reasonably practicable
  • • Inconsistent supplier quality, labelling and SDS currency
  • • Uncontrolled online or ad‑hoc purchasing outside approved systems
2. Chemical Inventory, Register and Information Management
  • • Incomplete, inaccurate or outdated chemical register
  • • Safety Data Sheets not readily accessible to workers and emergency services
  • • Failure to identify prohibited or restricted chemicals on site
  • • Lack of visibility of total quantities and storage locations for emergency planning
  • • Multiple naming conventions leading to confusion between trade names and substances
  • • Inadequate change management when chemicals are added, changed or removed
3. Governance, WHS Management System and Legal Compliance
  • • Lack of clear organisational accountability for chemical safety management
  • • Inadequate integration of chemical risks into the broader WHS management system
  • • Non-compliance with WHS Act 2011 and WHS Regulations regarding hazardous chemicals, labelling, storage and notification
  • • Insufficient consultation with workers and HSRs on chemical-related decisions
  • • Inadequate incident reporting and learning processes for chemical exposures or near misses
4. Risk Management Framework and Assessment Processes
  • • Absence of formal risk assessments for hazardous chemicals and mixtures
  • • Generic or outdated assessments not reflecting site-specific use conditions
  • • Failure to consider cumulative exposure and interaction between multiple chemicals
  • • Over-reliance on personal protective equipment as the primary control
  • • Inadequate review of risk controls following changes in processes, scale or workforce
5. Training, Competency and Supervision
  • • Workers handling chemicals without appropriate induction, training or verification of competency
  • • Inadequate supervision of new, young or inexperienced workers
  • • Failure to train workers on specific chemical hazards, SDS interpretation and control measures
  • • Contractors and labour hire workers not integrated into the organisation’s training and competency systems
  • • Language, literacy or cultural barriers leading to misunderstanding of instructions and warnings
6. Storage, Segregation and Inventory Control Systems
  • • Incompatible chemicals stored together creating fire, explosion or toxic gas risks
  • • Inadequate segregation of flammable, oxidising, corrosive or toxic substances
  • • Storage locations not designed or rated for the type and quantity of hazardous chemicals
  • • Poor inventory control leading to overstocking, container deterioration and expired chemicals
  • • Inadequate secondary containment or spill systems for bulk and decanted chemicals
7. Labelling, Decanting and Container Management
  • • Unlabelled or incorrectly labelled containers leading to misuse or incompatible mixing
  • • Uncontrolled decanting into unsuitable or non-compliant containers
  • • Loss of critical hazard and first aid information when chemicals are transferred from original packaging
  • • Use of informal containers (e.g. drink bottles) creating ingestion risks
  • • Inconsistent or non-GHS labelling across the workplace
8. Engineering Controls and Equipment Management
  • • Inadequate ventilation and extraction systems leading to inhalation exposures
  • • Poorly specified or maintained process equipment, dosing systems and containment
  • • Failure or bypassing of interlocks, alarms or automatic shut-offs
  • • Lack of standardisation and maintenance of spill kits, eyewash stations and safety showers
  • • Inadequate design review for new plant or process changes involving hazardous chemicals
9. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Management
  • • Inadequate selection of PPE for specific chemical hazards and exposure routes
  • • PPE used as the primary control instead of higher-order controls
  • • Poor fit, condition or availability of PPE leading to false sense of protection
  • • Lack of systems for cleaning, storage and replacement of contaminated PPE
  • • Failure to provide respiratory fit testing and health monitoring where required
10. Health Monitoring, Exposure Assessment and Medical Management
  • • Unrecognised over-exposure to hazardous chemicals (acute or chronic)
  • • Lack of baseline and periodic health monitoring for workers exposed to specific substances
  • • Failure to identify and manage sensitive or vulnerable workers (e.g. pregnant workers, respiratory conditions)
  • • Inadequate systems for managing, recording and following up on exposures, symptoms or health monitoring results
11. Emergency Preparedness, Spill Response and First Aid
  • • Inadequate planning for chemical spills, releases, fires or exposures
  • • Lack of coordination with emergency services and neighbouring businesses
  • • Insufficient first aid capability for chemical burns, inhalation and ingestion
  • • Poorly maintained or incorrectly located spill kits, eyewash and safety showers
  • • Workers unaware of emergency roles, evacuation routes and communication methods
12. Contractor, Visitor and Third-Party Interface Management
  • • Contractors bringing unapproved chemicals onto site without risk assessment
  • • Inconsistent standards of chemical management between the PCBU and contractors
  • • Visitors and other third parties inadvertently entering chemical storage or handling areas
  • • Poor communication of chemical hazards to neighbouring tenants, landlords or shared workplaces
13. Transport, Logistics and Off-Site Handling Governance
  • • Non-compliance with dangerous goods transport requirements during inbound and outbound logistics
  • • Inadequate controls for transporting chemicals between sites or to customer locations
  • • Lack of documentation and emergency information accompanying transported chemicals
  • • Poor coordination between the PCBU and transport providers regarding chemical hazards and controls
14. Environmental Protection and Waste Management Systems
  • • Uncontrolled discharge of chemicals to air, soil, stormwater or sewer
  • • Improper classification, storage and disposal of chemical wastes
  • • Lack of coordination between WHS and environmental compliance obligations
  • • Inadequate oversight of waste contractors handling hazardous substances
15. Monitoring, Review, Audit and Continuous Improvement
  • • Risk controls becoming ineffective over time due to drift, cost-cutting or complacency
  • • Failure to detect emerging risks from new chemicals, processes or regulatory changes
  • • Incomplete implementation of corrective actions from incidents, audits or inspections
  • • Lack of measurable performance indicators specific to chemical management

Need to add specific hazards for your workplace?

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Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

  • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
  • Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace: Guidance on identifying, assessing and controlling risks from hazardous chemicals.
  • Model Code of Practice – Labelling of Workplace Hazardous Chemicals: Requirements for GHS-compliant labelling and hazard communication.
  • Model Code of Practice – How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks: Risk management principles applied to chemical hazards.
  • Model Code of Practice – Preparation of Safety Data Sheets for Hazardous Chemicals: Guidance on SDS content, structure and accessibility.
  • AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018: Risk management — Guidelines.
  • AS 1940: The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids.
  • AS/NZS 2243 (series): Safety in laboratories, including chemical storage, handling and fume cupboard performance.
  • AS/NZS 1715 & AS/NZS 1716: Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective devices.
  • Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS): International framework for classification, labelling and SDS structure adopted in Australia.
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Comprehensive hazard identification for all activities
  • Risk rating matrix with likelihood and consequence analysis
  • Existing control measures evaluation
  • Residual risk assessment after controls
  • Hierarchy of controls recommendations
  • Action priority rankings
  • Review and monitoring requirements
  • Consultation and communication records
  • Legal compliance references
  • Sign-off and approval sections

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