Quick answer: An SDS register is the collection of Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for all hazardous chemicals used, handled, or stored at your workplace. You are required to keep current SDS — prepared or reviewed within five years — and make them readily accessible to workers. The SDS register is distinct from a chemical register: the chemical register is the list; the SDS register holds the sheets.
Last reviewed: June 2026 by the BlueSafe Technical Team. Reflects current Model WHS framework.
If your workplace uses any hazardous chemicals — cleaning products, paints, adhesives, solvents, gases, or industrial chemicals — you have obligations around Safety Data Sheets. For most businesses, meeting those obligations means maintaining an SDS register.
This guide explains what an SDS is, what an SDS register contains, what the law requires, and how the register relates to your chemical register.
What is a Safety Data Sheet?
A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is a standardised document that provides detailed information about a hazardous chemical. It is prepared by the manufacturer or supplier and must follow the 16-section format set out in the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).
An SDS covers:
- The chemical's identity and composition
- Physical and chemical properties
- Health and environmental hazards
- Exposure standards and health effects
- Safe handling, storage, and disposal
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements
- First aid measures and emergency procedures
- Spill, fire, and explosion response
The SDS is the primary source of safety information for anyone who works with or near a hazardous chemical. Without it, workers cannot make informed decisions about how to handle a substance safely.
What is an SDS register?
An SDS register is the organised collection of Safety Data Sheets for every hazardous chemical that is used, handled, or stored at your workplace. It is not a list — it is the actual sheets, kept together in a way that workers can find and read them.
The register may be a physical folder or binder, a digital folder on a shared drive, a dedicated WHS software module, or a combination of formats. What matters is that the SDS for any chemical at your workplace can be located quickly by any worker who needs it.
What an SDS register typically contains
For each hazardous chemical at your workplace, your SDS register should hold:
- The current SDS for that product (prepared or reviewed within five years)
- The product name as it appears on the label and in your chemical register
- The supplier or manufacturer name
- The date the SDS was obtained or last updated in the register
Some registers also include the location where the chemical is stored and a cross-reference to the chemical register entry — making it easier to locate both documents quickly.
The requirement to keep current SDS
Under the Model Work Health and Safety Regulations, a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) that uses, handles, or stores a hazardous chemical must obtain the current SDS from the manufacturer, importer, or supplier before, or as soon as practicable after, the chemical is first used. That SDS must then be kept readily accessible to workers who use, handle, or store the chemical.
The regulations define a current SDS as one that has been prepared or reviewed within the last five years. A document that is more than five years old is no longer considered current. If you discover an SDS in your register that is out of date, you should contact the manufacturer or supplier to obtain an updated version before workers continue to use the product.
The five-year rule applies to the date the SDS was prepared or last reviewed — not the date you received it or added it to your register. Check the SDS document itself for the preparation or revision date.
SDS register vs chemical register
These two documents are related but distinct.
A chemical register is a list of every hazardous chemical used or stored at your workplace. It records the product name, location, approximate quantity, and basic hazard classification. It tells you what you have and where it is.
An SDS register holds the actual Safety Data Sheets for each of those chemicals. It provides the detailed safety information workers need to handle those chemicals safely.
Think of it this way: the chemical register is the index; the SDS register is the reference library.
The two registers are designed to work together. When a worker consults the chemical register and identifies a substance, they can then turn to the SDS register to find the full safety information for that substance.
For a detailed comparison of the two documents, see our guide on chemical registers and our chemical register vs SDS register explainer.
| Feature | Chemical Register | SDS Register |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A list of hazardous chemicals | A collection of Safety Data Sheets |
| What it records | Product name, location, quantity, hazard class | Full SDS for each hazardous chemical |
| Who prepares it | The PCBU (your business) | Manufacturer or supplier (held by the PCBU) |
| Who uses it | Workers, supervisors, emergency services | Workers, supervisors, safety officers, emergency services |
| How often updated | When chemicals are added, removed, or moved | When a new product is introduced or an SDS expires |
Who needs an SDS register?
Any PCBU that uses, handles, or stores hazardous chemicals at a workplace must make SDS accessible to workers. This covers a very wide range of industries and workplaces, including:
- Construction and trades (adhesives, solvents, paints, epoxies, concrete products)
- Manufacturing (process chemicals, lubricants, cleaning agents)
- Agriculture (pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers)
- Healthcare and laboratories (disinfectants, reagents, specialty chemicals)
- Hospitality and cleaning services (commercial cleaning products, sanitisers)
- Automotive (oils, fuels, degreasers, body repair chemicals)
- Hair and beauty (professional colouring, bleaching, and chemical treatments)
In practice, if your workplace has a chemical register — and most workplaces that use any hazardous chemicals should — you also need an SDS register.
How to keep your SDS register current
An SDS register that is out of date is a compliance risk and a practical safety problem. Here is how to keep it in good shape.
When you introduce a new chemical: Obtain the SDS from the manufacturer or supplier before, or as soon as practicable after, first use. Add it to your register and update your chemical register at the same time.
When an SDS approaches five years: Check the preparation or last revision date on each SDS in your register at least annually. Contact the supplier or check the manufacturer's website for an updated version.
When a supplier updates an SDS: Manufacturers are required to update the SDS when new information about a chemical becomes available. If a supplier sends you a revised SDS, replace the old version in your register and note the date it was updated.
When you stop using a chemical: Remove the chemical from your chemical register. It is good practice to retain the most recent SDS for a reasonable period in case of a historical exposure query — but it should be clearly marked as relating to a chemical no longer in use.
Periodic register review: Build an SDS review into your annual WHS review. Check each entry against the register, confirm the SDS is current, and document that you have done so.
Making the SDS accessible to workers
Keeping the SDS in a locked office or on a network drive that workers cannot easily access does not satisfy the requirement. The regulations require the SDS to be readily accessible to workers who use, handle, or store the chemical.
Practical approaches include:
- A clearly labelled SDS folder or binder in the storage area where chemicals are kept
- A laminated copy posted near the workstation where the chemical is used
- A shared drive folder that workers have been shown how to access
- A QR code at the storage location that links to the digital SDS
- A WHS software system with a searchable SDS library
For workplaces with multiple sites or mobile workers, make sure each location has access to the relevant SDS — not just the head office.
Frequently asked questions
Is an SDS register the same as a chemical register?
No. A chemical register is a list of every hazardous chemical used or stored at your workplace — it records the product name, location, quantity, and basic hazard information. An SDS register is where you keep the actual Safety Data Sheets for those chemicals. The two documents work together: the chemical register tells you what chemicals you have; the SDS register gives workers access to the detailed safety information for each one.
How current does an SDS need to be?
Under the Model WHS Regulations, a Safety Data Sheet must be prepared or reviewed within five years of the date it was prepared or last reviewed. If the SDS for a product in your register is older than five years, you should obtain a current version from the manufacturer or supplier before relying on it.
Do all workplaces need an SDS register?
Any workplace where hazardous chemicals are used, handled, or stored must maintain Safety Data Sheets for those chemicals and make them accessible to workers. If you have more than one hazardous chemical — which is common in almost any industry — maintaining a register is the practical way to meet that obligation. Sole traders working alone with a single product may manage without a formal register, but any workplace with workers must be able to provide access to the relevant SDS on request.
Can I keep my SDS register electronically?
Yes. An electronic SDS register is acceptable provided workers can access it readily — including during an emergency. If your workplace relies on a digital system, make sure workers know how to find it and that access is not restricted by login issues or network outages. Some workplaces keep a hard-copy folder of SDS for commonly used or high-risk chemicals as a backup.
Ready to manage your SDS register?
BlueSafe Online gives you access to ready-to-use WHS document templates including SDS register formats and chemical register templates — designed for Australian small business and built to satisfy audit and regulatory requirements.
This guide provides general information only. Register requirements will depend on the nature of your business, the chemicals you use, and applicable legislation in your jurisdiction.