On 30 April 2021, New Zealand will adopt a new classification system for hazardous substances under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (HSNO). This new system is the Globally Harmonised System (GHS).
This change mainly affects the rules for importers, manufacturers and suppliers of hazardous substances. They have four years to update labelling, safety data sheets and packaging for hazardous substances.
Major update to the Hazardous Chemicals Information System
Hazardous chemicals at mines and petroleum sites in NSW
There is no change to the classification system used under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA).
Regulations under HSWA will continue to refer to the current HSNO classification system. This means that there is no change to the workplace requirements for hazardous substances under:
- the Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017
- the Health and Safety at Work (Major Hazard Facilities) Regulations 2016
- safe work instruments.
WorkSafe’s guidance and approved codes of practice continue to refer to the current HSNO system.
WorkSafe’s Hazardous Substances Calculator refers to both systems. If you have information about the GHS classification of your substance, you can enter it into the Calculator to find out the controls under HSWA that apply to it.
Because the current HSNO system and the new GHS system coexist, the EPA has created a correlation table that shows the equivalent GHS classifications to the current HSNO classifications.
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