Chemicals are classified as hazardous or non-hazardous in accordance with set criteria by safe work Australia.

Some chemicals can be dangerous goods. That is they poses an immediate physical hazard to health, property and the environment.

A wide range of substances, medicines and poisons are also controlled under the department of health regulations these substances can be found on a poisons list and they are divided into eight different groups called poison schedules. For example, S4 drugs are prescription-only medicines.

Hazardous chemicals

Dangerous goods

Global Harmonised System

Scheduled drugs & carcinogens

    • Link to Australian Standards website: (Link)
    • WorkCover NSW: (Link
    • ThermoFisher Scientific online Safety Data sheets (Link)
    • UN Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) For GHS Revision 4 classification and criteria (Link)
    • Safe Work Australia: Hazardous Chemical Information System (HCIS) (Link)
    • CCID (Chemical Classification and Information Database) : New Zealand: For information on chemicals classified in accordance with the GHS under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) regulations (Link)
    • eChemPortal : OECD: Information on physical and chemical properties, environmental fate and behaviour, ecotoxicity and toxicity of substances. Classification according to GHS provided when available (Link)
    • UN Model Regulations (transport of dangerous goods) : UN. For Internationally agreed classification criteria for dangerous goods.  Does not contain information for health hazards except acute toxicity categories 1, 2 and 3 (Link)
    • GESTIS – Substance Database : Germany. Information for the safe handling of hazardous chemicals at work (health effects, necessary protective measures, first aid), and on physical and chemical properties (Link)
    • GHS Converter website. A European resource which helps translate from existing hazard classifications into the GHS system. (Link)

See also

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