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Managing chemicals in schools

All schools need to manage hazardous chemicals as per the Work, Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (������). This includes maintaining a hazardous chemicals register and holding current Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) for each hazardous chemical and ensuring all containers are appropriately labelled.

There are many places around the school where chemicals are used, these include but are not limited to:

• Staff areas and kitchens – washing up liquid, dishwasher chemicals
• Laboratories – various laboratory chemicals
• Art classrooms – paints, solvents, glues
• Technical classrooms – solvents, stains, glues
• Photography dark rooms – developers, fixatives
• Cleaner’s storerooms – cleaning detergents, bleaches, drain cleaners
• Maintenance sheds/rooms – petrol, paints, spray paints, oils
• Swimming pools – acids, chlorine.

Chemwatch

Chemwatch program GoldFFX, is used for managing chemicals and contains a searchable database of database of Safety Data Sheets (SDSs), both the vendor SDS and generic ones, to assist staff and students in the preparation of chemical registers and risk assessments.

Chemwatch contacts

CS������ holds the Chemwatch licenses for Catholic schools in ������/ACT.

School Chemical Safety Managers hold the log in details for each school. Contact them in the first instance.

If they cannot assist you, contact CS������ for support:

• Email: chemicalsafety@csnsw.catholic.edu.au 

Chemical Safety in Schools resource

We have co-developed a resource for teachers with the ������ Department of Education and the Association of Independent Schools ������.

To access the resource contact chemicalsafety@csnsw.catholic.edu.au

Hazardous chemicals

• provides general guidance and requirements to prepare and maintain a register of hazardous chemicals.
• has been developed to provide practical guidance on how to manage health and safety risks associated with hazardous chemicals.
• . When emergency services respond to fires and chemical spills the responders need to know the potential hazards involved. Placards are a means of alerting the emergency services and other persons to the presence of hazardous chemicals and providing information about them.

Chemicals of a security concern

• encourages organisations to consider and examine their own risks from a national security perspective and to take steps to reduce risks to ensure that chemicals are not stolen or diverted for terrorist purposes.
• The Australian National Security has identified chemicals of security concern because of their potential to be used by terrorists to make bombs or chemical weapons. Visit for more information.

Asbestos

• is a SafeWork ������ site providing guidance on managing asbestos in the workplace, including an online asbestos awareness and safety course – free until 13 June 2024.
• - Safework ������ Code of Practice (Dec, 2022).
• examines ways to improve asbestos management in the Australian community.

Radiation

• Part 1: Ionizing Radiation
• Part 2: Lasers

Visit .

Safety Data Sheets

This fact sheet outlines:

• the information in a Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
• what each section in the SDS means.

Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)

• 
  System of chemical classification and hazard communication (replaced the previous Approved Criteria for Classifying Hazardous Substances in 2017).
• 
  Classification and Labelling of Hazardous Chemicals.
• 
  Safe Work Australia fact sheet provides information on how to understand the new labelling system for hazardous chemicals under the WHS Regulations.
• 
  This poster shows the labelling information required for hazardous chemicals in each hazard class in the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals.

Contact

If you have any queries regarding your school’s obligations regarding chemical safety please contact CS������.