If you are a Manufacturer, Importer, or Supplier of a hazardous substance you must obtain or prepare a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) that complies with the Hazardous Substances (Safety Data Sheets) Notice 2017.
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA): EPA notices for hazardous substances | EPA explains what has to be included in an SDS and who is responsible.
You will need to amend the Safety Data Sheet whenever necessary to ensure the information is current and correct. Legislation requires that the SDS must be reviewed and reissued at least once every five years.
For New Zealand companies, a compliant SDS from Australia, the European Union, Canada, and the United States of America may be used, as long as certain New Zealand specific information, such as the HSNO approval number is also included.
Group Standards Legislation
Every hazardous substance in New Zealand must be assigned to a Group Standard or have an individual approval number before being imported or manufactured in New Zealand.
Group standards are issued by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to set out the conditions to safely manage a group of hazardous substances. Each group standard is specific to how the hazardous substance is used and its hazard classification, e.g., Fertilisers Acutely Toxic Group Standard 2020 HSR002572.
Each group standard is restricted to a specific set of hazard classifications. If your hazardous substance has any other hazard classifications, it is not approved under that group standard
What does a Supplier of Hazardous Substance Need to Do?
A supplier of hazardous substances to a workplace must provide a compliant SDS when:
- The first time the hazardous substance is supplied to the workplace and;
- The first time the hazardous substance is supplied to a workplace after the SDS is amended and;
- When requested by anyone in the workplace, an emergency services worker or a medical practitioner.
What are Business Required to Do?
Every business must keep an inventory of all hazardous substances used, handled manufactured, or stored at the workplace. Hazardous substances include a wide range of products, such as petrol, solvents, industrial chemicals, fireworks, agrichemicals, household cleaners, flammable aerosol cans, and cosmetics. There are often far more hazardous substances on-site than many people realise.
The current SDS or a condensed version of the SDS must be kept with the inventory and be readily available to each worker, emergency service worker, or anyone else, who might be exposed to the substance. The information on the SDS is used to determine what controls the business must have in place to manage the substance and protect workers.
Commonly Observed Compliance Issues
While we have been on-site, working with clients to ensure their hazardous substance inventories are accurate and up to date, Produco has identified several common issues with SDS including:
- SDS out of date
- No New Zealand importer contact information
- No HSNO Approval Number
- Substances have been incorrectly assigned to a Group Standard
Upcoming Changes
In addition, all SDS have to be updated to the GHS classifications by 30 April 2025, although everyone is encouraged to make their updates sooner rather than later.
It is important to note that the changes to GHS classifications may also affect product labels.
Further Information and Assistance
Produco is available to help manufacturers and importers to review their SDS to check for gaps in compliance and we work with businesses to create and maintain their hazardous substance inventories.
Further information about label and SDS requirements can be found here:
