Code of Practice — Labelling of Workplace Chemicals

The full title is the Code of Practice: Preparation of Safety Data Sheets for Hazardous Chemicals and Labelling of Workplace Chemicals, published by Safe Work Australia. The code becomes legally binding from 1 July 2026 under Section 26A of the WHS Act. The code covers the classification of hazardous chemicals under the GHS framework, the preparation and content requirements for Safety Data Sheets, the design and content requirements for GHS-compliant product labels including signal words, hazard statements, precautionary statements, and pictograms, the labelling requirements for chemicals that are decanted, transferred, or mixed at the workplace, and the provision of chemical information to workers. The code references the GHS classification criteria adopted in Australia and the specific SDS format requirements of the WHS Regulation.

The code applies to manufacturers, importers, and suppliers of hazardous chemicals who must ensure correct GHS classification, labelling, and SDS provision before chemicals enter the Australian market. It also applies to every PCBU who uses, handles, stores, or generates hazardous chemicals in the workplace, which encompasses virtually every Australian business. PCBUs must ensure that all chemical containers in the workplace carry correct labels, that SDS are current and accessible to workers, and that chemicals decanted or transferred into secondary containers are labelled with at minimum the product name and relevant GHS hazard information. Workers must be able to identify the hazards of any chemical they handle by reference to the label and SDS. Laboratories, healthcare facilities, manufacturing plants, construction sites, and maintenance workshops all have labelling obligations under this code.

The code requires that every container of hazardous chemical in the workplace carries a GHS-compliant label displaying the product identifier, signal word (Danger or Warning), GHS hazard pictograms, hazard statements describing the nature of the hazard, precautionary statements covering prevention, response, storage, and disposal, and the supplier's name and contact details. Labels must be legible, durable, and in English. For chemicals decanted or transferred into secondary containers for immediate use by the person who decanted them, a simplified label with the product name may be acceptable. For chemicals decanted into containers that will be used by other workers or stored for later use, a full label is required. SDS must be obtained from the supplier for every hazardous chemical and must be dated within five years. The SDS must be readily accessible to all workers who use or may be exposed to the chemical. The code specifies the 16-section SDS format required under the GHS and the minimum information content for each section.

First, conduct a chemical labelling audit of every chemical container in the workplace, including original supplier containers, decanted containers, mixed products, and waste containers, identifying any that are unlabelled, illegibly labelled, or labelled with non-GHS-compliant labels. Second, request current SDS from suppliers for every hazardous chemical and replace any SDS older than five years, establishing a systematic SDS review schedule that ensures no SDS exceeds five years without renewal. Third, implement a decanting and transfer labelling procedure that ensures all secondary containers are labelled before chemicals are stored or made available to other workers. Fourth, verify that SDS are accessible to all workers — either in physical folders at point of use or through an electronic SDS management system accessible from the workplace. Fifth, provide chemical hazard communication training to all workers who use or are exposed to hazardous chemicals, covering how to read GHS labels, how to access and interpret SDS, and the procedure for reporting unlabelled or damaged containers.

Unlabelled and incorrectly labelled chemicals are a direct cause of chemical exposure incidents, incorrect first aid treatment, and inappropriate emergency response. After 1 July 2026, failure to follow the code constitutes a standalone offence. Improvement notices are commonly issued for labelling deficiencies during routine inspections, and non-compliance with the notice is a separate offence. Category 2 penalties of up to $1,731,500 for a body corporate apply where workers are exposed to chemical hazards because labelling or SDS deficiencies prevented them from identifying the substance and its risks. Manufacturers and importers who supply chemicals with non-compliant labels or SDS face separate offences under the WHS Regulation with substantial penalties. In chemical exposure incidents, the absence of correct labelling is treated as an aggravating factor in prosecution sentencing because it demonstrates a fundamental failure in the chemical management system.