Hazardous chemicals are substances, mixtures and articles that can pose a significant risk to health and safety if not managed correctly. They may have health hazards, physical hazards or both.

Examples of chemicals that can cause adverse health effects include:

* Toxic chemicals, chemicals that cause skin damage, carcinogens.

Examples of chemicals that can immediately injure people or damage property include:

* Flammable liquids, compressed gasses, explosives.

Managing the risks associated with hazardous chemicals

* Obtaining the current SDS (Safety Data Sheet) from the manufacturer, importer or supplier of the chemical.

* Identify reasonably foreseeable hazards that could give rise to the risk.

* Eliminate the risk so far as is reasonably practicable.

Suppliers of hazardous chemicals must:

* Make sure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that chemicals they supply are without risks to health and safety.

* Provide SDS with hazardous chemicals. In addition they must not supply hazardous chemicals to workplaces if they know, or ought reasonably to know that the chemicals are not correctly labelled.

To legally supply a hazardous chemical the worker must be over 16-years-old.