I know there are resourcing issues to be addressed, and my colleagues and I are looking at these. It is vital that local authorities retain their capacity to provide hazardous substances advice and enforcement during the process of transferring existing substances to the new law. The existing controls will still apply for some years. Some examples of common hazardous substances include solvents such as dry-cleaning fluid and paint thinners, petrol, printing inks and dyes, paints, adhesives, cleaners and many resins. The HSNO Act also controls compressed gas containers, whether or not the gas itself is hazardous.
Hazardous substances are essential parts of our daily lives.
But if not managed carefully they can harm people or our environment. People can suffer ill-health or even death, our environment can be damaged, and there are costs to the community such as emergency response to chemical or oil spills, cleaning up pollution, and loss of business through damaged crops or products. Until now, management and control of hazardous substances in New Zealand has been inconsistent and piecemeal. It has focused on single dangerous characteristics, such as the capacity to poison people, without recognising that the same substance might also cause fires or explode. For example, methylated spirits, petrol and many solvent based paints are both toxic and flammable.