Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00420:front:0:p13
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00420
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 33464–37044

may be practicable to provide workers with access to SDS via an electronic database, for example in universities where potentially thousands of chemicals may be used, stored or handled at the site. However, the electronic database should be readily available to workers, workers should know how to use it, and a backup means of providing the SDS should also be provided, for example as hard copies in a filing system.

2.3 Labels

Regulation 335: The manufacturer and importer of a hazardous chemical must ensure it is correctly labelled as soon as practicable after manufacturing or importing the hazardous chemical.
Regulation 338: The supplier of a hazardous chemical must not supply the chemical to another workplace if they know or ought reasonably to know that the hazardous chemical is not correctly labelled.
Regulation 341-343: A person conducting a business or undertaking at a workplace must ensure that the hazardous chemical, the container of a hazardous chemical or a hazardous chemical in pipe work is correctly labelled.
Hazard information will also be available from the label. Some product labels do not contain all hazard information, for example, some consumer product labels, some agricultural and veterinary chemical products where the label is too small to fit all relevant hazard information, or when hazardous chemicals that are dangerous goods are labelled to meet transport requirements.
The SDS should be referred to when reading a label to ensure all chemical hazards are identified.
Table 1 below shows examples of elements on a label that indicates the type of hazard and the severity of the hazard.

Table 1 Examples of hazard information on a label

Label element                                                                                                           Examples

Signal words – these provide an immediate warning to the reader                                                         Danger or Warning
Hazard statements – these describe the nature and severity of the chemical hazard based on a chemical's classification  May cause cancer
                                                                                                                        Fatal if inhaled
                                                                                                                        Flammable liquid and vapour
                                                                                                                        Causes severe skin burns and eye damage
                                                                                                                        May cause respiratory irritation
Pictograms – these provide a pictorial representation of the type of hazard that can be easily recognised at a glance   Flammable Acute toxicity Warning
                                                                                                                        Human health Corrosive

Incorrectly labelled or unlabelled containers
If you find a container that does not have a label or is incorrectly labelled, action must be taken to correctly label the container. Containers that have had chemicals transferred into them (decanted) in the workplace, and containers of chemical wastes need to be labelled correctly.
If the contents of the container are not known, this should be clearly marked on the container,
for example, 'Caution - do not use: unknown substance'. Such a container should be stored in isolation until its contents can be identified and, if it is then found to