Building sites carry more hazardous chemicals than most builders realise: petrol and diesel for small plant, solvents and thinners, construction adhesives, sealants and primers, form oil and curing compounds, concrete additives, brick-cleaning acid, and gas cylinders. The law asks for a simple thing in return: know what is on site, have the safety data sheet for each, and make both easy to find. This register does that on one page.
What the law requires
Where hazardous chemicals are used, handled or stored at a workplace, the WHS Regulations require the business to:
- keep a register listing each hazardous chemical, with its current safety data sheet;
- keep the register up to date; and
- make it readily accessible to workers involved in using, handling or storing the chemicals, and to anyone else likely to be affected, including emergency services.
There are also duties to manage the risks of each chemical, to label containers correctly (including anything decanted), and to store chemicals safely. Where chemicals are stored above certain quantities, further requirements such as a manifest and placarding apply; most residential sites are well below those, but check if you store fuel or gas in bulk.
Safety data sheets: what they give you
A safety data sheet is prepared by the manufacturer or importer and tells you the hazards of a product, how to handle and store it, what PPE to wear, first aid, what to do with a spill and how to dispose of it. Suppliers must provide them. Keep the current version; if the one on file is years old, get a new copy. Columns in the register pull out the parts a worker needs at a glance, but the full SDS must be there too.
Finding everything on site
The first time, do a proper walk-around: the site shed, the container, the back of each trade’s ute and trailer, under the house if there is one. Subcontractors bring their own products; they belong on the register while they are on your site. After that, update the register as products arrive and leave. The site induction is a good moment to ask each trade what they are bringing.
Storage basics that prevent most incidents
- Flammables away from ignition sources, in a suitable cabinet or ventilated area, and never beside hot work.
- Gas cylinders upright and secured, in a ventilated area, with valves protected.
- Incompatible chemicals apart. Acids away from alkalis and oxidisers.
- Everything labelled, especially decanted fuel and cleaning acid in unmarked bottles.
- A spill kit suited to what is on site, and an eye wash where corrosives are used.
Silica: not a chemical on the shelf, but a hazard you create
Crystalline silica is in concrete, bricks, tiles, fibre cement and natural stone. It becomes a serious health hazard when those materials are cut, ground or drilled, releasing fine dust that causes silicosis. The use of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs has been prohibited in Australia since 1 July 2024, with limited exceptions. For other silica-containing materials, control the dust at the source, and cover it in the risk assessment and the SWMS.
Keeping it useful
A register nobody can find in an emergency does not meet the requirement. Tell people where it is at induction, keep it in the site office with the emergency plan, and review it at least at each stage of the job. Link it to your hot work permits so flammables are moved before work starts.
Common construction products and their main hazards
| Product type | Typical hazards to check on the SDS |
|---|---|
| Petrol, diesel, two-stroke mix | Flammable; vapour; skin irritation |
| Solvent-based adhesives, primers and thinners | Flammable; vapour in enclosed spaces; skin and eye irritation |
| Polyurethane foams and sealants | Respiratory sensitisation from some products; eye and skin irritation |
| Cement, mortar and concrete | Alkaline burns to skin and eyes; dust containing crystalline silica when dry |
| Brick and paver cleaning acids | Corrosive to skin and eyes; fumes; reactions with incompatible chemicals |
| Form oils and curing compounds | Skin irritation; some flammable |
| Gas cylinders (LPG, acetylene, oxygen) | Flammable or oxidising gas under pressure; cylinder handling |
This is a guide to what to look for, not a substitute for the product’s own SDS, which is the authority for that product.
Decanting and labelling
A surprising number of chemical injuries on site come from unlabelled containers: fuel in a drink bottle, acid in an old detergent container, thinners in a cup. Decanted chemicals must be labelled with at least the product name and its hazards. The simplest rule is: decant only into containers made for the purpose, label them immediately, and never use food or drink containers. Include it in the site induction and your weekly site safety inspection.
