Australia's Science Forum

I have a question of you all – does anyone know the rules for chemical registers .

I have one person here who I can not get to do chemical register sheets . I have given them last year’s that I have entered into chemwatch. They have come back with about 6 highlighted lines , no volumes written in – and I find it really difficult to believe that they only have 6 chemicals – because it’s maintenance!My HOD is saying we don’t need registers anymore unless it is above a certain (huge ) amount and not household-type items (eg any quantity of mtho would in theory be fine, because its available at woolies, and being used for the purpose stated on the bottle) – but I’m pretty sure that isn’t true. Perhaps they are thinking of licensing quantities, which are different.

I have been trying to get this person to do his sheets for 6 months!
Help.

As far as I know, if you are a NSW Govt school, the CSIS package is still current and sets out how the Dept and employees must comply with the legislation re hazardous substances.
One of the requirements (page 16 Volume 1) states clearly that :
"Chemical stocktakes must be conducted to provide the information for the school's chemical register.
It is a legislative requirement that a register of all hazardous substances stored on site be kept and be readily accessible to all staff.
This register allows staff to identify substances used in the workplace which may affect their health and safety.
For DET purposes, the school's chemical register will need to include both the hazardous substances and dangerous goods stored on site.
Etc, etc...."
SASS staff were not to be asked to be the CSIS Coordinator, it is the job of a teacher, usually a Head Teacher. Therefore it should not be your job to chase any other faculties for their stocktake.
Here, I do the stocktake and give a copy to the front office. I think the coordinators in the past have left the school, and no one cares too much, so I do my bit, and Ag do theirs, but I doubt TAS, Art and maitenance do theirs.

I do agree with all Dime has said. The is quite clear in the CSIS, I print off last years register for the Dept, some return the next day, NO CHANGE, some cross a few things out, put a few other things in. One Faculty put dishing washing liquid, soap, hand cream, coffee, Tea ETC, I just said thank you, but did not put all that on Chemwatch register.

I am not DET school, but I'm not sure how much that should matter. If there is a stack of flammable liquids and other hazardous chemicals on site, wouldn't the fireys want to know about it? Wouldn't you be concerned if it suddenly went missing?

I've appealed to a few higher powers, and have said to at least one that it is not my job to chase people or do it for them.

That is exactly why I give the front office my stocktake, in case the fireys need to know. If you are the coordinator, and wish to get help, I think all you can do is go higher, which would be the principal I imagine. But as long as you do your job, it is unfortunate that others don't do theirs, you have probably done all you can.

Timely thread. I have my register on my desk to update - prob next Monday when the athletics carnival is on.
I keep track of my own stuff - and hand a copy to the office, I keep a copy with the first aid kit that I grab and take to evacuations (as mentioned above, the fire brigade would be interested) and then my job is done

My understanding is that you need to have a register of all hazardous substances, regardless of quantity. Can you bring it up with your health and safety committee? You should have a committee in your workplace. In lieu of that, it needs to go to the principal. I'd look on the Workcover website and get something from them to back this up. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the principal to ensure these records are kept.

I've been working on it since October. Science was done, of course, then I had to chase all the other faculties. Then there was art. The HT said they were too busy to stocktake and they didn't have anything anyway.
And I was way too busy to stocktake for them.
But then my SAM designated me the person in charge of the whole school register. So about half way through last term my SAM allocated a floating SASS to help me..... for half a day. She was shocked when I didn't get it done in the time frame. Art has a staffroom, 4 classrooms and a storeroom, all of which are stuffed with chemicals.
So then I had help for half a day a week for 4 weeks, which got the stocktake done.
Then I had to search for SDS's for all the chemicals, to determine whether they were hazardous and/or dangerous, and print out the relevant ones. And some of them are hard to find....... but I have learned that Vernice Damar is Venetian Turpentine and needs an SDS. And they have jars of oxides which are only labelled with their colour....but I know that some of their oxides contain lead or cadmium.
All in all NOT FUN.
I am using CSIS Appendix 1, but it's not working properly, so now I am collating all the information and printing out all the lists of hazardous and dangerous chemicals for all the faculties, and the SDS's.
Then I have to figure out how to file them all so they make sense.

And then of course, as soon as I'm finished it's going to be time to start again.

I am SO looking forward to my LSL in 5 weeks.

We here are doing ours now.
I print off the last years and give to head teachers they then give them to someone eles to do and return them to me to input them.
I tell them that this is WH&S regulations and must be done .
So far so good

Please read pg 5. this document overrules CSIS or any other, school based rules. If in doubt go to or call Work Cover
http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/formspu ... t_1378.pdf

I agree with you, Jazz. Schools are still workplaces and Workcover is the over ruling authority.

Thanks. I actually saw that a couple of days and printed it out. Hopefully it will give me a bit more clout.

I had printed out last years sheets and given them to him, but every time I tried to approach him he would give me some story.
I saw my HOD and after several attempts she extracted it from him, virtually unchanged from the last year.
She said she would approach principal, but yes I think I also need to have the conversation .
Unfortunatly mintenance guy is on the safety commitee. . I have already brought it up.

Thanks everyone.
Sometimes I think it doesn't matter what I say, I'm a toothless tiger.