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Labelling hazardous substances

Labelling is often where chemical management systems break down and there is a failure to manage the hazards associated with chemicals .
What are the options for chemical labelling?

When a substance is transferred into another container, responsibility for maintaining appropriate labelling generally falls on the user.

As part of managing the hazards associated with chemicals, products supplied by manufacturers or distributors should already be appropriately labelled. However, when the substance is no longer in the original container, businesses must ensure the necessary hazard information remains available.

Where a substance is decanted into another container and remains under the immediate control of the person using it, full secondary labelling may not always be necessary. However, containers used for storage or shared use should be appropriately labelled.

Businesses occasionally encounter products with incomplete or non-compliant labelling, particularly imported products or products transferred between suppliers. Manufacturers and suppliers are responsible for correctly labelling the products they sell.

Users may also unintentionally obscure labels by how containers are stored or positioned during use.

However, the most common issue arises when chemicals are decanted from their original container into another container.

For more information – https://winsland.co.nz/labelling-hazardous-substances/

Managing Hazardous substances

Managing hazardous substances?

We are often asked what is required for managing hazardous substances. There are so many regulations, lots of numbers and letters. The article has a checklist for you.
The classification and quantity determines what is required.

WorkSafe’s Hazardous Substances Calculator builds your inventory and tells you which controls apply — it is one way to find out exactly what you need to do. Unfortunately, it is not user friendly in that it does not use commercial names, does not deal well with “mixtures” and requires a HSNO number which not all SDS provide. Winsland’s comprehensive guide provides an easy and comprehensive alternative.

All about Safety Data Sheets (SDS)?

Safety Data Sheets (SDS) are a key to chemical safety safety, providing information on the hazards associated with chemicals and the precautions required for their handling, storage, emergency response and disposal.

The SDS deliver safety working together with labelling of containers. The SDS provides more detailed information than, the product label. But the label is more visible and immediately accessible, while the SDS provides the supporting detail.

When examining issues with SDS, it is important to consider labelling as well. Organisations often have the required SDS available—possibly dog-eared and covered in workshop grime—but fall short when it comes to ensuring containers are correctly labelled.

Outdated health and safety practice

Best practice in Health and Safety

Health and safety is not about a manual gathering dust or a forgotten policy. Best practice in health and safety is about embedding risk management and legal compliance into everyday work so safety becomes “just the way we do things around here.”

High-performing SMEs treat health and safety as a core business function that protects people, reduces risk, and improves performance.

Visible leadership – Owners and managers lead by example.

Focus on Critical Risks – Great businesses identify the three to five hazards most likely to cause serious harm.

Continuous improvement – Leading organisations are always looking for better ways to work.

Worker Engagement – the people doing the work often know the risks best.

Forklifts pose a critical risk

Forklift safety – a critical risk

**Forklift Safety**

If your business uses forklifts — even occasionally — their operation should be treated as a **critical risk**. Forklifts combine heavy mobile equipment, restricted visibility, pedestrians and moving loads, creating the potential for serious injury.

Effective forklift safety depends on three key areas: **pedestrian segregation, operator competence and safe equipment**. Operators need more than a forklift certificate; they must be trained and assessed for the actual forklift, tasks and workplace in which they operate.

Good traffic management, competent operators and properly maintained and equipped forklifts work together to reduce the risk of pedestrian strikes, rollovers, falling loads and collisions.

HSWA 2026 | What Changes for Small Businesses

The Health and Safety at Work Amendment Act 2026, which received Royal Assent in July 2026 and comes into force on 1 April 2027, aims to reduce compliance burdens for small businesses while encouraging greater focus on serious workplace risks. A key reform is the expanded use of Approved Codes of Practice (ACOPs), intended to provide clearer guidance on what legal compliance requires.

For well-managed businesses, however, the practical impact may be limited. Organisations dealing with machinery, vehicles, electricity, hazardous substances, construction, or working at height will still be required to eliminate or minimise risks so far as is reasonably practicable. The amendments do not create a new category of “critical risks”; businesses remain responsible for identifying and controlling hazards capable of causing serious harm.

Although the reforms encourage businesses to prioritise significant risks over minor hazards, this principle already exists under the concept of reasonable practicability. The greater issue may be excessive paperwork and low-value compliance activities rather than poor management of serious hazards.

The evidence supporting major legislative change is also debatable. While the reforms seek to reduce uncertainty and compliance costs, there is limited evidence that businesses were systematically neglecting serious risks while over-managing trivial ones.

Overall, the amendments are unlikely to require major operational changes for businesses already managing significant risks effectively. Ultimately, reducing workplace harm will depend more on leadership, accountability, appropriate resource allocation, and organisational culture than legislative wording alone.

ISNetworld – a must for oil sector contractors

We have been approached about assisting an organisation to complete an ISNetworld assessment, which is heavily used by oil companies to pre-qualify contractors.
If organisations want to contract in the oil sector, there are certainly a new set of hoops to jump through.
The good news? These requirements don’t diverge significantly from standard ISO 45001 health and safety systems, though ISNetworld places greater emphasis on integrated Quality and Environmental criteria.
As with Totika pre-qualification, if you are already working with Winsland, you will find you already have substantially what you require to complete this process. Give us a call if you need our assistance!