Dangerous Goods Safety Approvals
Under the Dangerous Goods Safety Act 2004, Resources Safety administers regulations covering the following classes of dangerous goods:
- Class 1 - Explosives (e.g. gelignite, detonators, fireworks)
- Class 2 - Gases – Flammable, Compressed, Toxic (e.g. LPG, acetylene, natural gas, nitrogen, argon, chlorine, sulphur dioxide, ammonia)
- Class 3 - Flammable liquids (e.g. petrol, kerosene, solvents)
- Class 4 - Flammable solids (e.g. xanthates, calcium carbide, sulfur)
- Class 5 - Oxidising substances (e.g. ammonium nitrate, solid pool chlorine)
- Class 6 - Toxic substances (e.g. sodium cyanide, pesticides)
- Class 8 - Corrosive Substances (e.g. sulphuric acid, caustic soda)
- Class 9 - Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods (e.g. dry ice)
The following dangerous goods are administered by the Department of Health:
- Division 6.2 - Infectious substances (e.g. medical waste)
- Class 7 - Radioactive substances (e.g. monazite, uranium)
References to the Australian Dangerous Goods Code (the ADG Code) in the regulations relate to the 7th edition of the ADG Code.
Page Index
Goods in Ports
The Dangerous Goods Safety Act 2004 and Dangerous Goods Safety (Goods in Ports) Regulations 2007 (the Goods in Ports Regulations).
The objective of the Goods in Port Regulations is to provide for the safe handling and transport of dangerous goods that are dangerous cargoes in ports.
The Australian Standard AS 3846:2005 The handling and transport of dangerous cargoes in port areas (the Standard) forms the basis of the Goods in Ports Regulations, which adopt the technical requirements of the Standard and allocate a responsible person to all of them.
Dangerous cargoes are defined in the Standard and include dangerous goods as determined by the United Nations criteria as a major subset of dangerous cargoes.
Forms, Guidelines and Checklists
Forms
Guidelines
Security Risk Substances
The Dangerous Goods Safety (Security Risk Substances) Regulations 2007 were developed to meet the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreement of 25 June 2004 related to counter-terrorism measures.
Western Australia has developed dedicated security regulations for so-called security risk substances (SRS) rather than including them in the Explosives Regulations. This avoids confusion or inconsistencies between safety and security requirements for ammonium nitrate.
The requirements of the SRS Regulations are in addition to the requirements of the other dangerous goods safety regulations.
The following substances, other than Class 1 dangerous goods, are security risk substances (SRS) in Western Australia:
- solid mixtures containing more than 45% ammonium nitrate (AN); and
- ammonium nitrate emulsions, suspensions or gels.
Note: This does not include single-phase, homogenous (as opposed to multiphase, heterogeneous mixtures) aqueous solutions of ammonium nitrate as commonly used in fertigation applications or as hot, concentrated solutions (UN 2426) for making AN emulsion explosives. However, it does include calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN), which is not a dangerous good under the UN classification system.
Forms, Guidelines and Checklists
Forms
Guidelines
Explosives
The Dangerous Goods Safety (Explosives) Regulations 2007 also apply to mine sites, and were revised to meet national counter-terrorism initiatives.
Forms, Guidelines and Checklists
Forms
Guidelines
Transport
The Dangerous Goods Safety (Road and Rail Transport of Non-explosives) Regulations 2007 cover safety standards for the transport of dangerous goods by road and rail and adopt the Australian Dangerous Goods Code, 7th Edition (ADG7) as a code of practice. The regulations provide the basis for the assignment of responsibilities of individuals or organisations for most technical requirements specified in ADG7.
The regulations were written to mirror, as much as possible, the ‘Model Legislation – Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road or Rail Regulations 2007’ (the Model Subordinate Law), prepared by the National Transport Commission (NTC) as a model for all Australian states and territories.
There is some variation owing to the requirements of the Dangerous Goods Safety Act 2004, with a major difference being the requirement for prime contractors and rail operators in Western Australia to become, or engage, approved emergency responders when they transport a placard load of dangerous goods.
Forms, Guidelines and Checklists
Forms
Guidelines
Storage and Handling
The Dangerous Goods Safety (Storage and Handling of Non-Explosives) Regulations 2007 introduced modern safety standards for the manufacture, processing, storage, use and disposal of dangerous goods.
The regulations adopted, with only minor administrative and enforcement variance, the National Standard for the Storage and Handling of Workplace Dangerous Goods (the National Standard), as declared by the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC; now the Australian Safety and Compensation Council, ASCC). Western Australia has retained a licensing system for dangerous goods, and the coverage of the Storage and Handling Regulations now extends beyond the workplace to cover anyone storing or handling dangerous goods.
In relation to dangerous goods, ‘handling’ includes manufacture, process, pack, use, sell, supply, carry (including by pipeline) and disposal of dangerous goods.
References to the Australian Dangerous Goods Code (the ADG Code) in the regulations relate to the 7th edition of the ADG Code.
Forms, Guidelines and Checklists
Forms
Guidelines
Major Hazard Facilities
The Dangerous Goods Safety (Major Hazard Facilities) Regulations 2007 only apply to those sites (including mines) where the type and quantity of dangerous goods have the potential to cause serious damage, and the Chief Officer has determined that the site will be classified as an MHF.
The MHF Regulations apply in addition to:
- The baseline Dangerous Goods Safety (Storage and Handling) Regulations 2007, which require a dangerous goods licence to be obtained for the storage and handling of prescribed levels of dangerous goods on the site; and
- Where applicable, the Dangerous Goods Safety (Explosives) Regulations 2007.
The MHF Regulations are separate from the storage and handling regulations because they invoke particular requirements for safety management to deal with major incidents.
The MHF Regulations incorporate the principles of the National Standard for the Control of Major Hazard Facilities 2002, with some modifications to accommodate local needs and reflect experience gained since the development of the National Standard.
Major Hazard Facility Safety Report
Dangerous goods sites which have been classified as a Major Hazard Facility are required to prepare and submit a safety report.
The safety report is the primary document submitted by the operator of a Major Hazard Facility to demonstrate to the Chief Officer that systems at the facility are appropriate to eliminate, or reduce as low as reasonably practicable, the risk of a major incident.
Section 10b of the Dangerous Goods Safety Act 2004 (DGS Act) states that a person commits an offence if the person does not prepare the document in accordance with the regulations.
