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Occupational health and safety

Databases

Government sites

  • Occupational Health and Safety
    From business.gov.au
  • Australian Government: Department of Infrastructure and Transport
    This Department works with the States and Territories, and the National Transport Commission, to promote best practice and internationally harmonised legislation for the land transport of dangerous goods in Australia. The Department provides policy advice on national and international dangerous goods matters.
  • Model WHS legislation – Safe Work Australia
    Safe Work Australia is the national policy body responsible for the development and evaluation of the model Work Health and Safety laws. The Commonwealth, states and territories are responsible for regulating and enforcing work health and safety laws in their jurisdictions. New work health and safety laws commenced in New South Wales, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, the Commonwealth and the Northern Territory on 1 January 2012
  • Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
    Victoria.
  • Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007
  • Safe Work Australia
    Safe Work Australia publishes National Standards and guidance material for a range of health and safety issues.
    They also publish documents for the classification of hazardous substances. These documents form the basis of a nationally consistent regulatory approach for the control of workplace dangerous goods and hazardous substances.  
    With the adoption of the National model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations in 2012, a new system of chemical classification and hazard communication on labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDS), based on the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) will come into effect.
  • Worksafe Victoria
    A division of The Victorian Workcover Authority. The responsibilities of WorkSafe are to:
    - help avoid workplace injuries occurring
    - enforce Victoria's occupational health and safety laws
    - provide reasonably priced workplace injury insurance for employers
    - help injured workers back into the workforce
    - manage the workers' compensation scheme by ensuring the prompt delivery of appropriate services and adopting prudent financial practices.

Australian state and territory Safety Authority websites

Australian sites

International sites

  • Chemfinder
    Searchable database of chemical substances. Over 3500 compounds searchable by name, chemical formula, or structure. Access is free, but registration is essential.
  • NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (NPG)
    The NPG is intended as a source of general industrial hygiene information on several hundred chemicals/classes for workers, employers, and occupational health professionals. The NPG does not contain an analysis of all pertinent data, rather it presents key information and data in abbreviated or tabular form for chemicals or substance groupings (e.g. cyanides, fluorides, manganese compounds) that are found in the work environment. The information found in the NPG should help users recognize and control occupational chemical hazards.
  • US Chemical Safety Board
    Investigates chemical accidents and reports outcomes. Videos available from this website.
  • World Health Organization (WHO) 
    WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.

Material Safety Data Sheets

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