Chemical register template for Victorian workplaces (free Excel and PDF)

Victoria runs its own workplace safety laws. Where every other state and territory has a “hazardous chemicals register” under the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations, a Victorian workplace keeps a register of hazardous substances under regulation 162 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017.

The free template below works for a Victorian workshop or workplace as it is. Download it in Excel, PDF or CSV, no sign-up.

What must a Victorian chemical register contain?

WorkSafe Victoria’s compliance code for hazardous substances sets out the duty:

Employers must prepare and maintain a register for all hazardous substances supplied to their workplace. A register must contain a list of the product identifiers of all hazardous substances supplied to the workplace and be accompanied by the SDS for each of these substances.

So, like everywhere else in Australia, the register is two things: the list of products, and the current safety data sheet (SDS) for each one. The code also says:

• the register must be readily accessible to any employee who may be exposed to a hazardous substance (regulation 162(3))
• it should be kept in a central location, with a readily accessible copy in each relevant work area
• it may be computerised, as long as employees know how to access and use the system
• all SDS in it need issue dates within the last five years
• a product should come off the register once its use is permanently discontinued and it has left the workplace

Retailers don’t need to list substances in consumer packages that are sold unopened (regulation 162(4)), but they still need a register for anything opened on their premises.

When does a Victorian register need updating?

The compliance code lists three triggers:

1. a new hazardous substance is introduced to the workplace
2. the use of an existing hazardous substance is discontinued
3. the manufacturer or supplier provides a revised SDS

The third is the one that slips. Our guide to how often a chemical register should be updated covers a routine that catches revisions, and how long an SDS is valid explains the five-year review.

What’s in the template

WorkSafe’s sample register (Appendix B of the code) has columns for product name, location or process, hazardous substance (yes or no), dangerous good (yes or no), current SDS, and actions or comments. Our template covers all of them: record hazardous substance details in the GHS hazard column and dangerous goods details in the DG class and UN number column.

It also adds the columns that show which sheets need chasing: SDS revision date, last reviewed, and a review-due date five years on. The hazardous chemical register template guide explains every column and has the step-by-step for filling it in.

Hazardous substances and dangerous goods in one list

Dangerous goods storage and handling in Victoria sits under separate regulations, the Dangerous Goods (Storage and Handling) Regulations 2022. The compliance code says a single register prepared under the OHS Regulations is enough for both if all the dangerous goods at the premises are also hazardous substances. A dangerous goods manifest is a different document, required only above set quantities and mainly for emergency services.

Our guide to hazardous substances, dangerous goods and chemical registers explains where each name comes from. If you’ve been asked for a “hazardous materials register”, check whether the person means chemicals or asbestos: see hazardous materials register vs chemical register.

Outside Victoria?

Every other state and territory follows the model WHS Regulations, where the register is regulation 346. The same template works there too: see the NSW chemical register template, the QLD chemical register template and the hazardous chemical register requirements.

A register that stays current by itself

A spreadsheet only stays current if someone keeps chasing sheets. SupplySafe for workshops links each product to the manufacturer’s current SDS, flags the sheets due for review and puts the whole register behind one QR poster, so it’s readily accessible in every work area. SupplySafe doesn’t write or edit SDS; manufacturers and suppliers publish their own, free.

Western Australia: see the WA chemical register template.

More states and territories: the SA chemical register template, Tasmanian chemical register template, ACT chemical register template and NT chemical register template, or every state on one list in chemical register templates by state.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Victorian chemical register template?

Victoria doesn't require a particular form. WorkSafe Victoria's hazardous substances compliance code includes a sample hazardous substances and dangerous goods register in Appendix B. The free template on this page covers every column in that sample.

Which law sets the chemical register rules in Victoria?

Regulation 162 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017. Victoria has not adopted the model WHS laws, so the register is called a register of hazardous substances rather than a hazardous chemicals register.

Do SDS in a Victorian register have to be less than five years old?

WorkSafe Victoria's compliance code says employers need to ensure all SDS in the register have issue dates within the last five years, because manufacturers and importing suppliers must review them at least every five years.

Can a Victorian workplace keep one register for hazardous substances and dangerous goods?

WorkSafe Victoria's compliance code says an employer may keep a single register for both if all the dangerous goods at the premises are also hazardous substances. A register is not the same as a dangerous goods manifest, which is a separate duty above set quantities.

Can a Victorian register be kept on a computer or phone?

Yes. The compliance code says the register may be computerised if employees know how to access and use the system. It must be readily accessible to any employee who may be exposed to a hazardous substance.

Sources

• WorkSafe Victoria, Compliance code: Hazardous substances (“Keeping a register”, paragraphs 102 to 108, and Appendix B; accessed 1 November 2026)
• Victorian Legislation, Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (regulation 162; accessed 1 November 2026)
• WorkSafe Victoria, Hazardous substances (accessed 1 November 2026)
• Safe Work Australia, Model WHS laws (accessed 1 November 2026)