How often should you update your chemical register?

The model WHS Regulations don’t give a fixed interval for reviewing your chemical register. Regulation 346 says the register must be kept up to date. That means it changes when your chemicals change: a new product in, an old product out, or a newer Safety Data Sheet (SDS) from the supplier.

On top of those triggers, a regular walk-through every six or twelve months is good practice. It’s not a legal deadline, but it catches the things day-to-day habits miss.

Regulation numbers below are from the model WHS Regulations, which every state and territory except Victoria has implemented (some with local variations). Victoria’s rules are different; see the note at the end.

What does “kept up to date” mean in practice?

Regulation 346 requires a register listing the hazardous chemicals used, handled or stored at the workplace, with the current SDS for each one. Regulation 344 adds that you must obtain the current SDS when you first supply or use the chemical, and keep it readily accessible.

So the register is out of date if any of these is true:

• a hazardous chemical on site isn’t on the list
• a listed product hasn’t been on site for months
• the SDS on file isn’t the one the manufacturer currently publishes

What should trigger an update?

These five triggers cover almost everything.

1. Add new products on arrival

When a new hazardous chemical arrives, get its SDS and add it to the register before it goes on the shelf. Trial samples from a rep count too. This is the trigger most often missed, because the person receiving the delivery isn’t the person who owns the register.

2. Remove products you no longer keep

When a product is used up and won’t be reordered, take it off the active list. A register full of products nobody has seen in years makes it harder to find the ones that matter in an emergency.

3. Replace superseded SDS

Manufacturers and importers must review each SDS at least once every five years (regulation 330), and revise it when new hazard information comes to light. When a supplier issues a newer version, replace the old one and look at what changed: a new hazard statement, a different exposure standard or new PPE advice may mean your controls need to change too. Our guide on how long an SDS is valid explains the five-year review in more detail.

4. Review after an incident or change

Regulation 38 requires control measures to be reviewed in certain situations, including when a control isn’t working, before a change at the workplace that’s likely to create a new risk, and when a new hazard is identified. A spill, an exposure, a worker complaint or a new process are all good moments to pull up the SDS for the product involved and check the register entry is right.

5. Run a scheduled walk-through

Set a regular date to walk the site with the register and compare it with what’s on the shelves, in the vans and in the wash bay. Six or twelve months suits most small workshops. Put it in the calendar against a named person, or it won’t happen.

Who should own the register?

One person, with a back-up. In a small business that’s often the owner or workshop manager. What matters is that deliveries, orders and supplier emails about new SDS versions reach that person. If purchasing is done by someone else, agree a simple rule: nothing hazardous goes on the shelf until it’s on the register.

What about Victoria?

Victoria has not adopted the model WHS laws. Hazardous substances are covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, and WorkSafe Victoria’s compliance code for hazardous substances explains the register and SDS duties. The practical triggers above apply just as well there, but check the wording of your own obligations with WorkSafe Victoria.

How SupplySafe handles it

Trigger 3 is the one that’s hardest to do by hand, because suppliers rarely tell you when a sheet changes. In SupplySafe, each product links to the SDS its manufacturer publishes, so a newer revision replaces the old one in your register automatically, and the line is marked as updated so you can tell the team.

Starting from scratch? Our free hazardous chemical register template comes in Excel, PDF and CSV.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a set interval for reviewing a chemical register?

The model WHS Regulations don't set one. Regulation 346 says the register must be kept up to date, which in practice means updating it whenever you start or stop using a hazardous chemical or receive a newer SDS.

How often must an SDS be updated?

Manufacturers and importers must review and, if needed, revise each SDS at least once every five years (regulation 330), and sooner when they learn of new hazard information. The workplace's duty is to hold the current version.

Should I do a scheduled check as well?

Many workplaces add a simple scheduled check, for example every six or twelve months, to catch anything the day-to-day triggers missed. That's good practice rather than a fixed legal interval, so pick a rhythm you'll actually keep.

Sources

• Safe Work Australia, Model WHS Regulations (regulations 38, 330, 344 and 346; accessed 28 October 2026)
• Safe Work Australia, Model Code of Practice: Managing risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace (accessed 28 October 2026)
• Safe Work Australia, Using safety data sheets (accessed 28 October 2026)
• WorkSafe Victoria, Compliance code: Hazardous substances (accessed 28 October 2026)