Where to put your SDS register QR poster

A QR poster only helps if people can find it and scan it when they need it. That moment is often a spill, a splash in the eye or a fire crew at the door, not a calm afternoon. Where you put the poster matters as much as what’s on it.

This guide covers where to place SDS register QR posters, how to check they work, and when to replace them. It’s general information, not legal advice.

Why placement matters

Under the model WHS Regulations, the current SDS and the hazardous chemicals register must be readily accessible to workers who use, handle or store the chemicals, and to emergency service workers or anyone else likely to be exposed (regulations 344 and 346, Model WHS Regulations). Safe Work Australia’s Code of Practice says the SDS should be kept near the work area where the chemical is used, and that workers likely to be exposed must know how to find it.

In Victoria, regulation 162 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 requires the register of hazardous substances to be readily accessible to any employee who may be exposed.

The poster is how an electronic register meets those words in practice. Put it where the people who need it already are.

1. Main entrance or reception, inside

This is the poster everyone sees, including visitors, contractors and emergency services arriving on site.

• Put it inside, out of rain and sun, so it doesn’t fade or peel.
• Mount it at eye level, roughly 1.5 m to the centre of the code, so people can scan it standing up.
• Choose a spot that’s open whenever people are on site. A poster behind a locked office door doesn’t help at 6 am or after hours.
• Keep it clear of clutter. Not behind the door when it’s open, and not under a pile of other notices.

2. Each chemical store or work area

Add a copy wherever chemicals are kept or used: the chemical cabinet, paint area, wash bay, workshop bench, plant room or cleaner’s cupboard.

• Mount it beside the store, not on it, so nobody has to lean into a spill or open a cabinet to scan.
• Keep it away from heat, spray and splashes, or use a laminated copy or a holder.
• In a large site, aim for a poster within easy reach of every area where chemicals are handled.

3. First aid point or staff noticeboard

The first aid kit is where people go after an exposure, and the SDS has the first aid measures (section 4 of the SDS). A copy next to the kit, the eyewash station or the staff noticeboard puts the information where it’s used. The noticeboard is also where new starters look during their induction.

4. Every service vehicle, in the cab

A vehicle used for work is a workplace too, and technicians carry their chemicals with them. Put a small copy inside the cab, on the dash, sun visor or door pillar, where the driver can scan it without opening the back. Each vehicle should open the register for what that vehicle carries. The service vehicles guide covers the rules and setup.

Make sure it scans

Test every copy when it goes up, and don’t stop when the camera recognises the code:

1. Scan it with an iPhone and an Android phone.
2. Try it on mobile data as well as the site Wi-Fi.
3. Open it without being signed in, the way a contractor or fire crew would.
4. Find a real product and open its SDS.
5. Ask someone who didn’t set it up to do the same.

Then add a quick scan of each poster to your regular workplace inspection. Note any posters that are covered, moved or hard to reach.

Replace damaged posters

Reprint a poster when it’s torn, faded, scratched, greasy or wrinkled across the code, or when a test scan is slow or fails. Print the replacement from your register so the code is the same, and use the same size or larger. Never shrink a poster down until the code is tiny.

Because every copy opens the same register, you can replace one without touching the others.

No reprint when an SDS changes

A QR code pointing straight at a PDF goes stale when the manufacturer revises the sheet. A code pointing at a permanent register link doesn’t: the poster stays put and the register shows the current SDS. You reprint for wear and tear, not for revisions. The QR code chemical register guide explains how to set the link up.

Keep a backup too. The Code of Practice expects a backup means of access for an electronic database, such as printed copies, for flat phones and no signal.

How SupplySafe does it

Each SupplySafe site has one QR poster, and you can print as many copies as you need for the entrance, stores, first aid point and vehicles. The code opens a no-login view of that site’s register and the current SDS, and it points to a permanent link, so it never needs reprinting when an SDS is replaced. See how SupplySafe works, or start your free register.

Frequently asked questions

Where should an SDS register QR poster go?

Start with the main entrance or reception, inside the building at eye level. Then add a copy at each chemical store or work area, one at the first aid point or staff noticeboard, and one in the cab of each service vehicle. The aim is that anyone who needs an SDS can reach a poster quickly and safely.

How many QR posters does one site need?

Usually a handful. One at the entrance plus one per separate chemical area covers most sites. Copies of the same poster all open the same register, so adding another costs nothing but the printing.

Do I need to reprint the poster when an SDS changes?

Not if the QR code points to a permanent register link rather than a PDF file. The poster stays the same and the register behind it shows the current SDS. You only reprint when a poster is damaged, faded or no longer scans.

How often should I check the posters scan?

Test each copy when you put it up, using an ordinary phone on the network workers actually use. After that, a quick scan during your regular workplace inspection, for example monthly, catches posters that are damaged, covered or moved.

Sources

• Safe Work Australia, Model WHS Regulations (regulations 344 and 346; accessed 4 November 2026)
• Safe Work Australia, Model Code of Practice: Managing risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace (section 2.2; accessed 4 November 2026)
• Victorian Legislation, Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (regulation 162; accessed 4 November 2026)