Inventories list products, not hazards
A product name tells you nothing. Hazard classification, quantity held and location are what determine your obligations.
Hazardous Substances Register & Inventory (NZ)
The inventory required under the HSW (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017, structured so it also does the work you actually need it for — SDS currency, storage segregation, signage triggers and exposure follow-up.
⚖️HSW (HS) Regulations 2017
👷Reviewed by OH Professionals
✏️Editable .xlsx + .docx
NZD 129
Instant DownloadInstant download · Editable .docx + .xlsx
The inventory obligation under the Hazardous Substances Regulations 2017 is one of the few genuinely prescriptive documentation duties in New Zealand work health and safety law, and it is widely met with a spreadsheet listing product names and nothing else. That version fails the moment it is needed — when an SDS has expired, when incompatible substances have been stored together, when quantities have crept over a threshold that triggers signage or additional controls, or when someone needs to know what a worker was exposed to. This register is built to answer those questions.
SDS go stale and nobody notices
Safety data sheets have a currency expectation. The register tracks issue date and review date per substance so expiry is visible.
Quantity thresholds pass unnoticed
Obligations change with quantity held. A register without a quantity column cannot tell you when you have crossed a line.
Who this is for
- Trade businesses holding solvents, fuels and adhesives
- Painters, flooring, panel and joinery shops routinely hold more than they realise once decanted containers are counted.
- Workshops and manufacturing sites
- Fixed-site inventory with storage segregation and signage mapping.
- Main contractors
- Site-level consolidation of substances brought on by each subcontractor.
- Prequalification applicants
- Hazardous substances management is a standard section in SiteWise and Tōtika questionnaires.
This is the inventory and register. Asbestos has its own separate register requirement under different regulations, and location compliance certification is a separate process.
What's inside the template
Excel — 6 sheets; Word — 14 pages (procedure + forms) · Formats: XLSX, DOCX
- Excel Sheet 1 — InventoryProduct, supplier, UN number where applicable, hazard classification, quantity held, container type, location, SDS reference and date.hs 3 1
- Excel Sheet 2 — SDS control logIssue date, review date, where held, who is responsible for currency.
- Excel Sheet 3 — Storage and segregationLocation against class, with an incompatibility matrix flagging combinations that must not share a store.
- Excel Sheet 4 — Signage and equipment triggersWhat quantity and classification combinations trigger signage, spill provision, bunding or eyewash.
- Excel Sheet 5 — Exposure-relevant substancesSubstances with a workplace exposure standard or biological exposure index, flagged for health monitoring consideration.grwm 9
- Excel Sheet 6 — Review logRegister review history — date, reviewer, changes, reason.
- Word Section 1 — Purchase and approvalHow a new substance enters the business, and who approves it before it arrives.
- Word Section 2 — Receipt, labelling and decantingLabelling requirements for decanted containers — the most common single failure found on site.
- Word Section 3 — StorageSegregation, quantity limits, security and ventilation.
- Word Section 4 — Use and control selectionSubstitution and engineering control before PPE, applied to substances specifically.grwm 6
- Word Section 5 — Spill responseResponse by class, with the link to the emergency plan.
- Word Section 6 — DisposalDisposal routes, waste tracking and prohibited disposal methods.
- Word Form A — New substance approval formAssessment before purchase, including whether a less hazardous substitute exists.
- Word Form B — Storage inspection checklistPeriodic check of stores against the register.
Compliance checklist
HSW (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017 · GRWM Regulations 2016 regs 6, 9
The inventory duty is the anchor, but a register that only satisfies the inventory duty leaves the substantive control obligations undocumented. Both are mapped here.
- HS reg 3.1Maintain an inventory of hazardous substances at the workplace→ Excel Sheet 1 — Inventory
- GRWM reg 6Apply the hierarchy of control — elimination and substitution before administrative controls and PPE→ Word Sections 1 and 4, and Form A
- GRWM reg 9Health monitoring where workers are exposed to substances with health effects requiring it→ Excel Sheet 5 — Exposure-relevant substances
- HSWA s36Primary duty of care so far as is reasonably practicable→ Word Sections 3 to 6
How this template compares
Reviewed by OH Professionals
Written and reviewed by the occupational health and safety team at OH Consultant. Sheet 5 flags substances carrying a workplace exposure standard or biological exposure index, because the inventory is where health monitoring obligations are most often first identified — and most often missed. Quantity thresholds are deliberately left to be confirmed per substance rather than hardcoded, since they vary by classification and change with regulatory amendment.
Legislation referenced
- Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 — Section 36 — Primary duty of care ↗
- Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017 — Regulation 3.1 — Inventory of hazardous substances ↗
- Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016 — Regulation 6 — Hierarchy of control measures ↗
- Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016 — Regulation 9 — Health monitoring ↗
Frequently asked
Is a hazardous substances inventory legally required?+
Yes. The HSW (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017 require a PCBU to maintain an inventory of the hazardous substances at the workplace. It is one of the more prescriptive documentation duties in New Zealand work health and safety law, and unlike a hazard register it is named in the regulations directly.
Does this cover asbestos?+
No. Asbestos is regulated separately under the HSW (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 and requires its own register under Regulation 12 of those regulations. Our Asbestos Register is a different product for that duty.
What quantity triggers extra obligations?+
It depends entirely on the substance and its hazard classification, and the thresholds are amended from time to time. The register captures quantity held and classification so you can check your position against current WorkSafe guidance, but we deliberately do not hardcode threshold figures into a template that will sit on your system for years.
Do I need this if I only hold a few products?+
The duty applies regardless of scale, though the effort is proportionate. Most trade businesses hold considerably more than they expect once part-used containers, aerosols, fuels and cleaning products are counted — the inventory exercise itself is usually the surprise.
What about decanted containers?+
This is the most common finding on site inspections. A substance decanted into an unlabelled container is a live problem, and Word Section 2 sets out the labelling requirement and a practical approach for workshops that decant routinely.
Does it tell me if I need a location compliance certificate?+
It gives you the data — substance, classification, quantity, location — that determines the answer, and flags where the question needs asking. Whether a certificate is required in your case is a substance-and-quantity-specific determination you should confirm against current WorkSafe guidance or with a certifier.