Hazardous substances are part of everyday life in metal finishing businesses. They can be dangerous to your health when they’re not used correctly.

We have produced guidance on the safe handling of hazardous substances in the metal finishing industry.

Working safely with hazardous substances in the metal finishing industry

This guidance has been written for managers of electroplating and galvanizing workshops. It walks you through five steps to help you safely manage the hazardous substances you use at work.

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Working safely with hazardous substances in the metal finishing industry (PDF 1.1 MB)

While this guidance has not been updated to reflect current work health and safety legislation (the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and regulations), it may still contain relevant information and practices to keep workers and others healthy and safe.

Please read this guidance in conjunction with all relevant industry standards that apply to you as a PCBU. This guidance will be progressively reviewed and either updated, replaced with other guidance, or revoked.

Compliance certification requirements

Depending on the type and quantity of chemicals held at your site, you may require one or more of the following compliance certificates:

If you are unsure about your compliance certification requirements, contact a compliance certifier for advice.

Find a compliance certifier(external link)

As a general rule, you should keep the quantities of hazardous substances stored on your site to a minimum. In this way the risks may be reduced and the need for compliance certification reduced.