How to notify us over the holiday period.
Notifications  
If someone has been seriously injured, become seriously ill, or died as a result of work – phone us on 0800 030 040 straight away. We have staff available to respond to these 24/7.
If you’re not sure what a notifiable event is, including your obligation to hold a scene, visit What events need to be notified?
Notifications made through our online form won't be monitored between 12pm on Tuesday 24 December 2024 and 8.30am on Monday 6 January 2025.
If you’re not sure if you need to notify us, use our online notification system and we’ll respond to you after 6 January 2025.
Health and safety concerns
If you have a health and safety concern that isn’t urgent, use our online form and we’ll respond to you after 6 January 2025.
Raise a health or safety concern
General enquiries
General enquiries made by phone or email after 12pm on Tuesday 24 December will be responded to from Monday 6 January 2025. This does not apply to notifications made by phone on 0800 030 040.
We wish you a safe and relaxing holiday.
Retail hardware stores will store and handle significant quantities of hazardous substances. Careful management of these substances is important in order to protect people and the environment.
Hazardous substances that may be present in retail stores include:
- Oil based paint and varnish
- solvents and thinners, such as methylated spirits and mineral turpentine
- fillers and adhesives
- aerosols and gas cartridges
- gardening products that may be toxic or ecotoxic
- cleaning agents that may be corrosive.
We have produced guidance on the safe handling of hazardous substances in the retail stores.
Guide to certification for retail stores
This guide gives advice on how to safely manage the risks of holding hazardous substances in your retail store and how to obtain the compliance certificates required under the Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017.
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:
- location compliance certificate
- certified handler compliance certificate
- stationary container compliance certificate
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.
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