For most hazardous substances, an independent check is required to confirm compliance with controls on those substances. This confirmation is in the form of a compliance certificate. Depending on the type and quantity of substances held, you may require one or more compliance certificates.

Compliance certificates can be issued to:

• people, e.g. certified handler or approved filler
• locations, e.g. a store room or manufacturing area
• plants and equipment, e.g. stationary containers, compressed gas cylinders, tank wagons.

Compliance certificates are issued by compliance certifiers. The person in charge must engage a compliance certifier to do this work.

Find a compliance certifier(external link)

Compliance certifiers and compliance certificates

Duties of a compliance certifier

If a compliance certifier refuses to issue a compliance certificate, the compliance certifier must tell WorkSafe about the refusal and the reasons for the refusal under regulation 6.23 of the Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017(external link).

This fact sheet outlines the duties of a compliance certifier when declining to issue a compliance certificate.

This guidance provides additional information that may assist compliance certifiers when completing the notification form when refusing to issue a compliance certificate under regulation 6.23(2) of the Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017(external link).