The NICNAS Assessment Process

 

Based on information supplied by the notifier, NICNAS assesses the environmental, public health and occupational health and safety risk of a new industrial chemical and issues a certificate or permit to them with conditions to ensure safe use.

NICNAS conducts toxicological, occupational health and safety and public health assessments. This includes an assessment of the MSDS and label to ensure that relevant criteria are met.

The Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (www.environment.gov.au) conducts environmental assessments for NICNAS, under a service agreement.

Each assessment report contains a summary of health, safety and environmental issues, an MSDS that has been assessed by NICNAS, and recommendations about the chemical including:

• Precautions and restrictions to be observed during importation, manufacture, handling, storage, use or disposal in order to protect persons exposed to the chemical;

• Controls to limit emissions of it to the environment;

• Packaging, labelling, handling or storage of the chemical;

• Measures to be employed in emergencies involving the chemical;

• Use;

• Means of disposal;

• Circumstances in which secondary notification is required; and

• Any prescribed matter.

Once the assessment is completed:

• The Chemical Gazette notice and/or full public report are made available to the public, and

• A certificate or permit is granted to each notifier/applicant, allowing importation of the new industrial chemical.

For certificate notifications, the chemical is added to AICS 5 years after the certificate is granted, and is then regulated as an existing chemical. A permit allows introduction of the new industrial chemical by the permit holder for a specific length of time only.

Please contact NICNAS for further information about the assessment of new chemicals.

More information

• Overview of Notification categories;

• Certificate Categories;

• Self-assessment;

• Permits; and

• Exemptions.