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NEW! A guide for pool chemical retailers

A comprehensive guide for pool chemical retailers has been developed by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland to assist retailers to safely store and handle these dangerous goods. 

The new guide was developed after a review of current guidance material and discussions with stakeholders, which identified the need for new and accessible guidance material to assist pool chemical retailers to safely manage dangerous goods and comply with legal safety obligations.

Many pool chemicals are classified as dangerous goods as they may be combustible, oxidizing, water-reactive, toxic or corrosive. They can be deadly and seriously damage people, property and the environment. Unsafe storage of dangerous goods can lead to incidents such as spills and fires that can cause significant disruptions and costs for businesses.

Dangerous goods assessments of a number of pool chemical retailers in 2009 revealed common issues of non-compliance with the Dangerous Goods Safety Management (DGSM) legislation. These issues were similar to those found in previous intervention activities and include:

• Poor quality of tank installations for bulk storage of hypochlorite solution.
• Not maintaining stability of packaged dangerous goods.
• Poor control of chemical dispensing activities.
• Inadequate training and safety equipment for safely handling chemicals.

The new guide for pool chemical retailers is available from the publication section of the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland website. The guide includes appropriate risk control measures for typical chemical hazards that exist in the pool chemical retail sector. The information provided is based on good industry practices and relevant standards to assist pool chemical retailers protect people, property and the environment. It also outlines relevant safety obligations and provides practical tools to assist with meeting these obligations including a chemical register, an example risk assessment for hypochlorite solution storage and handling and pool chemical specific compatibility charts.

For further information, and to view the new guide for pool chemical retailers and fact sheets click on the links below to the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland website or call the Workplace Health and Safety Infoline on 1300 369 915.

• Dangerous Goods Safety Management Act 2001: A Guide for Pool Chemical Retailers (PDF, 1.0 MB)
• Fact Sheet: Storage and handling of pool chemicals in the retail industry (PDF, 72 kB)
• Fact Sheet: Polyethylene tanks for storing hypochlorite solution.(PDF, 66 kB)