How can I prepare for a dangerous goods storage and handling inspection or audit?

This page is designed to assist industry prepare the required information necessary for a storage and handling inspection by dangerous goods officers.

Dangerous goods storage and handling inspections are conducted to look at compliance against the following legislation:

Dangerous Goods Safety Act 2004

Dangerous Goods Safety (Storage and Handling of Non-explosives) Regulations 2007

What documents should I have ready?

A storage and handling inspection will include an audit of the following documents. It is advised that these be made easily accessible:

  • Emergency plan
  • Induction or training records
  • Material safety data sheets
  • Register of all dangerous goods kept on site
  • Maintenance records
  • Manifest and site plan
  • Risk assessments
  • Incident reports

Resources Safety has a suite of templates and guidance that may assist you in preparing the necessary documents:

Dangerous goods risk assessment - template - 36 Kb

This template records information about the intrinsic hazards of the dangerous goods arising from specific physical, chemical and toxicity properties.

Risk assessment for dangerous goods - guidance note - 975 Kb

This guidance note will assist operators of dangerous goods sites in Western Australia to complete a risk assessment under the Dangerous Goods Safety (Storage and Handling of Non-Explosives) Regulations 2007 (the Storage and Handling Regulations).

Dangerous goods manifest - template - 28 Kb

This template records the manifest of dangerous goods for transport and storage.

Manifest and site plan requirements for dangerous goods sites - guidance note - 635 Kb

This guidance note outlines the requirements for the manifest and site plan. These documents must be current to allow an appropriate response by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) in the event of an emergency.

Dangerous goods emergency plans for small businesses - guidance note - 487 Kb

This guidance note assists small business operators of licensed dangerous goods sites to prepare an emergency plan.

Emergency planning for licensed dangerous goods sites - information sheet - 376 Kb

This information sheet explains the updated emergency planning provisions in effect from 1 January 2014 following amendment of the Dangerous Goods Safety (Storage and Handling of Non-explosives) Regulations 2007 (Storage and Handling Regulations).

Reporting dangerous goods incidents guideline and form

What guidance information is available?

The Storage and handling of dangerous goods code of practice provides useful guidance on how to store and handle dangerous goods safely. Certain part of the code cover areas that may be inspected. These include:

  • Containers for bulk dangerous goods (Section 7.4)
  • Segregation (Appendix 2)
  • Spill containment (Section 7.7)
  • Ignition sources (Section 7.8)
  • Ventilation (Section 7.9)
  • Placarding (Chapter 11)
  • Fire protection (Chapter 12)
  • Disused underground petroleum tanks (Appendix 5)

Code of practice - Storage and handling of dangerous goods - () Kb

The Storage and handling of dangerous goods - code of practice describes measures that can be used to reduce the risks associated with the storage and handling of dangerous goods, and achieve the performance-based safety outcomes of Resources Safety.

A good way to prepare for an inspection is to review your documented compliance checks against the relevant approved codes of practices.

Dangerous goods safety codes of practice

Dangerous goods safety compliance check templates

Dangerous goods safety matters - self check guide for petrol stations - guide - 1883 Kb

This self-check guide will assist in the safe operation of supervised self-service petrol stations. It does not apply to unsupervised self-service petrol stations or underground liquefied petroleum gas (LP Gas) tanks.

Accredited dangerous goods consultants

Accredited dangerous goods consultants are approved by the department’s Chief Officer to assess and endorse licence applications for the storage and handling of dangerous goods, explosives and security sensitive ammonium nitrate in compliance with the relevant regulations.

Companies may engage the services of an accredited consultant to prepare for an inspection, or be present during an inspection by dangerous goods officers.

In addition, the consultant can:

  • conduct a risk assessment for the site or operation
  • outline the risk control measures that will be applied
  • verify the risk assessment and risk control measures meet the requirements of the relevant regulations and section 8 of the Dangerous Goods Safety Act 2004.

More information on accredited dangerous goods consultants, including a current list of the approved consultants is available.

What is the role of accredited dangerous goods consultants?

Consultants approved to examine and endorse storage and handling proposals - list - 199 Kb

WA Dangerous Goods Accredited Consultants

Contact

For any enquiries please contact one of our dangerous goods officers

Phone: (08) 9358 8002
Email: dgsb@dmirs.wa.gov.au