Dangerous Substances Act 2004

The purpose of this Act is to protect the health and safety of people, and to protect property and the environment from damage, from the hazards associated with dangerous substances.

The purpose of this Act includes the following:

to eliminate the hazards associated with dangerous substances;

if it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate the hazards—to minimise as far as reasonably practicable the risks resulting from the hazards by, for example—

ensuring that the hazards are identified and the risks are assessed and controlled; and

requiring information and training about the hazards and the safe handling of the substances to be made available to people handling the substances;

to allocate responsibilities to people in relation to dangerous substances;

to regulate dangerous substances, including by providing for authorisation, licensing, notification and registration schemes for dangerous substances.