Skip to main content

Step 6: Complete your categorisation

It's time to work out your introduction’s category using using the outcome of your introduction's indicative human health risk and environment risk.

What's my introduction's category?

Use our categorisation matrix and your outcome from steps 4.5 and 5.5 to work out if your introduction is in the exempted or reported or assessed category. 

  1. First, find the column that corresponds with your introduction's indicative human health risk, which is either 'very low', 'low' or 'medium to high'.
  2. Next, move down the rows until you find your introduction's indicative environment risk, which is either 'very low', 'low' or 'medium to high'.
  3. Find where these intersect you have your introduction's category
A diagram of the risk to human health and the environment of an industrial chemical introduction. This is explained in full on the content of the page.

Exempted

Your introduction is in the exempted category if the indicative risk to both human health and the environment is 'very low'.

Human health risk is very low + environment risk very low = exempted introduction

Reported

Your introduction is in the reported category if the highest indicative risk of your introduction to human health or the environment is 'low'. This means either low risk to both human health and the environment, or low risk for one and very low risk for the other.

Human health risk very low + environment risk low = reported introduction

Human health risk low + environment risk very low = reported introduction

Human health risk low + environment risk low = reported introduction

Assessed

Your introduction is in the assessed category if the highest indicative risk of your introduction to human health or the environment is 'medium to high'. This means either medium to high risk to both human health and environment, or, medium to high risk for one and low or very low risk for the other.

Human health risk very low + indicative environment risk medium to high = assessed introduction (you must apply for an assessment certificate type 'environment focus')

Human health risk low + environment risk medium to high = assessed introduction (you must apply for an assessment certificate type 'environment focus') 

Human health risk medium to high + environment risk very low = assessed introduction (you must apply for an assessment certificate type 'health focus') 

Human health risk medium to high + environment risk low = assessed introduction (you must apply for an assessment certificate type 'health focus') 

Human health risk medium to high + indicative environment risk medium to high = assessed introduction (you must apply for an assessment certificate type 'health and environment focus')

Example: David has worked through step 4.5 and found that his introduction's indicative human health risk is low. He then worked through step 5.5 and found that the indicative risk to the environment is medium to high. The highest indicative risk for David's introduction is medium to high, therefore his introduction is categorised as assessed.

Now you know the introduction category, read 'Your obligations after categorisation' to see what you must do next, including records you must keep.

Go to the final step: Your obligations after categorisation

Was this page helpful?
For broken links or technical issues, please provide as much detail as possible. Do not include your name, email address and other personal or commercially sensitive information.

Keep informed with updates