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List of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation

Use this list to check if your chemical has hazards in the highest human health and environment hazard bands. 

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What is the list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation and when do I need to use it?

The 'list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation' (the list) is:

  • a list of chemicals that trusted national and international sources consider (see Appendix 8.1 of the Categorisation Guidelines) to be highly hazardous to human health or the environment, with hazard characteristics that are in our highest hazard bands, and
  • for introducers to use when categorising their introductions as exempted, reported or assessed — we’ve put all these chemicals into one place to make it easier for you to search for them. 
  • Safe Work Australia’s Hazardous Chemical Information System (HCIS) – list of substances classified for physical-chemical and (eco)toxicological hazards. Substances included on the list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation are those classified for CMR and PBT.
  • European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Harmonised Classification and Labelling of Hazardous Substances (Annex VI to the CLP Regulation) – list of substances classified for physical-chemical and (eco)toxicological hazards. Substances included on the list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation are those classified for CMR and PBT.
  • European Union Substances of Very High Concern (EU SVHC) – list of CMR, PBT and vPvB substances. Substances included on the list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation are those that are identified as CMR, PBT, vPvB, or having endocrine-disrupting properties.
  • United States National Toxicology Program (US NTP) Report on Carcinogens – list of carcinogenic substances. Substances included on the list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation are those that are known human carcinogens and those that are reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens.
  • International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monographs – list of carcinogens. Substances included on the list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation are carcinogens classified in Groups 1, 2A and 2B.
  • European Commission Endocrine Disruptors Strategy – list of substances investigated for potential endocrine activity. Substances included on the list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation are those listed in Category 1, identified as having endocrine activity in at least one animal study.
  • United Nations Environment Programme scientific knowledge on endocrine disrupting chemicals – list of substances from a review of existing global initiatives on endocrine-disrupting chemicals and potential endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Substances included on the list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation are those identified as having known or potential endocrine activity.
  • Chemical Substances Control Law of Japan (CSCL) Class I Specified Chemical Substances – list of organic chemicals with known health and/or environmental concerns. Substances included on the list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation are those identified as PBT.
  • European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) REACH Annex XIV Authorisation – list of inorganic and organic chemicals with known health and/or environmental concerns. Substances included on the list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation are those identified as CMR, PBT or vPvB, or having probable CMR, PBT or vPvB effects.
  • European Commission Endocrine Disruptor List – list of substances identified as endocrine disruptors. Substances included on the list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation are those on List I, identified as endocrine disruptors at EU level. 
  • Chemicals that have been assessed or evaluated under the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019 or the Industrial Chemicals (Notification and Assessment) Act 1989. Substances included on the list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation are those identified as having hazard characteristics in human health hazard band C or environment hazard bands D or C. Substances are added at the discretion of the Executive Director of the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme.
     

You need to use this list if:

  • you are working out your introduction’s category — as exempted, reported or assessed, and

  • our guidance tells you to search it to demonstrate that your chemical does not have certain hazard characteristics

    Note: The list is a compilation of chemicals from each of the trusted sources. We have: 

    • not removed chemicals that are on our Inventory
    • only removed entries that could unambiguously be shown to not be industrial chemicals
    • not done our own assessment of all the chemicals on the list.

    How to check if your chemical is on the list

  • Download the list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation and follow these steps:

    Step 1 (CAS number): Search for your chemical’s Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number (CAS RN or CAS number) using the filter icon in Column A of the ‘Consolidated list’ tab. 

    If the CAS number:

    • is not known by you or is not specified, go to step 2
    • is not in Column A, go to step 2
    • is in Column A, then your chemical is on the list. However, you should also check the chemical name column (Column B) to ensure that your chemical is covered by the Column A entry (see example below). The reason for the chemical’s inclusion on the list is explained in the corresponding row in Columns D to M. For more information, see What happens if your chemical is on the list?

    Even if you find the CAS number on the list, it is important that you also check the information under ‘chemical name’ in Column B to ensure that the substance is covered by the list entry and is therefore considered to have the high concern hazard characteristics.   

    Example – Margosa, ext. (CAS number 84696-25-3) – CAS number covers multiple extracts

    Company ABC Pty Ltd uses a CAS number to locate the entry for Margosa, ext. (CAS number 84696-25-3) on the list. The company checks the information under ‘chemical name’ (Column B): 

    ‘Margosa,ext. [from the kernels of Azadirachta indica extracted with water and further processed with organic solvents]’  

    Company ABC Pty Ltd notes that the entry specifies that the kernel extract has been found to have high concern hazard characteristics. The company plans to introduce an extract from a different part of the plant. This means that the company’s chemical is not covered by the entry for Margosa, ext. (CAS number 84696-25-3) and therefore is not currently on the list. 

    Step 2 (Chemical name): Search for your chemical name using the filter icon in Column B of the ‘Consolidated list’ tab.

    If your chemical name:

    • is not in Column B, go to step 3.
    • is in Column B, then your chemical is on the list. The reason for its inclusion is explained in the corresponding row in Columns D to M. For more information, see What happens if your chemical is on the list? 

    Step 3 (Group entries): Is your chemical covered by a chemical group entry? There are some group entries on the list, such as compounds of certain metals.

    Step 4 (Salts or esters): Is your chemical a salt or an ester?

    • If no, your chemical is not on the list. For more information, see What happens if your chemical is not on the list?
    • If yes, check whether the component chemicals that combine to make your ester or salt are any of the specified chemicals shown in the tables in parts 6.3.2. 6.4.2, 6.5.2, 6.6.2, 6.7.2, and 6.25.2 of the Industrial Chemicals Categorisation Guidelines. These chemicals are also shown in the tables of specified chemicals within the following sections in the Human Health Hazard Band C web guidance and the adverse effects mediated by an endocrine mode of action section in the Environment Hazard Band D web guidance:
      • carcinogenicity
      • reproductive toxicity
      • developmental toxicity
      • adverse effects mediated by an endocrine mode of action
      • genetic toxicity  

    To do this, identify the component chemicals and their CAS numbers and chemical names. Then search the tables of specified chemicals for the CAS number and chemical name of the component chemicals.

    If your chemical:

    • is a salt or ester and  
    • its component chemicals are not in the tables of specified chemicals

    then your chemical (and the chemical of which it is an ester or salt) is not on the list. For more information, see What happens if your chemical is not on the list?

    If your chemical:  

    • is a salt or ester and  
    • the CAS number or chemical name of a component chemical is in the table of specified chemicals and  
    • one or more of the exceptions listed for the component chemical in the table of specified chemicals apply,  

    then your chemical (and the chemical of which it is an ester or salt) is not on the list. For more information, see What happens if your chemical is not on the list?

    If your chemical:  

    • is a salt or ester and  
    • the CAS number or chemical name of a component chemical is in the table of specified chemicals and  
    • none of the exceptions listed for the component chemical in the table of specified chemicals apply,  

    then the chemical of which your chemical is an ester or salt, is on the list, and your chemical is also considered to be highly hazardous.  

    The hazard characteristic(s) that your chemical is considered to have will align with the parts of the Categorisation Guidelines that the specified chemicals are listed in. For example, an ester containing phenol, 4,4'-(1-methylethylidene)bis- (Bisphenol A) (CAS number 80-05-7) would be considered to have the following hazard characteristics, unless any exception criteria were met:

    • reproductive toxicity (according to part 6.4.2 of the Categorisation Guidelines) and  
    • adverse effects mediated by an endocrine mode of action, human health (according to part 6.6.2 of the Categorisation Guidelines)
    • adverse effects mediated by an endocrine mode of action, environment (according to part 6.25.2 of the Categorisation Guidelines).  

    For more information, see What happens if your chemical is on the list?

    What happens if your chemical is not on the list?

    If your chemical, or the chemical of which it is an ester or salt, is not on the list, it could still be highly hazardous. For example, there may be hazard information available for your chemical outside of the sources identified in the list showing that it has a hazard characteristic.

    Our guide to categorising your chemical importation and manufacture will help you work out whether you need any other information (aside from checking the list) to demonstrate the absence of a particular hazard characteristic. 

    What happens if your chemical is on the list?

    If:

    • you are working out whether your introduction is categorised as exempted, reported or assessed and
    • our guidance has instructed you to search the list when working out if your chemical has a particular hazard characteristic, and
    • your chemical, or the chemical of which it is an ester or salt, is on the list, then:

    we consider your chemical to have one or more of the hazard characteristics in the highest hazard bands. This means hazard band C for human health, or hazard bands D or C for environment.

    Depending on your introduction’s circumstances, this may mean that your introduction is categorised as assessed. Our guide to categorising your chemical importation and manufacture will help you work this out.

    If you have additional information that you believe demonstrates that your chemical is not highly hazardous, we can consider this as part of our assessment of your chemical. But, for the purposes of categorisation, your chemical will still be considered to have that hazard characteristic.

    Note: Some chemicals on the list are also on our Inventory. If your chemical is on our Inventory, it is eligible for the listed category – as long as you meet the terms of the inventory listing (for example, you are introducing within the parameters of a defined scope of assessment). 

    More information about the list and how we'll manage it

    We plan to update the list annually (or as required) to include:

    • new entries based on updates to trusted national and international sources that are in Appendix 8.1 of the Industrial Chemicals Categorisation Guidelines and shown above, and  
    • certain chemicals that have been assessed or evaluated by us.  

    We will publish website notices to tell you before this happens.

    Entries from the trusted national and international sources of the list that are unambiguously not industrial chemicals will not be added to the list. That is, entries that:

    • are not a chemical element
    • are not a compound or complex of a chemical element
    • are not a UVCB substance
    • meet the definition of a radioactive chemical in the Industrial Chemicals (General) Rules 2019.
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