Codes of Practice for Hazardous Substances
Codes of practice give additional rules and guidance when using hazardous substances.
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Codes of practice give additional rules and guidance when using hazardous substances.
HSNO codes of practice (HSNOCOPs) set out how to comply with the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act and the HSNO regulations, or provide an alternative way of complying with the HSNO regulations.
They are not mandatory and you can meet the requirements in other ways instead.
The new Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017 and EPA Notices replace the HSNO regulations, which means that some HSNOCOPs are no longer valid as they have been replaced with rules and regulations from WorkSafe NZ. THe HSNOCOPs below are the ones that have been retained by the EPA.
Please note that the HSNOCOPs have been written prior to the change to the EPA's current hazard classification system. You may be required to use our correlation table for any hazard classifications you find in the HSNOCOPs.
We may develop codes of practice, or other organisations can develop them and present them to us for approval.
Once a code of practice is approved by us, it will be notified in The Parliamentary Gazette, on our website and in our newsletter Te Putara Bulletin.
Codes of practice are approved under Sections 78 and 79 of the HSNO Act. In practice, they are approved by the Chief Executive of the EPA under delegated authority.
Approved: September 2004. This code supercedes NZS 8409:1999 Code of Practice for the Management of Agrichemicals.
This code provides guidance to ensure that agrichemicals are used in a safe, responsive and effective manner, whilst minimising any adverse effects on the environment or human and animal health. It includes guidance on plant protection products (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides), veterinary medicines, fumigants used in rural situations and agricultural use of detergents and sanitisers.
Most agrichemicals covered by this code are classified as hazardous substances and will have a range of controls placed upon them.
The code can be purchased from Standards New Zealand, in hard copy or electronic format. Contact:
Standards New Zealand https://www.standards.govt.nz/
You can also view a hard copy of the Code at our office.
This code is for all agrichemical users. It specifies the requirements for the commercial use of agrichemicals for:
A series of appendices, divided into those considered compulsory to meet requirements and those providing general advice and supporting information to assist with compliance. All of the appendices are considered to be part of the approved code.
The standard uses a risk management approach for transport, storage, use and disposal as well as planning for, and dealing with, emergencies relating to agrichemicals.
The contents of some of the Appendices are summarised below.
This code of practice has also been approved, under section 28 of the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) Act 1997, as a means of complying with the following HSNO requirements relating to relating to use and handling, storage, disposal, first aid information, emergency management information and planning, and secondary containment.
Approval of the code is limited to the products and substances it covers: These include:
These are not included in the code:
Approved: July 2008 (HSNOCOP 16) and February 2007 (HSNOCOP 28).
This code establishes which hazardous substances are not compatible and addresses the segregation requirements of them.
The Code can be purchased from Responsible Care New Zealand (RCNZ) in hard copy: https://www.responsiblecarenz.com/
You can also view a hard copy of the Code at our office.
The Code was developed to assist persons in charge, and people who store hazardous substances.
What is included in this code?
Some hazardous substances are incompatible with other hazardous substances and must be stored separately to avoid unintended consequences. This may include a fire rated wall or a specified separation distance.
For instance, flammable liquids (class 3.1) must be kept away from all class 2 (flammable gases), class 4 (flammable solids) and class 5 (oxidising substances or organic peroxides).
This Code outlines the compatibility of different classes of hazardous substances with each other and some other substances of interest. Where different classes of hazardous substances are not compatible, the Code addresses the HSNO segregation requirements for these hazardous substances.
The Code is presented in the form of a chart and a wheel with an explanatory key and notes. It presents the requirements in pictorial form.
It has been approved under the HSNO Act, only in respect of the requirements of regulations 21, 76, 95 and 117 of the Hazardous Substances (Class 1 to 5 Controls) Regulations 2001 and only in respect those matters in the document that relate to the HSNO Act and the controls and regulations made under that Act.
Approved: December 2011
The purpose of this Code is to provide a means by which filling of cylinders by volume can be undertaken in situ from a road tank wagon utilising an ullage or contents gauge. This Code also provides a means for dissipating static electricity during in-situ fill operations under regulation 61(4)(a) of the Hazardous Substances (Classes 1 to 5 Controls) Regulations 2001. Information on regulation 58 for establishing and managing the hazardous atmosphere zones for in-situ filling is also included. Compliance with this Code does not obviate the requirement to comply with other sections of the HSNO.
This code of practice can be read in full here: HSNOCOP 38 In-situ filling of LPG cylinders
Approved: May 2010
The purpose of the code is to overcome the restriction of 2350 litres of flammable liquids that can be kept in a retail store without the need to comply with specified separation distances. Retailers have found it impossible to keep stocks below this figure in the new large format retail stores and typical stock levels can be up to about 10,000 litres.
This code can be purchased from New Zealand Retailers Association Incorporated: www.retail.org.nz
You can also view a hard copy of the Code at our office in Wellington.
This code is for people responsible for retail stores containing flammable liquids. These include paints, thinners and solvents. These requirements include, amongst other items, separation distances from the building to boundaries and other buildings. These separation distances are dependent upon the quantities of hazardous substances and the type of building construction.
The code allows stock levels of up to 10,000 litres providing the requirements of the code are met. These requirements are based on AS/NZS 3833:2007 “The storage and handling of mixed classes of dangerous goods, in packages and intermediate bulk containers”. The code also clarifies the quantities of various types of flammable liquids permitted, and the types of stores to which it applies.
This code or practice is approved under clause 33(1)(b) of the Hazardous Substances (Dangerous Goods and Scheduled Toxic Substances) Transfer Notice 2004 (as amended). It has been approved only in respect those matters in the document that relate to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act and the controls and regulations made under that Act.
Approved: June 2011
This code of practice provides compliance checking and validation of LPG facilities where cylinders with a total quantity between 100kg and 300kg of LPG are present at a hazardous substance location either in storage or connected for use. This code applies:
This is approved by ERMA New Zealand under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act 1996 as a means of compliance with the Hazardous Substances (Classes 1 to 5 Controls) Regulations 2001, as varied for LPG, propane, butane and isobutane in accordance with the Environmental Risk Management Authority Decision HRE090012. It provides a practical means to manage regulatory compliance with the aim of protecting the environment and the health and safety of people and communities by preventing or managing the adverse effects of LPG.
This code of practice can be read in full here: HSNOCOP50 LPG Compliance 100kg to 300kg.
Approved: November 2013
This code of practice is approved as a means of compliance for used oil with the Group Standards: Lubricants (Toxic) Group Standard 2006 – HSNO approval number HSR002607, and Lubricants (Combustible, Toxic) Group Standard 2006 – HSNO approval number HSR002608. It provides guidance to used oil generators, collectors, transporters, processors and end users and regulatory authorities on compliance with regulatory and statutory controls on used oil.
This code of practice can be read in full here: HSNOCOP 63 Management and Handling of Used Oil
Approved April 2015
The purpose of this approved code of practice is to provide a standard for the design and construction of re-usable portable containers for petrol, aviation gasoline and racing gasoline.
This code of practice can be read in full here: HSNOCOP 67 Portable containers for petrol complying with ASTM F852-08.
Information about labelling and safety data sheets code of practices can be found here.
A code of practice for retail fireworks can be found here.
Here are some HSNO code of practices held on the WorkSafe New Zealand's website.
The EPA Notices and the rules for hazardous substances.