Purchasing Materials and Substances
WHS Purchasing
To ensure that the university is not 'buying in' new hazards which may pose risk to staff, students and visitors, there maybe special WHS considerations to take into account when buying new equipment or substances.
The WHS Purchasing Guidelines [pdf-133kb] includes:
- using a risk assessment approach
- purchasing procedures
- examples of WHS specifications and control measures
Australian Standards Online
Some of the commonly used Australian Standards are listed below, however if you do not find the Standard you are looking for Australian Standards online has a comprehensive database of all the current Australian Standards.
Examples of WHS Specifications
WHS specifications have been categorised into the following three areas;
Note: The following list is compiled to provide examples of specifications to be considered when purchase goods and materials. This is not a comprehensive list, therefore efforts should be made to determine those specifications required for the items being purchased and forwarded to the supplier prior to purchase.
Personal Protective Equipment
- Clothing
AS4602 - High visibility safety garments
AS4399 - Sun protective clothing - Evaluation and classification
AS4453 - Protective clothing for users of hand-held chainsaws - Test rig for testing resistance to cutting by a chainsaw
AS6529 - Protective clothing - Protection against chemicals - Determination of resistance of protective clothing materials to permeation by liquids and gases
AS4503 - Protective clothing - Protection against liquid chemicals - Test method: Resistance of materials to permeation by liquids
AS2375 - Guide to the selection, care and use of clothing for protection against heat and fire
AS4501 - Occupational protective clothing - General requirements
DINEN343 - Protective clothing - Protection against rain
- Eye Protection
AS1337 - Eye protectors for industrial applications
AS1337.0(Int) - Personal eye protection - Eye and face protectors - Vocabulary
AS1337.4 - Personal eye-protection - Filters and eye-protectors against laser radiation (laser eye-protectors)
AS1337.5 - Personal eye-protection - Eye-protectors for adjustment work on lasers and laser systems (laser adjustment eye-protectors)
AS1337.6 - Personal eye protection - Prescription eye protectors against low and medium impact
AS1067 - Sunglasses and fashion spectacles
AS1609 - Eye protectors for motor cyclists and racing car drivers
AS4066 - Eye protectors for racquet sports
AS1338.1 - Filters for eye protectors - Filters for protection against radiation generated in welding and allied operations
AS1338.2 - Filters for eye protectors - Filters for protection against ultraviolet radiation
AS1338.3 - Filters for eye protectors - Filters for protection against infra-red radiation
- Footwear
AS2210 - Occupational protective footwear Specification, use and maintenance Gloves
AS2161 - Occupational protective gloves - Selection, use and maintenance
AS2225 - Insulating gloves for electrical purposes
AS4179 - Single-use sterile surgical rubber gloves Specification
AS4011 - Single-use examination gloves Specification
AS2161 - Occupational protective gloves - Protection against thermal risks (heat and fire)
AS2161 - Occupational protective gloves - Protection against cold
AS2161 - Occupational protective gloves - Protection against ionizing radiation and radioactive contamination- Headwear
AS1800 - Occupational protective helmets - Selection, care and use
AS1698 - Protective helmets for vehicle users
AS1801 - Occupational protective helmets
AS2063 - Pedal cycle helmets
AS4499 - Protective headgear for cricket Helmets
AS3838 - Helmets for horse riding and horse-related activities - Hearing Protection
AS1270 - Acoustics - Hearing protectors
AS1269.3 Occupational noise management - Hearing protector program - Respirators
AS1716 - Respiratory protective devices
AS1715 - Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective devices
Hazardous Substances and Dangerous Goods
- Carcinogenic Substance
Workcover Carcinogenic Substances Notification Form As per Hazardous Substances
Miscellaneous Hazardous Substances and Dangerous Goods
First time use: Receipt of Material Safety Data Sheet if supplier’s SDS not on Chem Alert. The relevant SDS should be sourced by the user and an electronic copy sent to the WHS Unit for addition to the hazardous substances register on Chem Alert; Hazardous substance risk assessment for the use of the substance outlining storage, training, and control measures required as directed by the SDS. Repeated use for same application: Storage, training, and control measures as documented by previous risk assessment.
More information: Working With Hazardous Substances Guidelines
Dangerous Goods Guidelines
Radioactive Sources
License to use.
SDS and risk assessment as per Radiation Guidelines.
- Sharps Containers
AS4261 - Reusable containers for the collection of sharp items used in human and animal medical applications
AS4031 - Non-reusable containers for the collection of sharp items used in human and animal medical applications
Plant and Equipment
- Audio/Visual Equipment
AS60065 - Audio, visual and similar electronic apparatus Safety requirements
- Backflow Prevention Devices
AS2845 - Water supply - Backflow prevention devices - Materials, design and performance requirements
- Biosafety Cabinets
AS2647 - Biological Safety Cabinets - Installation and use
AS2252 - Biological safety cabinets - Biological safety cabinets (Class I) for personnel and environment protection
AS2252 - Biological safety cabinets - Laminar flow biological safety cabinets (Class II) for personnel, environment and product protection
- Chainsaws, Brush Cutters and Grass Trimmers
AS3575 - Chainsaws, brush cutters and grass trimmers Safety requirements
- Electrical Protection Devices
AS3190 - Approval and test specification - Residual current devices (current-operated earth-leakage devices)
- Fall Protection
AS1891 - Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices Safety belts and harnesses
AS1891 - Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices Selection, use and maintenance
AS4488 - Industrial rope access systems Selection, use and maintenance
- Fire Equipment
AS1841 - Portable fire extinguishers - Specific requirements for carbon dioxide type extinguishers
AS1221 - Fire hose reels
AS12239 - Fire detection and alarm systems - Smoke alarms
AS1603 - Automatic fire detection and alarm systems - Heat detectors
AS1670 - Fire detection, warning, control and intercom systems - System design, installation and commissioning
AS1851 - Maintenance of fire protection systems and equipment
AS2118 - Automatic fire sprinkler systems - General systems
AS2941 - Fixed fire protection installations - Pumpset systems
AS2419 - Fire hydrant installations - System design, installation and commissioning
AS2293 - Emergency escape lighting and exit signs for buildings - System design, installation and operation
AS3504 - Fire blankets
AS2444 - Portable fire extinguishers and fire blankets - Selection and location
- Fixed Platforms, Walkways, Stairways and Ladders
AS1657 - Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders Design, construction and installation
- Fume Cupboards
AS2243 - Safety in Laboratories Fume cupboards
- Hand Held Tools
AS60745 - Hand-held motor-operated electric tools - Safety - General requirements
- Ladders
AS1892 - Portable ladders Selection, safe use and care
- Lasers
AS2211 - Laser safety
- Lifts
AS1735 - Lifts, escalators and moving walks - General requirements
- Machinery
AS4024 - safeguarding of machinery general principals
- Medical Equipment
AS3200 - Medical electrical equipment General requirements for safety Parent Standard
AS3551 - Technical Management Programs for Medical Devices
- Office Furniture and Workstations
AS3813 - Plastic monobloc chairs
AS4438 - height adjustable swivel chairs
AS4688.1- Furniture Fixed height swivel chairs Ergonomic and general requirements
AS3590 - Screen based workstations
AS4442 - Office desks
AS4443 - Office panel systems Workstations
- Pressure Gauges and Regulators
AS4267 - Pressure regulators for use with industrial compressed gas cylinders
AS4706 - Pressure gauges for regulators used with compressed gas cylinders
- Pressure Vessels
AS1210 - Pressure vessels
AS2030 - The verification, filling, inspection, testing and maintenance of cylinders for storage and transport of compressed gases - Cylinders for compressed gases other than acetylene
- Radioactive Apparatus
Radiation Control Regulation 2003; License to use
Code of practice for protection against ionizing radiation emitted from X-ray analysis equipment
AS2243 - Safety in laboratories - Ionizing radiations
- Slings
AS1353 - Flat synthetic-webbing slings - Product specification
AS1380 - Fibre-rope slings - Product specification
Need more information? Please call the WH&S Unit on extension 3931.
WHS Legislation
The UOW session Work Health and Safety Awareness 2012 will assist you to understand changes to NSW Health and Safety Laws.


