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Hazardous SubstancesThe enactment of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (HSNO) has made very significant changes to the ways in which companies are required to manage the chemicals they import, manufacture, use or sell. All new chemicals must now be approved by the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA). The approval process includes an assessment of the risk that the substance poses to the environment and human health. Existing substances are generally controlled by the transitional provisions of HSNO, which are essentially the same as previous controls under the Toxic Substances, Dangerous Goods, Explosives and Pesticides legislation. However as the substances are transferred to HSNO (over the next 1 to 3 years), then HSNO controls will be applied. Further information regarding HSNO and the transfer of substances is available on the ERMA web site: www.ermanz.govt.nz and the HSNO web site www.hsno.govt.nz. The complexity of the regulations means most companies need a little (or a lot of) help to understand the requirements and to work out the most efficient ways of complying. HaS Expertise have developed a number of tools to help companies – some of which are available free. These tools are summarised below, and more information can be found by visiting the corresponding page in the Hazardous Substances sub-menu.
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