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Decision tool – Work out your human health categorisation volume

This decision tool is related to step 4.3 of the process to categorise your chemical introduction.

Optional: If you’d like to save or print your completed decision tool for your own records, click on ‘Chemical identity’ before Question 1 and enter your chemical’s name or CAS number. Note that a copy of a completed decision tool is not sufficient to meet your record-keeping obligations. To save as a PDF, select the print option in your browser and choose ‘Save as PDF’ or ‘Microsoft Print to PDF’. For Safari users, click 'File' and 'Export to PDF'.

Who should use this?

This decision tool will help you work out your human health categorisation volume (HHCV). You might need to know your HHCV to work out the human health exposure band for your introduction. There are 1‐5 questions depending on your circumstances. This tool refers to the Industrial Chemicals Categorisation Guidelines.

See the full list of decision tools to help you categorise your introduction

Help us improve them by giving us your feedback.

What you might need to know

  • your chemical's introduction volume
  • if you have multiple end uses for your chemical
  • the end use(s) for your chemical in Australia

What is your chemical's name or CAS number? (optional)

Note: enter this information if you'd like to save a copy for your own records by using the print function in your browser. A completed decision tool is not sufficient to meet your record-keeping obligations. 

Enter the CAS number or chemical name

Question 1

Do you need help to work out your chemical's HHCV?

You should now complete Decision tool – Work out your human health exposure band.

There are 2 methods to work out your chemical's HHCV.

  • Method 1 (Simple) – The HHCV is the sum of all introduction volumes for all of your chemical's end uses in a registration year (1 September to 30 August).
  • Method 2 (Detailed) – This might result in an HHCV lower than the total introduction volume in a registration year. This could mean your introduction ends up in a lower human health exposure band (HHEB) than if you'd used the total introduction volume.

Question 2

Which method will you use to calculate the HHCV?

Make a note of your HHCV, then complete Decision tool – Work out your human health exposure band.

Question 3

Does your chemical have more than 1 end use?

Question 4

Do you know your chemical's introduction volume for each of its end uses?

Question 5

If the introduction volume for any of your chemical's end uses change, will you ensure your introduction's indicative human health risk doesn't increase?

Calculate your HHCV using the following equation.

HHCV = IV x ERF

IV is your chemical's total introduction volume.

ERF is the exposure reduction factor for your chemical's end use scenario. Choose the appropriate ERF from the following table. You can read more about ERFs in Part 2.1.3 of our Categorisation Guidelines.

End use scenario Exposure reduction factor
Chemical imported into Australia; import containers remain closed; then exported for end use overseas 0
Chemical imported into Australia; limited handling of the chemical (such that import containers are opened); then exported for end use overseas 0.05
Chemical manufactured in Australia; exported for end use overseas 0.05
Specified consumer products with end use in Australia 1
All other end uses in Australia 0.1

Make a note of your HHCV, then complete Decision tool – Work out your human health exposure band.

Calculate the HHCV for each of your chemical's end uses then add them together for your overall HHCV.

Calculate your HHCV using the following equation.

HHCV = IV x ERF

IV is your chemical's total introduction volume.

ERF is the exposure reduction factor for your chemical's end use scenario. Choose the appropriate ERF from the following table. You can read more about ERFs in Part 2.1.3 of our Categorisation Guidelines.

End use scenario Exposure reduction factor
Chemical imported into Australia; import containers remain closed; then exported for end use overseas 0
Chemical imported into Australia; limited handling of the chemical (such that import containers are opened); then exported for end use overseas 0.05
Chemical manufactured in Australia; exported for end use overseas 0.05
Specified consumer products with end use in Australia 1
All other end uses in Australia 0.1

Make a note of your HHCV, then complete Decision tool – Work out your human health exposure band.

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