Decision tools to help you categorise your chemical importation or manufacture
These decision tools are designed help you categorise your chemical importation or manufacture (introduction) when used in conjunction with our Categorisation Guidelines.
We want to make these tools useful for you. Help us improve them by giving us your feedback.
How do these work?
These are self-guided tools that you can use as you work through the steps towards categorising your introduction as either exempted, reported or assessed. You can use some or all of these tools – it’s up to you – but we recommend that you start from step 1. You may not need to complete them all to reach an outcome.
Depending on your answers, they’ll tell you to complete another tool or give you an outcome, or both. You’ll need to refer to the Categorisation Guidelines and General Rules to help you answer some of the questions.
Before you start
Have you checked whether your chemical is on our Inventory? If your chemical is on our Inventory and your introduction meets any terms of the Inventory listing, your introduction is categorised as a ‘listed’ introduction.
Decision tools to help you categorise your chemical introduction
Step 1: Introductions that cannot be exempted or reported
- Decision tool – Work out if your introduction cannot be exempted or reported [We're currently updating this decision tool and it will be back online soon]
Step 2: Introductions that are categorised as exempted
- Decision tool – Work out if your introduction is categorised as exempted
- Decision tool – Work out if your polymer is a Polymer of Low Concern (PLC)
Step 3: Introductions that are categorised as reported
We are updating this decision tool - it will be available soon.
Step 4: Work out the human health risk of your introduction
Step 4.1: Introductions that are always medium to high risk for human health
Step 4.2: Introductions that can be low risk for human health
Step 4.3: Work out your human health exposure band
- Decision tool – Work out your human health categorisation volume
- Decision tool – Work out your human health exposure band
Step 4.4 and 4.5: Work out your human health hazard characteristics
- Decision tool – Hazard characteristics for human health exposure band 1: use this tool if your introduction is in human health exposure band 1.
- Decision tool – Hazard characteristics for human health exposure band 2: use this tool if your introduction is in human health exposure band 2.
- Decision tool – Hazard characteristics for human health exposure band 3: use this tool if your introduction is in human health exposure band 3.
- Decision tool – Hazard characteristics for human health exposure band 4: use this tool if your introduction is in human health exposure band 4.
Step 5: Work out the environment risk of your introduction
Step 5.1: Introductions that are always medium to high risk to the environment
Step 5.2: Introductions that can be low risk to the environment
Step 5.3: Work out your environment exposure band
- Decision tool – Work out your environment categorisation volume
- Decision tool – Work out your environment exposure band
Step 5.4 and 5.5: Work out your environment hazard characteristics
- Decision tool – Hazard characteristics for environment exposure band 1: use this tool if your introduction is in environment exposure band 1
- Decision tool – Hazard characteristics for environment exposure band 2: use this tool if your introduction is in environment exposure band 2.
- Decision tool – Hazard characteristics for environment exposure band 3: use this tool if your introduction is in environment exposure band 3.
- Decision tool – Hazard characteristics for environment exposure band 4: use this tool if your introduction is in environment exposure band 4.
Step 6: Complete your categorisation