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Specific information requirement (SIR) form guidance: SIR details known

Read this guide if you have worked out that you must submit the SIR form – SIR details known.

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What you must know before starting the SIR form

  • You must know one of the following:
    • The file number/assessment identifier number for the NICNAS report (example STD/123) and the title of the assessment report.
    • The chemical’s CAS number, CAS name, IUPAC name, AICIS approved chemical name (AACN) or an eligible INCI plant extract name.
    • The name and contact details of the person or business who you believe on reasonable grounds would give us information that identifies the chemical if we asked for it, such as the CAS number (if assigned), CAS name or IUPAC name. Contact details include person’s contact email address (preferred), phone or business address.

The form includes these sections: 

  • Chemical identity/assessment details: information that will let us know which chemical you are submitting the form about. 
  • Reason for submission: we’ll ask questions about use and function, hazard, manufacturing/importation, volume, or if you have information about any adverse effects of the chemical. 
  • Flag information you provide as being confidential (optional) and declaration.

Where to find the SIR form

  1. Log in to AICIS Business Services with your username and password – new users can sign up for free.  
  1. Navigate to the SIR dashboard using the SIR quick link in the top navigation banner or click the link in the ‘Information Provision’ tile on your dashboard.  
  1. Create a new ‘Specific Information Requirement’ for the form called ‘SIR details known.’
     

Participants

Business contact: select a business contact from the drop-down menu.

Submission contact: the submission contact is the person you nominate for AICIS to contact regarding this SIR record. This could be someone from your business or an agent.

Select From my business (select from drop down menu) or Nominating an agent (if you are nominating an agent, you can search for them using their NIC ID).

Type of specific information requirement (SIR) submission: select SIR details known (excluding chemicals assessed as a PLC) from the drop-down menu.

Questions on chemical identity

What is the name of the industrial chemical that will be manufactured or imported (introduced) into Australia?

Enter the name of your chemical in the free text box, for example:

  • The name that you use when you refer to the chemical.
  • The chemical name given to you by your supplier or manufacturer.

Do you know the assessment identifier that relates to the chemical?

For example, STD/123, LTD_123, PEC123.

Tip: Look for identifier on the cover page of the assessment report, in the top right corner or footer. It may display as a 'File no.’

Select Yes if you know the assessment identifier that relates to the chemical that you are providing information about.

You’ll be prompted to provide the assessment identifier (prefix and number) and the title of the assessment report. 

  1. Select the assessment identifier 'prefix' from the picklist: STD, LTD, PEC, NA, EVA, EX, CA.  
    For example, if the assessment identifier is STD/123, select ‘STD’.
  2. Enter the assessment identifier number in the free text box.  
    For example, if the assessment identifier is STD/123, enter '123’.
  3. Enter the title of the assessment that corresponds to the assessment identifier you provided. For example, if the assessment identifier is STD/123, provide the title of this assessment report. The assessment title can be found on the cover page of the assessment report and may be a chemical name, trade name or other identifier (e.g. chemical A in product XYZ).

Enter these details and click ‘save’. A message will appear: “Participants created successfully”.

Next: Skip to Reason for submission

Select No if you don’t know the assessment identifier for the chemical that you are providing information about.

You’ll be prompted to answer these questions about the chemical identity.

You must provide one of the following:

  • the chemical’s CAS number (if one is assigned)
  • the chemical’s CAS name, IUPAC name, AICIS-approved chemical name (AACN) or eligible INCI plant extract name.
  • The name and contact details of the person or business who you believe on reasonable grounds would give us information that identifies the chemical, such as the CAS number (if assigned), CAS name or IUPAC name. Contact details include person’s contact email address (preferred), phone or business address.

Do you know the chemical identity details?

Important! Eligible INCI plant extract name

Important! Eligible INCI plant extract name

The INCI name for an industrial chemical is an eligible INCI plant extract name if:

  • the industrial chemical is a plant extract that has not intentionally undergone any chemical processes, or treatments, to change its chemical structure, and
  • the INCI name is based on a botanical name for the relevant plant.

Examples of plant extracts

Extracts of flowers, seeds or leaves of trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses, ferns and mosses.

Examples of changes to the chemical structure: definition not met

Where the chemical has been intentionally:

  • hydrolysed
  • acetylated
  • hydrogenated.

Content continued

If you know the chemical identity details

Select Yes, I know the chemical identity details if you know the CAS number, CAS name, IUPAC name, AACN or eligible INCI plant extract name for the chemical that you are providing information about.

Click ‘save’. A message will appear: “Participants created successfully”.

Next: Chemical Identity

You can use the chemical lookup field for the CAS number, or manually enter the CAS name, IUPAC name, AACN or eligible INCI plant extract name.

Enter these details and click ‘save’. A message will appear: “SIR form saved successfully”.

Next: Skip to Reason for submission

If you don’t know the chemical identity details

Select No if you don’t know the chemical identity, but somebody else can provide the information.

You’ll be prompted to enter the name and contact details of the person or business that you believe, on reasonable grounds, would provide the chemical identity, if we ask for it.

Enter these details and click ‘save’. A message will appear: “Participants created successfully”.

Reason for submission

Tip: If a question does not apply to information you are providing, you’ll be able to indicate this and continue to the next question.

Questions on use or function

Do you need to provide information about the use or function of the chemical?

See our SIR guidance for more information about what makes a ‘significant’ change in use or function of your chemical.

Select Yes if the use or function (including end use, maximum concentration at introduction or end use and who the chemical will be made available to) of the chemical is different to the use or function described in the assessment.

You will then be guided through a series of questions about use and function.

Select No if the chemical will have the same use and function as described in the assessment.

Next: Skip to ‘volume’ questions

Questions on use and function

Which category best describes how the chemical will be used?

Select all that apply from the picklist of uses. You can choose more than one (to do this, press and hold the CTRL key).

Chemical category

Adhesive and sealant products means an end use to fasten other materials together or stop the passage of liquid or gas. Examples include:

  • glues 
  • binders
  • adhesives
  • pastes
  • sealants
  • fillers
  • putties
  • solder and caulking compounds
  • spray foam insulation 

Apparel and footwear care products means an end use to care for apparel and footwear products intended for consumer and commercial use. Examples include:

  • footwear polishes
  • waxes and stains to waterproof and improve appearance and other desirable properties
  • apparel surface treatment products for water, stain or flame resistance

Arts, crafts and hobby products means an end use in arts, crafts or hobbies. Examples include:

  • crafting paints
  • crafting glue
  • adhesives (e.g. solder and hot-melt adhesives)
  • fixatives
  • finishing spray coatings and modelling clay

Explosive products means an end use for producing a sudden expansion, usually accompanied by production of heat and large changes in pressure. Examples include:

  • pyrotechnics
  • high explosives and propellants
  • igniters
  • primers
  • initiatory
  • illuminants
  • smoke and decoy flares
  • incendiaries

Fuel, oil, fuel oil additives and related products means an end use as:

  • liquid fuel in containers used for cooking, heating or for power in vehicles or appliances, or
  • a fuel additive to inhibit corrosion, provide lubrication, increase efficiency of use, or decrease production of undesirable by-products.

Examples of liquid fuels include:

  • gasoline
  • diesel fuels
  • kerosene
  • lamp oils

Examples of fuel oil additives include:

  • stabilisers
  • anti-knock agents
  • corrosion inhibitors
  • detergents
  • fuel dyes
  • oxygenates
  • antioxidants
  • odour agents

Lubricant and grease products means an end use in a liquid, paste or spray to reduce friction, heat generation and wear between solid surfaces. Examples include:

  • engine oils
  • transmission, brake and hydraulic fluids
  • gear oils
  • calcium, sodium, lithium, and silicone-based greases

Personal care products – limited environmental release means an end use in solid or hardening personal care products (including cosmetics) that are primarily disposed of to landfill. Examples include:

  • baby wipes
  • facial tissues
  • nail care products including nail polish and remover

Tattoo ink products means an end use in a combination of industrial chemicals that contains one or more colouring agents and is applied to the dermal layer of the skin for the purposes of colouring the skin. Examples include:

  • pigments
  • dyes
  • resins

Paint and coating products means an end use to paint or coat substrates intended for consumer or commercial use. Examples include: 

  • decorative coatings 
  • automotive coatings
  • transportation coatings
  • wood finishes
  • powder coatings
  • coil coatings
  • packaging finishes
  • general industrial coatings
  • automotive refinish
  • industrial maintenance and protective coatings
  • marine coatings
  • thinners
  • removers

Plastic and polymer products means an end use in production of plastics or polymers. Examples include:

  • monomers
  • initiators
  • additives

Construction products not covered by other end uses means an end use in construction materials, except where another scenario covers the end use. Examples include:

  • additives in cements and dry mortar
  • additives to bitumen for road repair
  • internal release agents for thermo-set laminating resins
  • resins in particle board manufacture
  • wood substitutes used to make mouldings
  • resins used in the production of composite materials

Fabric, textile and leather products not covered by other end uses means an end use to impart colour and other desirable properties onto fabric, textiles, and leather products that are intended for consumer or commercial use.

These properties include:

  • water/soil/stain repellence
  • wrinkle resistance
  • flame resistance

Examples of this type of product include:

  • textile dyes
  • textile finishing agents
  • leather tanning products
  • leather dyes
  • leather finishing agents, leather conditioner and surface treatment products

Electronic products means an end use in the production of electronic components. Examples include:

  • chemicals in vapour deposition
  • electroless plating
  • electroplating
  • etching
  • high vacuum evaporation/sputtering
  • laminate processing
  • soldering
  • photolithography

Ink, toner and colourant products means an end use for:

  • writing
  • printing
  • creating an image on paper and other substrates
  • applying to substrates to change their colour or hide images

Examples of this type of product include:

  • pigmented liquid
  • toners or powders used in copy machines and toner/printer cartridges
  • inks used in writing equipment
  • inks for stamps and correction fluids and tapes

This category does not include pigments and colourants added to paints and coatings.

Air care products means an end use to odorise or deodorise indoor air in homes, offices, motor vehicles, and enclosed spaces and intended for consumer or commercial use. Examples include:

  • aerosol sprays
  • liquid/solid/gel diffusers
  • air fresheners
  • scented candles
  • incense

Anti-freeze and de-icing products means an end use:

  • as an additive to fluids, especially water, to reduce the freezing point of the mixture, or
  • applied to surfaces to melt or prevent build-up of ice

Examples of this type of product include:

  • anti-freeze liquids
  • de-icing liquids (windshield de-icers, aircraft de-icers)
  • de-icing solids (ice melting crystals)
  • lock de-icers

Automotive care products means an end use (intended for consumer or commercial use) to clean and care for exterior and interior surfaces of automotive vehicles. Examples include:

  • car waxes
  • polishes
  • waterproofing products for windshield or automotive window glass
  • cleaners
  • sealers
  • car wash solutions
  • vinyl/rubber/plastic protectants
  • automotive carpet and upholstery cleaners
  • wheel and tyre care products
  • exterior trim protectants
  • touch-up paint products

Cleaning and furniture care products means an end use (intended for consumer or commercial use) to:

  • remove dirt, grease, stains, and foreign matter from furniture and furnishings
  • cleanse, sanitise, bleach, scour, polish, protect, or improve the appearance of surfaces

Examples include:

  • cleaners used on glass, floors, tub and tile, ovens and drains
  • scouring powders
  • dusting products
  • waxes
  • polishes
  • stain repellent sprays

Laundry and dishwashing products means an end use in liquid, granular, gel or unit dose packets/tablets to:

  • remove food residue from dishes
  • remove dirt from textiles
  • enhance properties of textiles
  • remove stains from textiles

Examples include:

  • dishwashing detergents and laundry detergents
  • stain removers and fabric enhancers
  • bleach
  • rinse aids
  • lime and rust removers
  • dry cleaning products used in non-aqueous cleaning processes

Extractive products not covered by other end uses means an end use in:

  • mining
  • onshore drilling
  • related activities such as extraction, cementing, hydraulic fracturing, refining

These scenarios do not include end use in offshore drilling. This end use is a designated kind of release into the environment (for which you do not calculate an ECV).

Paper products means an end use in paper production. Examples include:

  • effluent treatment chemicals
  • maintenance chemicals
  • deposit and cleaning agents
  • defoamers
  • surfactants
  • polymeric retention aids
  • coagulants
  • clay
  • resins

Personal care products not covered by other end uses means an end use for cosmetic use, except those covered under the “personal care products - limited environmental release end use” scenario. Examples include:

  • bath and shower products
  • make-up products
  • hair, oral and skin care products
  • secondary sunscreen products
  • deodorants
  • perfumes

Photographic products means an end use (for consumer or commercial use) to take photographic images, develop and process film, and make photographic prints. Examples include:

  • processing solutions (for developing, stopping, and fixing photos)
  • chemicals used in the manufacture or processing of film or photographic paper

Water treatment products means an end use to treat water in cooling and heating systems (including industrial heat-exchanger systems) and potable water supplies. Examples include:

  • chemicals used in pH buffers
  • scale and corrosion inhibitors
  • flocculating agents
  • ion exchange resins

This scenario does not include end uses to treat municipal water supplies or other large-scale water supplies for human or animal consumption or irrigation. These end uses involve a designated kind of release into the environment.

Content continued 2

Who will the chemical (and products containing the chemical) be sold or made available to?

Select one of the following:

  • both industry and the public
  • industry only
  • public only (for example, it is sold in consumer products only)
  • research and development only (i.e. will not be made available to the public or for industrial use)

What are the chemical's end uses? If known to you, also provide details of the function of the chemical.

Provide details of the chemical’s end uses in the free text box. For example, hair conditioner.

If known to you, also provide details of the function of the chemical. For example, catalyst, stabiliser, binder, antioxidant.

Tip: An ‘end use’ for an industrial chemical means a purpose to which the industrial chemical can be applied.

Do you need to provide information about the maximum concentration of the chemical (at introduction or at end use)?

Tip: You don’t need to actively source concentration information of the chemical, but consider providing the information if you know it.

Select Yes if you know that the chemical is or will be used at a concentration higher than the concentration it was assessed at AND this is likely to increase the risk to human health or the environment. This will depend on the hazards or uses of the chemical, such as if the public will be exposed to it.

You’ll be prompted to enter the maximum concentration (%) of the chemical at introduction and/or in end use products (as applicable), in the free text box.

Example – if you’re importing a chemical at 100% concentration then reformulating into multiple products enter “100% import concentration, reformulated to 5% in laundry and dishwashing products and 1% in personal care products”.

Select No if you don’t need to provide information on concentration.

Select I don’t know concentration information if you don’t know the concentration of your chemical at introduction or end use or if you don’t know the concentration that it was assessed at in our original assessment.
 

Questions on volume

Do you need to provide information about the volume of chemical being introduced into Australia?

Select Yes if the chemical is or will be introduced at a volume that is significantly greater than that stated in the assessment. Typically, a 10-fold increase in volume would be a significant increase. If less than a 10-fold increase, consider if the increase could indicate an increased risk for a chemical introduction, based on what you know about the chemical and the exposure scenario. For example, chemicals that are classified as hazardous to the environment and that will be released to the environment.

You will then be prompted to answer more questions about the introduction volume of the chemical.

Select No if you don’t need to provide information on volume.

Next: Skip to manufacturing questions

How many kilograms of the chemical per year will the introducer import or manufacture on average over the next 5 years?

Select the average annual introduction volume over the next 5 years using the picklist, or nominate the person who knows this information:

  • 0–10 kg
  • 11–100 kg
  • 101–1000 kg
  • 1001–10000 kg
  • More than 10,000 kg
     
  • No, but I nominated a person earlier as knowing the chemical identity, this person also knows the volume information – use this option if the person you nominated earlier to provide the chemical identity information can also provide information about the volume that will be introduced over the next 5 years.
  • No, but another person I nominate knows this information – use this option if you wish to nominate somebody else that can provide information about the volume that will be introduced over the next 5 years. Enter the person’s full name or a business name in the free text box. Then enter contact information, providing as much detail as possible, including the email address, phone or business address.

Questions on manufacturing

Do you need to provide information because the chemical has begun to be manufactured in Australia (and at the time of assessment, the chemical was not manufactured or proposed to be manufactured in Australia)?

Select Yes, manufacture in Australia AND import if you will both import the chemical into Australia and manufacture the chemical in Australia, and the original assessment was for import only. 

Select Yes, manufacture in Australia if you will manufacture the chemical in Australia, and the original assessment was for import only. 

Select No if you will manufacture the chemical in Australia and the original assessment included manufacture 

Select No if you will import the chemical into Australia and the original assessment was for import only. This includes circumstances where a chemical is imported into Australia and then reformulated into end use products. 

Do you need to provide information because the chemical is manufactured in Australia and the method of manufacture of the chemical has changed, or is likely to change, in a way that may result in an increased risk of an adverse effect of the chemical on occupational health and safety, public health or the environment?

Examples of when you need to tell us about manufacturing changes

– changing from a closed process to an open system
– using different raw materials
– using different processing conditions
– increasing the number of workers required to deal with the chemical
– changing the method of waste disposal

Select Yes if the method of manufacture has changed, or is likely to change, in a way that may result in an increased risk of an adverse effect of the chemical on occupational health and safety, public health or the environment. 

You’ll then be prompted to provide details about how the manufacturing method has changed in the free text box. 

Select No if you don’t need to provide information about manufacturing changes. 

For example, the chemical is not being manufactured in Australia, or the method of manufacture has not changed compared to that described in the assessment. 

Questions on hazards

Do you need to provide information about adverse effects of the chemical?

Tip: This may include additional human health or environment hazard classifications that you know apply to the chemical.

Examples of new information on adverse effects

– The chemical was assessed as a skin irritant in the original assessment, but you have new information that the chemical is also a skin sensitiser.
– You have new information indicating that the chemical may be a carcinogen.

Select Yes if you have additional information about an adverse effect of the chemical on occupational health and safety, public health or the environment, that was not part of the assessment.

You’ll then be prompted to enter the information in the free text box. You may also upload supporting information at the end of the form.

Select No if you are not aware of any new information on the adverse effect of the chemical on occupational health and safety, public health or the environment, that was not part of the assessment.

Questions about other SIR circumstances

Do you need to provide any other information about the introduction of the chemical?

For example, if the specific information requirement includes other circumstances (i.e. circumstances not covered above) that you need to provide information regarding your introduction.

Select Yes if you need to provide other information about your chemical introduction. You can then specify the information in the free text box. You may also upload supporting information at the end of the form.

Select No if the specific information requirement does not include other circumstances, or if you don’t need to provide information about other circumstances.

Enter these details and click ‘save’. A message will appear: “SIR form saved successfully”.

Declaration

Finally, you need to tell us whether any of the information that you’re giving us in the form should be treated as confidential or commercially sensitive.

Are you flagging any information as confidential?

Select Yes if you are flagging any information as confidential. You’ll need to specify the information that you are flagging for protection in the free text box.

If we need to publish your flagged information, we’ll send you a section 113 (Industrial Chemicals Act 2019) notice. This gives you the opportunity to formally apply to protect the information as CBI.

Select No if you are not flagging any information about your introduction as confidential.

You cannot ask us to treat your information as confidential after submitting the SIR form. Learn more about flagging information as confidential and section 113 notices.

Complete the declaration by selecting the box next to ‘I declare that the information I have given is true, correct and complete. Giving false or misleading information is a serious offence.’

Submit

Click ‘Submit SIR’ or you can save the form as a draft and return later to submit.

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