WHS Regulations · Schedule 11

AU placard and manifest quantity calculator

Find out if the site needs a manifest before the inspector does.

Enter each hazardous chemical by Schedule 11 item and quantity to see which placard and manifest thresholds the site exceeds, with regulations 347 to 350 applied.

Last updated 2026-09-28. Math runs in your browser, no data leaves your computer.

Enter the largest quantity of each hazardous chemical likely to be on site at one time, not the average. Take the GHS class and category from Section 2 of the SDS, because Schedule 11 is written in GHS terms rather than dangerous goods classes.

Clause 1 of Schedule 11 then counts the category 4 liquid as if it had the classification of the liquid in the compound with the lowest flash point.

Hazchem code decoder

Type one Emergency Action Code to read it, or several separated by commas to get the single code for a mixed load under the procedure in ADG Appendix C, paragraph C2.2. The code for each product is in the ADG Code itself, which this page does not reproduce.

Copy the codes from the emergency information panels or the dangerous goods list, since a single wrong letter changes the protective clothing call.

Before the booking, screen the name on the invoice. Shipment pre-check is on the paid plans, from USD 59 a month.

General guidance only. Verify against the cited primary sources before you commit to a shipment, declaration, or contract.

How the thresholds are tested

The 43 items and both quantity columns come from Table 11.1 in Schedule 11 of the model WHS Regulations, version of 5 December 2025, parsed straight from the Safe Work Australia PDF. Regulations 347 to 350 are triggered when a quantity exceeds the threshold, so the tool flags a total strictly above the column figure and shows a quantity exactly on it as not triggered.

Each item is tested alone, then each "any combination" item adds up its family. Where Table 11.1 writes a threshold as kilograms or litres, the tool adds kilograms and litres one for one, which is how the combined figures read. That is a reading of the table, not a rule stated in it, so check a close call with your regulator.

Safe Work Australia publishes the same table with the matching dangerous goods class for each row on its threshold quantities page, which helps when your records are kept by ADG class. Its item numbers differ from the regulations because aerosols sit near the top of that version, so quote the regulation item number in anything you send the regulator.

The Hazchem decoder works each letter from three facts stated in Appendix C: whether it warns of a violent reaction, whether it calls for liquid tight suits or breathing apparatus with fire kit, and whether spills are diluted or contained. For a mixed load it keeps the strictest of each, which the build script checked against every cell of the chart in paragraph C2.2.3.

Worked example. A solvent store that crossed the line

The booking. A Brisbane distributor keeps 200 L of a category 1 flammable liquid, 2,000 L of category 2 and 8,000 L of category 3 in one bund, plus 5,000 L of a category 4 liquid in the same bund. Each figure on its own sits under its manifest quantity of 500 L, 2,500 L and 10,000 L, so the site keeps placards up but has never written a manifest, which looks fine on paper.

The failure. Item 8 of Table 11.1 adds items 5 to 7 together, and 10,200 L is over its 10,000 L manifest quantity. The category 1 product also has the lowest flash point in the bund, so clause 1 counts the 5,000 L of category 4 as category 1, taking category 1 to 5,200 L against a 500 L manifest quantity. The site needed a manifest and a written notice to the regulator under regulations 347 and 348, so either the paperwork changes or the stock does.

The fix. The distributor moves the category 4 stock to its own bund and runs the numbers again. Category 1 falls back to 200 L, but the combined total for items 5 to 7 is still 10,200 L, so it prepares the manifest to Schedule 12, lodges notice with the regulator and puts an emergency plan in place under regulation 361.

Moving the same drums by road? The hazmat segregation checker reads ADG Code Table 9.1 for each pair of classes on the truck.

Frequently asked

What is the difference between placard and manifest quantities?

Both come from Schedule 11 of the model WHS Regulations. Going over the placard quantity (column 4) means outer warning placards at the site under regulation 349 and placards at the storage under regulation 350. Going over the manifest quantity (column 5), which is ten times higher or more, means a written manifest under regulation 347 and written notice to the WHS regulator under regulation 348.

How do I add up mixed hazardous chemicals for Schedule 11?

Each item is tested on its own first. Then the "any combination" items in Table 11.1 add up a family, for example items 5 to 7 for flammable liquids of categories 1 to 3, and compare the total with a combined threshold. The tool runs both tests and reports the one that triggers. Quantity follows regulation 5: kilograms for solids, litres of container capacity for liquids and water capacity in litres for gases.

When must the regulator be notified?

Regulation 348 requires written notice when a Schedule 11 chemical above its manifest quantity is, or is to be, used, handled or stored at the workplace. The notice is due immediately after you know it will first be stored, or at least 14 days before, whichever is earlier. It includes the business name and ABN, the activities involved and the manifest.

Does this apply in Victoria?

Safe Work Australia states that the model WHS laws have been implemented in all jurisdictions except Victoria, so a Victorian site works under its own dangerous goods rules. Other states made their own variations too, and Safe Work Australia notes that South Australia also runs a separate dangerous substances licensing scheme. Check with your state regulator before relying on these numbers.

What does a Hazchem code like 3YE mean?

It is the Emergency Action Code from Appendix C of the ADG Code. The number is the firefighting medium, the letter sets the protective clothing, the violent reaction warning and whether spills are diluted or contained, and a final E flags a possible public safety hazard beyond the scene. The decoder at the foot of the tool reads any code and combines several codes for a mixed load.

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Sourzi shows what official files say. It is not customs or legal advice. For a binding answer, ask a licensed customs broker, a CBP ruling or an Australian Border Force Tariff Advice.

File dates and links are on Data sources.