November 1, 2001
As Guy Fawkes kicks off on Monday night, so does a campaign from Penrose to Pukekohe to inform small and medium sized businesses about new regulations for hazardous substances. The campaign includes a direct mail to small and medium sized businesses who deal with hazardous substances, radio advertising and advertisements in local community and suburban papers.
Across New Zealand, over 250,000 businesses deal with a whole range of hazardous substances, such as chemicals, resins, paints, inks, solvents, and cleaning agents; to food additives, aerosols and fragrances, pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers; and petroleum, fireworks and other explosives.
In July of this year the hazardous substances component of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act came into effect, with regulations about the importation, manufacture, transportation, use and disposal of hazardous substances. The Act also covers signage and packaging requirements as well as a range of enforcement and compliance measures.
ERMA New Zealand is offering a free seminar to small and medium sized businesses as an opportunity to talk face to face about the HSNO Act and the substances people deal with on a day-to-day basis. As well as ERMA New Zealand staff, Manukau City Council Hazardous Substances Officers and representatives from OSH will be there to talk about what they are looking for when they check a site to see that it is complaint.
If you would like to attend either the Thursday 22nd November seminar at 5.30, or the Friday 23rd November seminar at 12.00, please register by calling Claire on 09 262 5245 or email ckeighle@manukau.govt.nz. The seminars are free of charge, and will be held in the Manukau Room, Manukau City, 31 Wiri Station Rd, Manukau City.
- A 'hazardous substance' is something that is flammable, explosive, corrosive, toxic (harmful to people), eco toxic (harmful to the environment), or able to oxidise;
- The role of the Environmental Risk Management Authority is to evaluate what the risks of importing or manufacturing hazardous substances might be and - if they are significant - to decide how they can be avoided or controlled. ERMA New Zealand also has responsibility for overseeing the enforcement and compliance of regulations and controls set on hazardous substances under the HSNO Act.
For more information, please contact: Heidi McLeod, Public Awareness Advisor, ERMA New Zealand 04 918 4865.
For further information contact:
Heidi McLeod
Public Awareness Advisor
ERMA New Zealand
Ph: 04 918 4865