Dangerous goods signs in Australia: HAZCHEM, ADG code, and compliance

Dangerous goods signage is one of the most regulated areas of workplace and transport safety in Australia. If your business stores, handles, or transports substances classified under the Australian Dangerous Goods (ADG) Code, specific signs are not optional — they are a legal requirement under Commonwealth and state transport regulations, as well as state WHS legislation.

Getting it wrong carries serious consequences: regulatory penalties, transport licence suspension, and in the event of an incident, significant liability exposure.

What the ADG Code classifies

The Australian Dangerous Goods Code is the primary reference for classifying hazardous materials for transport. It divides dangerous goods into nine classes:

Class 1: Explosives
Class 2: Gases (flammable, non-flammable, toxic)
Class 3: Flammable liquids
Class 4: Flammable solids, spontaneously combustible, water-reactive
Class 5: Oxidising substances and organic peroxides
Class 6: Toxic and infectious substances
Class 7: Radioactive material
Class 8: Corrosive substances
Class 9: Miscellaneous dangerous goods

Each class has a specific diamond-shaped placard with a standardised symbol and colour. These are the dangerous goods signs you see on the sides of tanker trucks and chemical delivery vehicles.

HAZCHEM placards

HAZCHEM (Hazardous Chemical) placards provide emergency services with the critical information they need to respond to a dangerous goods incident. They appear on vehicles transporting dangerous goods in reportable quantities and on fixed storage facilities.

A HAZCHEM placard displays:

The UN number of the substance (a four-digit identifier)
The emergency action code (a letter-number combination indicating the appropriate firefighting and protective equipment response)
The dangerous goods class diamond
An emergency contact phone number

The thresholds that trigger HAZCHEM placard requirements for fixed storage depend on the substance class and quantity. The relevant thresholds are set out in state dangerous goods regulations — in NSW, this is administered under the Work Health and Safety (Dangerous Goods) Regulations.

Signage requirements for dangerous goods storage areas

Beyond vehicle placards, dangerous goods storage facilities require specific entry and area signs:

ADG class placard on each storage area or cabinet identifying the class of goods stored
No smoking and no ignition source signs for flammable liquid storage
No naked flames for LPG and gas storage
Emergency contact information displayed at the entry to the storage area
Maximum storage quantity signage where required by regulation
Mandatory PPE signs at the entry to storage areas requiring PPE

For businesses storing multiple dangerous goods classes, each class must be signed separately, and incompatible goods must be segregated in accordance with the ADG Code's segregation requirements — with the signage to match each segregated area.

Transport vs storage — different rules

The signage requirements for transporting dangerous goods are set by the ADG Code (a Commonwealth framework). The requirements for storing dangerous goods are set by state WHS regulations. Both may apply to your operation.

If you transport and store the same substances, you need to ensure compliance with both frameworks simultaneously. Your transport vehicle may need placards that your storage facility does not require (because the transport quantity exceeds a threshold not triggered by the storage volume), or vice versa.

The most common dangerous goods signage failures

From a compliance perspective, the most common failures are:

Missing or incorrect UN numbers on HAZCHEM placards (outdated or incorrectly identified substance)
No class identification on storage cabinets or areas
Incompatible goods stored together without segregation signage
No emergency contact number on storage area signage
Faded or illegible placards on vehicles or fixed installations

Each of these failures is a specific breach of the relevant regulation and will be identified in a WorkCover or transport authority inspection.

Frequently asked questions

Does the ADG Code apply to small quantities? The ADG Code applies to the transport of dangerous goods in quantities at or above the relevant reportable quantity for each substance. Many businesses are surprised to find that quantities as small as a few litres or kilograms of certain substances trigger compliance requirements. Check the ADG Code or your state regulator's guidance for the specific threshold for your substance.

What is a Manifest and does it affect our signs? A Dangerous Goods Manifest is required when a facility stores dangerous goods above prescribed quantities. The Manifest must be kept at the site and made available to emergency services. The requirement to hold a Manifest also triggers specific external signage requirements (including site identification and emergency contact) that must be displayed at the principal entry.

Who enforces dangerous goods signage? Compliance is enforced by multiple agencies depending on the context: WorkCover / SafeWork in NSW for workplace storage, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator for road transport, and state fire services which have inspection powers over storage facilities.

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