Chemical spill report template: base template and example

When a chemical spill needs reporting

• Safe Work Australia's notification handbook lists an uncontrolled escape, spillage or leakage of a substance as a dangerous incident. If a spill exposes someone to a serious risk, it must be notified to your WHS regulator immediately.
• A spill can also need reporting to your environment regulator. In Victoria, EPA Victoria says a spill that causes or could cause material harm must be notified as soon as practicable, even if it's contained on your site.
• Other states and territories have their own duty to notify pollution incidents, and the rules vary. See what applies in each state below, and check both your WHS and environment regulators.

Did someone get hurt? Also fill in the free incident report template.

Spill reporting in your state

A spill can need reporting to two regulators: your WHS regulator if someone was exposed to a serious risk, and your environment regulator if it could cause pollution. We're not a regulator, so check both:

• New South Wales: pollution incidents that cause or threaten material harm must be notified immediately under section 148 of the POEO Act. See NSW EPA's duty to notify pollution incidents

• New South Wales: for WHS notification, see SafeWork NSW's incident notification page

• Victoria: a leak, spill or escape that causes or is likely to cause material harm, including clean-up costs of $10,000 or more, must be notified to EPA Victoria as soon as practicable. See EPA Victoria's duty to notify page

• Victoria: for WHS notification, see WorkSafe Victoria's report an incident page

• Queensland: WorkSafe Queensland

• South Australia: SafeWork SA

• Western Australia: WorkSafe WA

• Tasmania: WorkSafe Tasmania

• Northern Territory: NT WorkSafe

• Australian Capital Territory: WorkSafe ACT

Outside NSW and Victoria, check your state's environment protection authority as well as your WHS regulator.

Controls to think about

• Safe Work Australia's hazardous chemicals code covers managing the risks of hazardous chemicals, including emergency plans. Check each product's safety data sheet (SDS) for its spill and first aid steps.
• Keep the right spill kit near where chemicals are stored and used, and protect drains. In NSW, the NSW EPA explains the duty to notify pollution incidents.
• Make sure the people who clean up are trained in your spill procedure, wear the PPE listed on the SDS, and know when to stop and call for help.

Spill response hazards and the controls to match

Every spill is different, but these are hazards that often get missed during the response, with the kind of control the report should show for each:

• Not knowing what was spilled: check the label and SDS before anyone goes near it, and keep people back until you do.

• Chemicals reacting with each other, such as acids and alkalis, or oxidisers and fuels: keep incompatible products apart, and don't mix spills together.

• Using the wrong absorbent, such as sawdust or rags on an oxidiser: use the absorbent the SDS or spill kit specifies.

• Spills reaching stormwater or sewer drains: cover drains first, and check where floor drains actually go.

• Flammable vapours: remove ignition sources, ventilate, and keep vehicles and forklifts away from the area.

• Fumes and skin contact for the people cleaning up: wear the PPE on the SDS, and stop and call for help if it's beyond your training.

• Contaminated waste and PPE: bag, label and store it separately, and use a licensed waste contractor where needed.

• An empty or incomplete spill kit next time: restock it straight after use and record that it was done.

What to include in a chemical spill report

• Where and when the spill happened, and who reported it
• The product, its SDS reference and the quantity spilled
• How serious the spill was, and the chemical's hazard class
• The response: isolation, ignition sources, spill kit, containment and drains
• Anyone exposed, and the first aid or medical treatment given
• How the waste was disposed of, the waste manifest number, and sign-off

Common gaps in a chemical spill report

Before you close the report, check it doesn't have these gaps. Your site or environment licence may ask for more:

• The product is named by its trade name only, with no SDS or hazard class.

• The quantity is a guess with no basis, such as "some" or "a bit".

• It doesn't say whether anything reached a drain, soil or waterway.

• Nobody decided whether the spill was notifiable to either regulator, or the decision isn't recorded.

• The cause isn't recorded, so the same spill happens again.

Filled-in chemical spill report example

Example only, not for use as your own report. This is the base template filled in for a fictional spill: a forklift punctured a drum of caustic cleaner in a bunded chemical store. Click the page to enlarge it.

Always follow the SDS and your site's emergency plan. Your own report must describe what actually happened on your site.

How to fill one in

1. Make the area safe first: isolate it, remove ignition sources, put on PPE and contain the spill.
2. Record the product, SDS reference, quantity and where it happened.
3. Tick the spill classification, the hazard class and each response check.
4. Record anyone exposed and the first aid given, then note how the waste was disposed of.
5. Sign it off, notify your regulators if required, and look into how the spill happened.

Get your chemical spill report into the app

This form is in the Shadow Forms app. Your team can fill it in on site, add photos and sign it, then send it straight to the office.

The PDF and Word versions are copies only. If you have your own branded version, or want this one adjusted to your business, we can add it to the app. Upload a form, or get in touch.

Want to find out why the spill happened? Get the free root cause analysis template.

Have contractors on site? Get the free contractor induction template.