Chemical Register Requirements in Malaysia (USECHH 2000)

Regulation 5 of the OSH (Use and Standards of Exposure of Chemicals Hazardous to Health) Regulations 2000 (USECHH) requires every employer to identify and record in a register all chemicals hazardous to health used at the place of work. The CLASS Regulations 2013 (Classification, Labelling, and Safety Data Sheet of Hazardous Chemicals) govern how those chemicals are classified, labelled, and documented via Safety Data Sheets. This guide covers the register requirement; the two regulations work together, but the duty to keep the register sits under USECHH.

Naja Safety trains your chemical-handling team and coordinates the registered assessor for your CHRA.

1. What Must Be in the Register?

Your chemical register must include (USECHH 2000, reg 5):

• List of chemicals used at the place of work
• Current SDS for each chemical (reg 5(2)(b), reg 25(1))
• Average quantity used, produced or stored per month or year
• Process and work area where the chemical is used
• Supplier name and address

Recommended additions:

• CAS number (Chemical Abstracts Service registry number)
• Storage location
• Hazard classification (flammable, toxic, corrosive, etc.)
• Exposure control measures in place

2. Who Must Maintain It?

The employer is legally responsible. In practice, this is usually delegated to the safety officer or occupational health nurse — but the employer remains liable if the register is incomplete or outdated.

3. Where Must It Be Kept?

The register must be accessible to workers who handle the chemicals, not locked in a manager's office. Best practice: electronic register on a shared drive and a printed copy at the chemical storage point.

4. How Often Must It Be Updated?

The law says the register must be updated from time to time (USECHH 2000, reg 5(1)). Recommended practice:

• When a new chemical is introduced
• When a chemical is discontinued
• When quantities change significantly
• When the SDS is revised by the supplier

Recommended: Annual review.

5. What Happens If You Don't Have One?

The employer's chemical register is required by USECHH 2000, reg 5. (CLASS 2013 reg 14 is a separate annual inventory that importers and manufacturers of 1 tonne or more a year submit to DOSH by 31 March.) Failure to maintain a register is enforced under the OSH Act 1994. Penalties include:

• Compound fines (spot fines issued by DOSH inspectors)
• Prosecution under the Regulations
• Stop-work orders until compliance

6. Link to CHRA

The chemical register feeds directly into the Chemical Health Risk Assessment (CHRA). A DOSH-registered assessor will use your register as the starting point for the assessment. An incomplete register means an incomplete CHRA — and a failed inspection.

Need Help Setting Up Your Register?

We help you compile and maintain the register. Where a CHRA is required, it is conducted by a DOSH-registered competent person; Naja Safety scopes the assessment, coordinates site access and manages the submission. We also run chemical safety training for the people who handle the chemicals, so they can read SDS sheets, choose the right PPE, and respond to spills.

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