According to California's Health & Safety Code, Chapter 6.95, a hazardous material is any material that, because of its quantity, concentration, or physical or chemical characteristics, poses a significant present or potential hazard to human health and safety or to the environment if released into the workplace or the environment. "Hazardous materials" include, but are not limited to, hazardous substances, hazardous waste, and any material that a handler or the administering agency has a reasonable basis for believing that it would be injurious to the health and safety of persons or harmful to the environment if released into the workplace or the environment.

Any business that handles a hazardous material and/or hazardous waste of quantities at any one time during a year equal to, or greater than a total volume of 55 gallons, a total weight of 500 pounds, or 200 cubic feet of a compressed gas is a hazardous materials handler and must submit the short version UPCF.

There are three exceptions to this general rule:

• For a solid or liquid hazardous material that is classified as a hazard solely as an irritant or sensitizer, the new reporting quantity is 5,000 pounds.
• For a hazardous material that is a gas, at standard temperature and pressure, and for which the only health and physical hazards are simple asphyxiation and the release of pressure, the new reporting quantity is 1,000 cubic feet. (Reporting of gases in a cryogenic state remains unchanged).
• For oil-filled electrical equipment that is not contiguous to an electrical facility, the new reporting quantity for the oil is 1,320 gallons.

Additionally, in the event of a substantial change in the business operation, a handler shall submit a revised short version UPCF form to HHMD within 30 days. A substantial change to the business operation includes the following:

• Implementing a new operation that involves the handling of hazardous materials and entails an emergency response procedure which was not documented on a previous business plan; or
• A change of ownership and business name; or
• Structural changes to an existing site that involves the handling of hazardous materials.

Moreover, in the event of a substantial change in the hazardous materials inventory only, a handler shall submit a revised hazardous materials inventory form for each material to HHMD within 30 days. A substantial change to the inventory includes the following:

• A 100% or greater increase in quantity of a hazardous material provided on the inventory;
• Any handling of a discloseable quantity of a previously undisclosed hazardous material; or
• Deleting a previously disclosed hazardous material.

Los Angeles County Fire Department calculates fees for hazardous materials handlers based on the number and quantities of reportable chemicals onsite. See the list of current fee rates here.

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