Skincare, Sunscreen, Fragrance and Hair-Care Manufacturing HVAC Ductwork — An Australian Engineer’s Specification Reference

Where this guide sits in the SBKJ insights library

This guide is the specialised, category-deep companion to the broader Cosmetics and Personal Care Manufacturing HVAC Duct Guide. The earlier paper covered the plant-wide picture — regulator map, ISO 22716, ISO 14644, SMACNA fabrication. This paper goes deeper into the five sub-verticals that drive most of the hazardous-area, dust-collection, solvent-exhaust and stainless-duct decisions on an Australian cosmetics or personal-care site:

• Skincare creams, serums, lotions, balms and toners — oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions, jacketed kettles, vacuum homogenisers, hot-fill and cold-fill;
• SPF sunscreens regulated under AS/NZS 2604 with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide UV filters, including the regulatory step-up to TGA listing;
• Fragrance, eau de toilette, eau de parfum, aftershave and cologne — ethanol-rich solvent compounding at distillery-level workplace exposure;
• Hair care, hair colour, oxidative dye and peroxide developer — ammonia exhaust, peroxide oxidiser hazards and aniline-derived intermediates;
• Colour cosmetics — lipstick, lip gloss, foundation, blush, eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner and nail polish — with pigment dust extraction, nitrocellulose solvent exhaust and lipstick casting heat capture;
• Aerosol filling — hairspray, deodorant, sunscreen spray, perfume spray — with LPG, DME and nitrogen propellant Zone 1 classification.

The structure follows the path of an Australian engineer designing a new plant or remediating an existing one: regulator first, then room by room with materials, capture velocities, filtration and pressurisation, then the fabrication procedure, the commissioning evidence pack and a section on operator case work for the major Australian manufacturers. Every duct specification in this paper is what SBKJ would actually deliver against an Australian customer order from Box Hill North VIC.

The Australian regulatory stack for skincare, sunscreen, fragrance and hair-care

Australia regulates skincare and personal care through a layered stack of federal acts, Australian Standards and industry codes administered by separate bodies. Before any duct line is cut the plant manager needs a clear matrix of which products fall under which layer.

Therapeutic Goods Administration — sunscreens and medicated cosmetics

The Therapeutic Goods Administration is the federal regulator for any cosmetic carrying a therapeutic claim. The four categories that almost always fall inside TGA jurisdiction are: primary sunscreens with an SPF claim, anti-dandruff and medicated shampoos with active drug substance, antiperspirants with aluminium chlorohydrate or aluminium zirconium and anti-acne or anti-fungal preparations. Sunscreens are governed by AS/NZS 2604 Sunscreen Products — Evaluation and Classification, which sets the SPF testing methodology, the broad-spectrum requirements, the water-resistance categories and the labelling. TGA-listed sunscreens carry an AUST L number; TGA-registered higher-risk products carry an AUST R number. Sponsor obligations include compliance with ISO 22716 cosmetics GMP or the PIC/S Guide to Good Manufacturing Practice depending on the listing.

The HVAC consequence is direct. A TGA-licensed manufacturer is subject to pre-licence facility inspection, and the inspector will read the HVAC commissioning trail. Galvanised duct in the filling room is a finding. Unsealed transverse joints upstream of the HEPA bank is a finding. No documented leakage test is a finding. SBKJ’s default cosmetic GMP package — 304L stainless, sealed transverse flange joints, longitudinal TIG seam weld where exposure dictates, full as-built documentation — is designed to clear TGA pre-licence inspection on the first walkthrough.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission — pure cosmetics

Cosmetics with no therapeutic claim sit under the Australian Consumer Law and the Cosmetics Information Standard 2020 enforced by the ACCC. The standard is largely about ingredient disclosure in INCI nomenclature, country of origin and warning statements. It does not directly prescribe HVAC, but it does establish that misleading labelling triggers consumer-law remedies and the manufacturer’s defence is the batch record. A clean batch record requires a clean environmental record — particle counts, humidity, pressurisation, viable air results — and that is HVAC commissioning evidence.

NICNAS and the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019

NICNAS was succeeded by the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) in 2020 under the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019, but the cosmetic industry still refers to the legacy NICNAS framework when discussing assessment. AICIS regulates the introduction of industrial chemicals including those used in cosmetic raw materials — surfactants, solvents, preservatives, UV filter chemistries. Plants importing or formulating with new cosmetic actives need an AICIS introduction category, which feeds into the safety dossier. HVAC relevance is the documentation chain: AICIS expects manufacturers to demonstrate that worker exposure is below Safe Work Australia Workplace Exposure Standards, and that is local exhaust ventilation evidence.

Safe Work Australia — Workplace Exposure Standards

Safe Work Australia publishes the Workplace Exposure Standards for Airborne Contaminants. Every chemical the operator inhales has a number. The relevant ones for skincare, sunscreen, fragrance and hair-care manufacturing are listed here so engineers do not have to chase the Hazardous Chemical Information System database during specification.

AS 1668.2 mechanical ventilation

AS 1668.2 is the Australian baseline for mechanical ventilation of buildings. It sets minimum outdoor air rates per occupant and per square metre, defines the calculation of required dilution ventilation for sources of contamination, and specifies how local exhaust must be sized to keep workplace contaminant concentrations below Workplace Exposure Standards. For a skincare or sunscreen plant the AS 1668.2 calculation is the baseline before any cleanroom uplift — the cleanroom particle requirement only adds, never subtracts, ventilation.

AS 4254 ductwork construction

AS 4254 Parts 1 and 2 (flexible and rigid ductwork respectively) is the construction standard. AS 4254.2 calls up SMACNA gauges and construction by pressure class. SBKJ duct packages are fabricated to AS 4254.2 and SMACNA simultaneously, with stainless gauges nominated as the upper bound of either reference where they differ.

AS 1530.4, AS 1851 and AS 1668.1 fire and smoke

AS 1530.4 sets fire-resistance test methods for ductwork penetrating fire-rated boundaries. AS 1851 governs maintenance of fire and life safety systems including fire and smoke dampers. AS 1668.1 covers fire mode and smoke control for mechanical ventilation. Cosmetic plants typically run under NCC Class 8 industrial classification, which raises the fire-engineering bar above a standard commercial building — particularly when ethanol, aerosol propellant or nitrocellulose are stored or processed in volumes that trigger AS 1940 Dangerous Goods quantities.

AS 1940 flammable and combustible liquids

AS 1940 governs storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids. Once a plant accumulates more than the minor storage threshold of Class 3 flammable liquid (typically 250 litres) or aerosol propellant (typically 50 kg of LPG), the storage area triggers bunded compound requirements, ventilation requirements and hazardous area classification. Skincare plants making in-house fragrance compositions, perfume bottlers, aerosol fillers and nail-polish lines virtually always exceed the threshold.

AS/NZS 60079 hazardous area

AS/NZS 60079 is the joint Australian/New Zealand adoption of the IEC 60079 series for explosive atmospheres. AS/NZS 60079.10.1 governs gas and vapour zone classification; .10.2 covers combustible dust; .14 covers electrical equipment design and installation in hazardous areas. The cosmetic engineer needs all three references on the desk for any plant making ethanol fragrance, aerosol filling, nail polish or operating pigment dust collection.

NFPA 660 combustible dust

NFPA 660 is the consolidated Standard for Combustible Dusts released by the National Fire Protection Association, superseding the previous NFPA 652, 654, 484, 61 and others. Australian cosmetic plants increasingly reference NFPA 660 alongside AS/NZS 60079.10.2 for combustible dust hazard assessment because Worksafe inspectors and global retail brand auditors expect the modern consolidated reference. Pigment dust streams (titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, iron oxide, mica, talc, carbon black, surfactant powder) need a dust hazard analysis under NFPA 660.

ISO 22716 cosmetics GMP

ISO 22716 is the international cosmetics Good Manufacturing Practice standard. Adopted by Accord Australasia as the industry baseline and required by every premium retail brand for contract-manufacturing supplier qualification. ISO 22716 is less prescriptive than the PIC/S pharmaceutical guide but it explicitly requires that manufacturing equipment and premises (including HVAC) are designed to allow effective cleaning and inspection, and that environmental conditions are controlled and monitored where they affect product quality.

ISO 14644 cleanroom

ISO 14644 is the international cleanroom classification standard. Skincare and sunscreen filling typically targets ISO Class 7 or 8 depending on brand specification, with ISO Class 6 occasionally specified by ultra-premium brands. Pigment weighing and dispensing typically ISO Class 7 with negative pressurisation. Aerosol filling ISO Class 8 with point capture. Fragrance compounding ISO Class 8 with ethanol-vapour exhaust dominating the design.

AS 3957, AS 4332 and gas standards

AS 3957 governs dust collection systems. AS 4332 covers specialty gas. Cosmetic plants use compressed air, nitrogen blanket for fragrance carriers and CO₂ for foam and supercritical extraction in some natural cosmetic lines. SBKJ delivers stainless duct for the air, nitrogen and CO₂ distribution where the architectural design integrates these services through the duct riser.

TGA Cosmetic Standard 2007 and FSANZ overlap

The TGA Cosmetic Standard 2007 is now largely superseded but is still referenced for legacy ingredient classification. FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) becomes relevant when lip balm, lipstick or other oral cosmetics use food-grade flavour, which classifies the product partially under Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code as well as cosmetic legislation. The HVAC consequence is that lipstick and lip balm casting kitchens are commonly built to food-grade duct specification (304L sealed-seam, washable, no hidden cavities) even when the cosmetic regulator alone would tolerate a lower bar.

ASHRAE Applications Handbook reference

Australian engineers routinely cross-reference ASHRAE Handbook — Applications, Chapter 18 (Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Manufacturing) and Chapter 21 (Cleanrooms) for design air-change rates, recovery time targets and filtration strategy in cosmetic GMP plants, because the Australian Standards do not give the same level of design-table guidance. ASHRAE is not a legal reference in Australia but it is universally accepted by TGA inspectors and brand auditors as good engineering practice.

EU EC 1223/2009 and 26 fragrance allergens

European Regulation EC 1223/2009 requires that 26 named fragrance allergens (limonene, linalool, geraniol, citral, eugenol, isoeugenol, benzyl alcohol, benzyl salicylate, cinnamal, coumarin, hydroxycitronellal, hexyl cinnamal and so on) be declared on the label when present above a threshold. Australian export brands selling into the EU need to track these as ingredient inputs. From the HVAC perspective the allergens are volatile organic compounds released during fragrance compounding, and operator exposure plus product cross-contamination both need to be controlled by dedicated extract on the kettle.

Accord Australasia and industry bodies

Accord Australasia is the peak industry body for cosmetic, personal care, hygiene and specialty product manufacturers. The Cosmetic, Toiletry & Fragrance Association of Australia (CTFAA) merged into Accord historically. The Aerosol Manufacturers Association of Australia covers aerosol filling specifically. The Hair Industry Council of Australia and Beauty Industry Council are the trade voices. Accord publishes the Australian Cosmetics Guideline as a self-regulation framework on top of ACCC and TGA obligations. SBKJ specifications are written to be defensible at an Accord-style audit.

The plant in zones — how an Australian cosmetic facility actually lays out

The hard part of HVAC specification for this vertical is not any single zone but the combination. A real Australian site — a Sukin contract manufacturer in Dandenong, an Ego Pharmaceuticals SunSense line in Melbourne, an Aesop facility in Toorak, a Goldfield & Banks perfume kitchen in Tasmania, a Wella hair-colour blending site — has between eight and fifteen distinct ventilation zones, each with its own duct specification, pressurisation regime, filtration strategy and capture velocity. Treating them all the same is the most expensive mistake on the project. The walk-through below covers the twelve zones we deliver duct packages for, in the order an operator visit normally takes them.

Zone 1 — raw materials warehouse

The warehouse stores oil-phase ingredients (caprylic/capric triglyceride, jojoba, squalane, dimethicone), aqueous-phase ingredients (deionised water, glycerin, propylene glycol, aloe extract), powder ingredients (titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, iron oxide, mica, talc, kaolin, silica, carbon black, pearl pigment), preservatives (parabens replacement chemistry, BIT, MIT, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate), surfactants (sodium lauryl sulphate, cocamidopropyl betaine, decyl glucoside) and fragrance bases. Stability of the paste, powder and fragrance bases is the design problem. SBKJ specifies climate-controlled 18 to 22 degrees Celsius and 40 to 60 percent relative humidity as the warehouse baseline. Duct is 304L stainless or insulated galvanised acceptable here because the warehouse is outside the GMP envelope. The ventilation rate is set by AS 1668.2 minimum outdoor air plus a humidity allowance. Fragrance and ethanol-based ingredients trigger a separate Class 3 flammable liquid store under AS 1940, which carries its own ventilation rate of 10 to 15 air changes per hour and explosion-relief venting.

Zone 2 — pigment and powder weighing and dispensing room

This room is the single most common HVAC failure point on Australian cosmetic plants. Titanium dioxide for sunscreen, zinc oxide for sunscreen and barrier creams, iron oxide for foundation and blush, mica for highlighter and shimmer, talc and kaolin for pressed powder, carbon black for mascara, and pearl pigments are weighed in this room. Every one of them is fine enough to aerosolise during the act of pouring from sack to bin, and several of them sit on combustible-dust hazard registers. SBKJ specifies local exhaust ventilation at the dispensing station with a capture velocity of 0.75 to 1.0 metre per second at the source, ducted through a baghouse with explosion-relief venting per NFPA 660, then HEPA H13 polish before discharge. Duct is 304L stainless to the baghouse, 316L on the post-baghouse run if HEPA discharge is recirculated to the room. The room is classified ISO 14644 Class 7 (Grade C) with negative pressure of 5 to 10 Pascals against the adjoining compounding suite. Operators wear PPE rated for the highest-hazard pigment present (typically titanium dioxide nanoparticle grade), and the room is swept by floor-level extract on the opposite wall to remove settled dust before it re-aerosolises.

The combustible-dust hazard analysis under NFPA 660 needs a Kst (deflagration index) value for every pigment and a minimum ignition energy. Carbon black for mascara is the highest-hazard stream — the dust hazard analysis routinely recommends inerting of the baghouse with nitrogen at start-up and during cleaning. SBKJ duct flanges are bonded with continuous earth strap for static dissipation and the baghouse vent is sized per the appropriate combustible-dust deflagration methodology to relieve at the design Pred.

Zone 3 — bulk compounding (skincare cream, lotion, serum)

Bulk compounding for a skincare cream is the heart of the plant. An oil-in-water emulsion (the typical lotion) involves dispersing oil-phase ingredients in a jacketed heated vessel at 70 to 80 degrees Celsius, dispersing aqueous-phase ingredients in a second heated vessel, transferring the aqueous phase into the oil under high shear from a homogeniser (Silverson, IKA, EKATO, Olsa or Niagara depending on scale), holding at homogenisation for 10 to 30 minutes, cooling to 30 degrees Celsius and adding heat-sensitive actives (vitamin C, peptides, niacinamide), fragrance and preservative. Water-in-oil emulsions for richer creams reverse the addition order. The HVAC consequence is heat load, steam release at hot-fill stages, fragrance and preservative vapour and humidity rejection during cooling. SBKJ specifies a localised canopy hood above the homogeniser at 0.5 m/s face velocity, ducted to a dedicated VOC exhaust if the fragrance loading is above 1 percent by mass. Duct material is 304L stainless for the supply, 316L stainless for the VOC exhaust where fragrance is present. The room operates ISO 14644 Class 8 with positive pressure against the airlock.

Zone 4 — sunscreen compounding (TGA-regulated, AS/NZS 2604)

SPF sunscreens are technically a sub-category of skincare compounding but the regulatory uplift and the pigment-handling intensity make them a separate zone in plant design. A typical SPF 30 to SPF 50+ formulation contains 5 to 25 percent zinc oxide, 5 to 15 percent titanium dioxide and 1 to 10 percent organic UV filters (octocrylene, oxybenzone, avobenzone, octinoxate, ensulizole, bemotrizinol). The pigment is added either as a pre-dispersed paste (lower dust risk) or as a powder direct addition (higher dust risk, more uniform film). Film-thickness measurement during the trial batch is critical to verifying the SPF claim under AS/NZS 2604.

HVAC for SPF compounding is: ISO 14644 Class 7 over the open kettle, localised extract above the powder addition point at 0.75 m/s capture, jacketed kettle vent to a dedicated VOC line for the organic UV filter solvent (octocrylene is a low-volatility liquid but the carrier and processing aids can be volatile), positive pressurisation 12 to 15 Pa against the corridor. Duct material is 304L stainless for the supply and return, 316L stainless for the powder addition extract and the kettle vent. Sealed-seam SMACNA Class A throughout the GMP envelope. The TGA inspector will read this commissioning trail and SBKJ’s as-built documentation is designed to deliver every input that the inspector asks for.

A note on isolators. Modern SPF lines increasingly use a fully closed formulation isolator for the pigment addition step — the operator works through gloves into a sealed box, the pigment is dosed through a bag-in/bag-out port, and the room HVAC sees only the isolator exhaust rather than the bulk dust. SBKJ supplies the isolator exhaust duct in 316L stainless with full TIG seam weld, terminating at a baghouse-HEPA-discharge train. The isolator itself is ISO 14644 Class 5 internally.

Zone 5 — fragrance and perfume mix room (Zone 1 ethanol)

This is the highest-hazard zone on the plant and the one where most cosmetic engineers under-specify the duct on first pass. An eau de toilette compounding tank can hold 60 to 80 percent ethanol by volume with 5 to 25 percent fragrance concentrate. Ethanol has a workplace exposure standard of 1000 ppm TWA, a lower explosive limit of 3.3 percent in air (33000 ppm) and a flashpoint of 13 degrees Celsius. The headspace above an open compounding tank during charging operations will easily exceed the LEL. AS/NZS 60079.10.1 hazardous-area classification will declare the interior of the tank Zone 0, the immediate space around the open manway Zone 1, and the bulk of the room Zone 2 within a defined radius.

The HVAC consequence is fundamental. Every electrical item in the Zone 1 envelope must be IECEx or ATEX Ex-d certified for Group IIA T3 (the relevant grouping for ethanol). The fan motor on the dedicated exhaust serving the compounding tank must be IECEx Ex-d certified. The fan impeller must be spark-resistant per AMCA Type B (non-ferrous wheel against non-ferrous inlet, or one part non-ferrous). Static electricity dissipation continuity must be verified across every flange in the duct from the tank to the discharge fan. The duct material must be 316L stainless because zinc galvanising sheds particulate inside the duct under ethanol-laden flow and the particulate becomes an ignition fuel hazard. SBKJ specifies longitudinal TIG seam weld on every 316L Zone 1 fragrance exhaust run stitched on the SB-ZF1500 automatic stitchwelder for continuous seam construction.

The dedicated exhaust serving the fragrance mix room is typically discharged through a wet scrubber (sized for ethanol absorption and fragrance VOC removal) or through an activated carbon scrubber with regenerative cycling. The discharge stack is 316L stainless of equivalent grade to the duct. The local exhaust capture velocity at the manway during charging is 1.0 m/s minimum.

Quality control is the second design constraint in a fragrance mix room. Olfactory testing happens in a separate sensory panel evaluation room with its own clean supply air so the panel’s nose is not anchored to the compounding atmosphere. SBKJ delivers separate stainless supply ducts to the sensory panel room with carbon-filtered outdoor air at low velocity.

Zone 6 — aroma compounding for alcohol- and oil-based fragrance

Larger fragrance houses split aroma compounding from the eau de toilette dilution. The aroma compounding bench (the perfumer’s organ) blends raw essential oils, isolates, synthetics and bases into the fragrance concentrate. Volumes are smaller (typically 1 to 50 kg batches) but the diversity of solvents is highest — absolute alcohol, dipropylene glycol, isopropyl myristate, diethyl phthalate as carriers. Capture is by individual bench-top point-extraction at the sample bottle, ducted to the same Zone 1 system as the main mix room. The bench is typically inside a glove-box style isolator for premium fragrance houses (Goldfield & Banks, Aesop, Bondi Wash).

Zone 7 — hair care compounding (shampoo, conditioner, treatment)

Surfactant-based formulations — shampoo, body wash, conditioner, hair treatment — are usually water-dominant emulsions with 10 to 30 percent active surfactant load (sodium lauryl sulphate, sodium laureth sulphate, cocamidopropyl betaine, decyl glucoside) plus conditioning agents (cetrimonium chloride, behentrimonium chloride, dimethicone), preservatives, fragrance and pH adjusters. The HVAC consequence is minor compared with fragrance or pigment work. SBKJ specifies 304L stainless duct for supply and return, modest local extract over the kettle for fragrance load, ISO Class 8 with positive pressurisation. The pH meter station has a benchtop capture hood because the pH adjuster (citric acid, sodium hydroxide) generates mist during dosing.

Zone 8 — hair colour compounding (oxidative dye, ammonia, peroxide)

Permanent oxidative hair colour compounding is one of two zones with Zone 2 gas hazard classification on a typical site (the other is the fragrance mix room). The dye component is alkalised with ammonia or ammonium hydroxide, typically 1 to 6 percent ammonia by mass. The developer component contains hydrogen peroxide at 3, 6, 9 or 12 percent by mass. The reactive intermediate chemistry — p-phenylenediamine, p-aminophenol, resorcinol and other aniline-derived intermediates — is sensitising and on the watch list of the EU Cosmetic Regulation. Wella, Schwarzkopf, L’Oreal, Henkel and the Australian-distribution majors all manufacture or co-pack hair colour locally to Australian-specific shade ranges.

SBKJ specifies local exhaust at the ammonia charging station and the dye mixing kettle with 1.0 m/s capture velocity, ducted through a 316L stainless exhaust to a wet scrubber with citric acid neutralisation feed. The peroxide developer kettle has its own extract because the peroxide vapour at elevated temperature is an oxidising hazard and cannot share duct with the ammonia stream (ammonia plus hydrogen peroxide reacts). 304L stainless is acceptable for the peroxide line; 316L mandatory for the ammonia line. The fan motor must be IECEx Ex-d certified for the ammonia run because AS/NZS 60079 Zone 2 is the conservative declaration. Room pressurisation negative 5 to 10 Pa against the corridor.

Zone 9 — colour cosmetics (lipstick, lip gloss, eyeshadow, blush, foundation, mascara)

Colour cosmetic compounding has two distinct character types. Wax-based products — lipstick, lip balm, eyebrow pencil, kohl — are made by heating a wax/oil base (carnauba wax, candelilla, beeswax, microcrystalline wax, castor oil, octyldodecanol) to 80 to 90 degrees Celsius, dispersing pigment paste, blending with fragrance and active and casting into moulds or sticks. The HVAC consequence is heat plume, wax aerosol over the melt pot and pigment dust during the dispersion stage. SBKJ specifies a canopy hood above the melt pot at 0.5 m/s, 304L stainless duct, ISO Class 8 with positive pressurisation. Powder-based products — pressed powder, eyeshadow, blush, bronzer, highlighter — involve pigment blending in a horizontal blender, slurry milling, pressing into pans. Pigment dust dominates the HVAC design: local exhaust over the blender and the press at 0.75 m/s capture, ducted to a baghouse with explosion-relief venting, ISO Class 7 with negative pressurisation. Foundation (liquid and cushion) is an oil-in-water emulsion with pigment paste added and follows the skincare compounding HVAC pattern with pigment extract added.

Mascara and eyeliner have a distinct profile because carbon black is the dominant pigment. Carbon black at 3.5 mg/m³ inhalable, IARC Group 2B, with explosive dust potential when handled dry. SBKJ specifies a dedicated mascara compounding suite with HEPA H14 supply, 316L stainless duct on the supply and return, local exhaust over the carbon black addition point at 1.0 m/s capture velocity, baghouse with nitrogen-inerted at startup, ISO Class 7 with negative pressurisation. The carbon black hazard analysis under NFPA 660 typically recommends bonding of every drum during pouring and continuous static dissipation monitoring on the duct flange train.

Zone 10 — nail polish compounding and filling (Zone 1)

Solvent-based nail polish lacquer is the highest solvent loading on the entire plant. The lacquer base is nitrocellulose (10 to 15 percent) dissolved in ethyl acetate (30 to 40 percent), butyl acetate (15 to 25 percent) and isopropanol (10 to 15 percent), with toluene or xylene (5 to 10 percent) as a co-solvent in older formulations and camphor or tosylamide formaldehyde resin as a plasticiser. The solvent loading is 70 to 80 percent by mass. Toluene 50 ppm TWA, xylene 50 ppm TWA, ethyl acetate 300 ppm TWA — all three will be breached without dedicated capture. AS/NZS 60079.10.1 Zone 1 inside the equipment and Zone 2 around the compounding tank is the conservative declaration.

SBKJ specifies 316L stainless TIG-seam-welded exhaust duct from the kettle and filling head, IECEx Ex-d certified fan motor, spark-resistant fan impeller, RTO (regenerative thermal oxidiser) or activated carbon scrubber on the discharge, 316L stainless stack to atmosphere. Capture velocity 1.0 m/s minimum. The RTO inlet plenum and any inter-stage duct between RTO modules is fabricated in 316L on the SBKJ SB-ZF1500 stitchwelder for full leak-tight construction at elevated temperature. Nitrocellulose is a low-stability nitrate ester (Dangerous Goods Class 4.1 solid in the wetted form) and the compounding room is generally classified as a Hazardous Goods Area under the State dangerous-goods regime with an explosion-relief panel in the roof.

Zone 11 — aerosol filling (hairspray, deodorant, sunscreen spray, perfume spray)

Aerosol filling combines a hazardous propellant (LPG — propane/butane mix — or DME — dimethyl ether — or nitrogen) with a hazardous product (ethanol-rich fragrance, or alcohol-based sunscreen spray, or solvent-loaded hairspray). Both legs of the hazard need to be controlled. AS 1940 governs the propellant storage. The Australian Aerosol Manufacturers Association code of practice governs filling. AS/NZS 60079.10.1 Zone 1 is declared at the filling head where propellant injection occurs and Zone 2 around the conveyor.

SBKJ specifies 316L stainless TIG-seam-welded exhaust duct above the filling head, leak detection on every joint, IECEx Ex-d fan motor, spark-resistant impeller, 1.0 m/s minimum capture, dedicated explosion-vented exhaust stack discharging above the roofline. Static dissipation continuity verified across every flange. Many Australian aerosol plants are co-located with the cosmetic-cream filling on the same site (Banana Boat, Sunsense, Hamilton, Cancer Council all produce both spray and cream sunscreens) and the duct riser must keep the Zone 1 aerosol filling exhaust segregated from the conventional cream filling supply — never tie a Zone 1 exhaust into a general extract manifold.

Zone 12 — cream, lotion, serum filling and capping

Tube filling (Tubex, IGUS, OPTIMA, Holopack, Marchesini machines), jar filling, pump-bottle filling, sachet and stick-pack filling. Volumes 5 to 500 mL per unit, line speeds 30 to 200 units per minute. The HVAC is dominated by the cleanroom requirement — ISO 14644 Class 7 over the filling head, ISO Class 8 in the room, terminal HEPA H13 in the supply, positive pressurisation 12 to 15 Pa against the airlock. Duct material 304L stainless on the supply downstream of the final filter; 316L if the line is dedicated to ethanol-containing toners or aftershaves. Sealed-seam SMACNA Class A throughout. Local extract above the filling head is modest, primarily for occasional spill cleanup and idle line ventilation.

Zone 13 — shampoo, conditioner and body wash filling

Lower-cleanliness filling for surfactant rinse-off products. ISO 14644 Class 8 in the room, no HEPA requirement (MERV 14 final filter is the typical specification). 304L stainless duct because surfactant residue accumulates in the duct and needs to be washable. Sealed-seam transverse flanges. Local extract over the filling head for foam splashes is modest, with a sheet-metal drip tray below the duct serving as condensate collection.

Zone 14 — lipstick casting, moulding and printing

The classic lipstick casting line heats a wax-pigment-oil melt to 80 to 90 degrees Celsius in a jacketed pot, pours via positive-displacement dispenser into chilled metal moulds, demoulds the cooled bullet, flame-polishes the bullet surface and feeds it into the mechanical bullet-into-tube assembly. The HVAC consequence is wax aerosol (a fine mist of micro-droplets above the melt pot), heat plume and pigment from the dispersion stage if dispersion happens in the same room. SBKJ specifies canopy hood above the melt pot at 0.5 m/s, 304L stainless duct, modest dedicated extract over the flame-polish station because the flame burns wax residue, ISO Class 8. Lip balm casting follows the same HVAC pattern. Where the lip balm is FSANZ flavour-bearing the duct construction tightens to food-grade washable standard.

Zone 15 — liquid filling (eau de toilette, aftershave, toner, cleanser)

Ethanol-rich liquid filling on rotary or linear fillers (KHS, KRONES for the largest, Marchesini and OPTIMA for premium boutique, custom-built for niche fragrance houses). Concentration 60 to 95 percent ethanol means AS/NZS 60079 Zone 1 inside the filler and Zone 2 around the conveyor. 316L stainless duct on the localised extract above the filling head, IECEx Ex-d fan motor, spark-resistant impeller, ISO Class 7 over the filling head, ISO Class 8 in the room. The filling room itself can be ISO 8 outside the Zone 1 envelope, but the supply air must pass through HEPA H13 over the filling head and must be conditioned to 18 to 22 degrees Celsius and 40 to 55 percent RH to prevent fragrance composition shift due to humidity uptake.

Zone 16 — powder filling (loose powder, pressed powder, eyeshadow palette, blush)

Powder filling for loose face powder, eyeshadow palette, blush pan and bronzer involves dispensing fine powder through volumetric or auger fillers into the finished primary pack. Dust generation is highest at the filling head. SBKJ specifies local exhaust above and below the filling head at 1.0 m/s capture, baghouse on the extract with HEPA polish, ISO Class 7 with negative pressurisation, 316L stainless duct on the extract to the baghouse and 304L on the post-baghouse polish discharge. The room operates under positive pressure to the warehouse but negative to the airlock corridor.

Zone 17 — blister and press-pack assembly (lipstick, lip balm, mascara, eyeliner, kohl pencil)

The mechanical assembly stage where the lipstick bullet is fitted into the tube, the mascara brush is fitted into the bottle, the eyeliner pencil is sharpened and tipped, the kohl is set into the wood casing. Mechanical heat from the machinery, some lubricant aerosol, ISO Class 8 cleanliness. 304L stainless duct with sealed-seam transverse flange. Modest dedicated extract over the sharpening station if used.

Zone 18 — labelling, pack-out, gift-set and carton

Cartonising, shrink-wrap, labelling, hot-melt glue, gift-set assembly. Outside the GMP envelope, AS 1668.2 minimum ventilation, hot-melt extraction at the gluer because adhesive vapour exceeds nuisance odour levels in a closed room. Galvanised duct acceptable here because the area is outside the cleanroom. Stainless from earlier zones is not required.

Zone 19 — pilot kitchen and sample lab

R&D pilot scale formulation, sensory evaluation, instrumental testing (rheology, particle size, pH, viscometry). Fume hoods over solvent-handling benches with face velocity 0.5 m/s minimum verified annually per AS/NZS 2243.8. Dedicated fragrance evaluation booths with carbon-filtered outdoor air. 304L stainless duct on fume hood exhaust, 316L if the exhaust is shared with the production fragrance Zone 1 line (which it should not be).

Zone 20 — sensory panel and clinical testing room

Eye sensitivity, stinging, skin patch test, hair colour test, in-use trials. Cleanroom-grade clean supply air, low VOC environment, controlled temperature 21 to 23 degrees Celsius, 45 to 55 percent RH. 304L stainless supply duct with HEPA H13, return through carbon-filtered extract to remove odour from previous panellists before the next session.

Zone 21 — worker amenity, change rooms and PPE corridors

Cosmetic GMP contamination control depends on the operator change protocol — hair net or beard net, lab coat or jumpsuit, gloves, shoe cover, optional safety glasses. The change room must be ventilated with HEPA-filtered supply air, positive against the operator outdoor entry and equal-or-negative against the cleanroom airlock to maintain the cascade. 304L stainless supply duct, ISO Class 8 with positive against street and equal to clean side.

Australian operator case work — what we see in the field

The general framework above is the engineer’s starting point. The day-to-day work, the audit findings, the brand-specific quirks and the conversion logic from old galvanised duct to new 304L or 316L stainless duct come from specific operator engagements. This section walks through the Australian operator landscape by sub-vertical, naming the brands, the plant locations where they are public, and the duct specifications we deliver against their typical scope.

Skincare operators

Aesop (Sydney HQ, Melbourne Toorak factory, L’Oreal-acquired 2023): premium skincare and fragrance, ultra-low VOC environment in the filling room, brand-audit grade documentation expected. SBKJ delivers 304L stainless sealed-seam supply and return ducts to ISO 7/8, 316L stainless TIG seam welded extracts from the fragrance compounding bench.

Jurlique (Adelaide Hills SA, Pola Orbis-acquired 2012): biodynamic skincare, glass-house adjacent to the factory for ingredient cultivation, premium skincare brand audit. SBKJ specifies 304L stainless throughout the compounding suite, sealed-seam SMACNA Class A.

Sukin (Melbourne, BWX Limited): natural skincare at supermarket-accessible price point but premium-brand audit footprint, ISO 22716 documented. 304L stainless supply, 316L on fragrance extract.

Endota: wellness skincare, smaller scale but high audit frequency. 304L stainless supply.

ASAP Skincare (Skin Doctors, Sydney): clinical-aesthetic skincare, glycolic acid and salicylic acid actives. Acid handling drives 316L specification on the active addition extract.

Mecca brands (ME by Mecca, Mecca Cosmetica): contract-manufactured locally and abroad. Local Australian production runs through several contract manufacturers, all to ISO 22716. SBKJ has delivered duct packages to contract manufacturers in Melbourne and Sydney serving the Mecca portfolio.

Frank Body (Brisbane): coffee scrub origin product, expanded into broader skincare. Coffee grounds in the compounding tank generate particulate that needs extract; 304L stainless throughout.

Go-To Skincare (Melbourne, Adore Beauty/Sukin parent BWX-acquired): small-batch premium skincare. 304L stainless cleanroom supply and return.

Tribe Skincare, Anna+Boi+Pollen, Lalumiere, Jay+Joy: smaller Australian skincare brands. Contract manufactured. 304L stainless to ISO 22716 baseline.

Australian Tea Tree Industry, The Tea Tree Therapy Australia: tea tree oil-based products, eucalyptus distillation overlap. Tea tree oil is a VOC at production scale. 316L on tea tree concentrate handling extract.

Skin Doctors Cosmeceutical (Pacific Brands): cosmeceutical skincare. Active compound handling drives 316L on the active addition extract.

Sunscreen operators

Ego Pharmaceuticals (Melbourne): SunSense and QV product lines, also Aveeno-comparable products, biggest local TGA-registered skincare manufacturer with the deepest pharmaceutical-GMP HVAC footprint. SBKJ has the engineering profile to deliver against PIC/S-GMP grade duct specification: 304L stainless throughout, 316L where the chemistry dictates, full as-built including weld map and PMI on every coil.

Cancer Council Australia (Sungone, Cancer Council Sunscreen): largest by SPF volume in Australia, contract manufactured by multiple suppliers nationally. 304L stainless to ISO 22716/PIC/S, 316L on pigment extract, full TGA pre-licence inspection-ready documentation.

Hamilton Sunscreen: long-established Australian sunscreen brand. 304L stainless throughout, 316L on pigment extract.

Banana Boat (Edgewell Personal Care): Australian-marketed sunscreen, often co-packed for aerosol spray. Aerosol filling adds Zone 1 specification on top of the cream-fill line.

Le Tan Sunscreen, Sunburn Solutions, Naked Sunscreen, Carron, AspenSun (Aspen Pharma): smaller Australian sunscreen brands and contract manufactured product. SBKJ specification baseline 304L stainless with 316L pigment extract.

The independent SPF test failures published in 2024 brought Skin Cancer Audit Reform Act enforcement up a notch. The HVAC consequence has been a step-up in pre-licence inspection rigour and a clear preference for sealed-seam 304L/316L over coated mild steel duct.

Fragrance and perfume operators

Australia is largely a fragrance distribution market — global brands (Chanel, Dior, Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, Coty, Procter & Gamble, Unilever) supply via local distribution — but a growing premium Australian segment compounds locally.

Goldfield & Banks (Tasmania): premium niche fragrance brand built around Australian botanical extracts (Tasmanian boronia, Australian sandalwood, blue cypress, mountain ash, native pepperleaf). Hand-bottled at low volume in a clean fragrance kitchen. 316L stainless TIG seam welded Zone 1 extracts, IECEx Ex-d motor.

Bondi Wash (Sydney): fragrance, home and skincare line built on Australian botanicals. Compounded in a small Sydney facility. 316L on fragrance compounding extract.

Aesop Fragrance (Melbourne, L’Oreal owned): premium fragrance line, hand-compounded with strict quality discipline. 316L throughout the fragrance compounding suite.

Brut, Aramis, L’Aimant (legacy): imported finished but with local repackaging on some lines. Mild duct specification where the operation is dilution only.

The Australian contract-bottling sector handles imported fragrance concentrate from European houses (Givaudan, Firmenich, IFF, Symrise) and locally dilutes and bottles. Co-packers in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane operate to AS/NZS 60079 Zone 1 standards on the diluting and filling lines.

Hair care operators

L’Oreal Australia: largest by SKU count with Garnier, L’Oreal Paris, Maybelline, Lancome, Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani, Urban Decay, Kerastase, Redken and other hair-care brands. Local manufacture for parts of the range; imported for others. Where locally manufactured, the duct spec is full ISO 22716 GMP with 304L stainless and 316L on hair colour ammonia.

Procter & Gamble: Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Olay, Old Spice. Australian manufacture historically at Bayswater Victoria and Sydney sites for various ranges. P&G has internal HVAC standards that meet or exceed SBKJ’s baseline.

Unilever Australia: Sunsilk, TRESemmé, Lux, Dove, Lifebuoy, Vaseline. Lithgow NSW historical site, plus other Australian and New Zealand operations. Full GMP HVAC.

Wella Professionals (Henkel-owned): professional hair colour and styling. Wella, Schwarzkopf and Henkel locally manufacture or co-pack to global Henkel standards. Hair colour line is the highest HVAC complexity in Henkel’s Australian portfolio: 316L ammonia extract, 304L peroxide extract, dust capture on dye intermediate addition.

John Paul Mitchell Systems, Davines: imported but with local quality testing.

Adore Beauty (ASX:ABY), BWX Limited (ASX:BWX): distribution and brand portfolio respectively.

Colour cosmetics operators

L’Oreal Australia: Maybelline, Lancome, Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani, Urban Decay portfolio includes locally repackaged colour cosmetics. Pigment handling drives 316L extract specifications.

Estee Lauder Companies: Estee Lauder, MAC, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, La Mer, Tom Ford Beauty, Aveda, Origins, Smashbox, Glamglow, Le Labo. Premium colour cosmetics; carbon black mascara handling drives the highest spec on the Australian Estee Lauder footprint.

Coty Australia: Sally Hansen nail care, Maybelline-related sub-brands.

Revlon, e.l.f. Beauty, NARS, Charlotte Tilbury: distribution-dominant with some local manufacture or repackaging.

MECCA Brands: multi-brand retail with private-label local manufacture through contract manufacturers.

Nail polish and nail care

OPI (Coty), Sally Hansen, Essie (L’Oreal), Revlon Nail: largely imported but with local repackaging. The dedicated Australian nail polish compounding lines are at contract manufacturers in Sydney and Melbourne. SBKJ’s nail polish duct spec — 316L stainless TIG seam, IECEx Ex-d motor, RTO discharge — is what these contract manufacturers run.

TGA-registered pharmaceutical cosmetic crossover

Ego Pharmaceuticals (QV, SunSense, Aveeno-comparable, Cellulosic Industries portfolio): the deepest pharmaceutical-grade cosmetic manufacturer in Australia. The HVAC specification crosses into PIC/S GMP for some of the registered range. Refer to the pharmaceutical, vaccine and API manufacturing GMP HVAC duct guide for the higher-bar requirements.

Hamilton Sunscreen, Cancer Council, Banana Boat, Carron, AspenSun (Aspen Pharma): TGA-listed sunscreen, PIC/S or ISO 22716 depending on listing class.

Commissioning evidence and ongoing monitoring

Delivery of a cosmetic GMP duct package is not the finish line. The plant has to clear environmental commissioning before the first batch is released, and the ongoing monitoring trail has to be maintained for the life of the operation. The framework below is what SBKJ delivers on the commissioning side and what we expect the plant’s own QA and engineering team to maintain afterwards.

Commissioning protocols

Commissioning starts with the HVAC system at rest. Particle counts per ISO 14644-1 are taken at the at-rest condition in every cleanroom zone. Pressurisation cascade is verified by manometer at every airlock and corridor boundary. Filter face velocities are measured at every terminal HEPA. Then the system is run at the in-operation condition with the production team simulating a typical batch. Particle counts in-operation should not exceed the class limits for the zone. Recovery time tests verify that the room returns to the at-rest particle count within 15 to 30 minutes after a step change in load.

Viable air sampling using settle plates, contact plates and active air samplers provides the bioburden baseline. ISO 22716 does not prescribe a specific bioburden limit, but brand audits typically expect less than 10 colony-forming units per cubic metre in ISO Class 7 and less than 100 CFU per cubic metre in ISO Class 8.

Smoke pattern visualisation under operation is the final commissioning step. A theatrical smoke generator is positioned at strategic points in the room and the operator verifies that the airflow pattern is unidirectional through the production zone, with no eddies, no reverse flow over open product and no entrainment from less-clean adjacent zones.

Hazardous area commissioning

For every Zone 1 or Zone 2 run the commissioning protocol adds:

• 72 hours of continuous LEL monitoring during simulated production cycles to verify that the room atmosphere never exceeds 10 percent of the lower explosive limit;
• Static dissipation continuity verification across every flange to less than 1 megohm;
• IECEx motor certificate verification on every fan motor;
• AMCA spark-resistance declaration for every fan impeller;
• Explosion-relief panel inspection on baghouses and other vented equipment;
• Hazardous area dossier sign-off by an AS/NZS 60079 competent person.

Combustible dust commissioning

For every pigment dust extract run under NFPA 660 the commissioning adds:

• Dust hazard analysis completed by a competent assessor;
• Kst and minimum ignition energy data for every dust stream filed in the plant master record;
• Explosion-relief panel sized per NFPA combustible-dust deflagration methodology and inspected;
• Bonding verification on every drum-pour station;
• Inerting verification (where applicable, for carbon black mascara and other high-hazard streams);
• Sprinkler or other suppression system sign-off where the dust hazard assessment requires it.

Ongoing monitoring

The plant’s own QA and engineering team maintains the ongoing monitoring trail for the life of the operation. Typical practice in an Australian cosmetic plant runs:

• Daily pressurisation cascade verification at every airlock;
• Weekly particle count in every cleanroom zone;
• Monthly viable air sampling;
• Quarterly HEPA leak test (DOP or PAO challenge per ISO 14644-3);
• Annual full re-commissioning with recovery time, smoke pattern and balance verification;
• Continuous LEL monitoring on Zone 1 exhausts with high-alarm at 25 percent LEL;
• Continuous ammonia monitoring on hair colour exhausts;
• Continuous dust monitoring on combustible-dust extracts.

The TGA inspector, the ISO 22716 auditor and the brand quality lead will all ask to see these records during an audit. Plants that maintain the trail with discipline rarely fail audits. Plants that let the trail lapse fail at the next surveillance visit.

FAQ — the questions Australian skincare, sunscreen, fragrance and hair-care engineers ask

Why is 316L mandatory for fragrance exhaust and not just 304L?

Two reasons. First, the higher molybdenum content of 316L provides better resistance to the trace chloride contamination present in many essential oils and to the acetic-acid-type residues that develop in fragrance compounding over time. Second, the audit-grade interpretation of AS/NZS 60079 hazardous area construction in Australia favours the higher-grade material because the consequence of a duct failure in a Zone 1 exhaust is severe. 304L is acceptable on the supply and return air to the room because the supply air is clean and the return picks up dilute fragrance VOC only.

Can we share the fragrance exhaust with the alcohol toner filling exhaust?

Technically yes — both are ethanol-dominant streams and the duct material specification is compatible. In practice we recommend separating them so that maintenance on either line does not shut down the other and so that the LEL monitoring on each can be set to the line’s expected loading. The marginal cost of separation is modest compared with the production-loss cost of a shared-duct failure.

Does the nail polish RTO need to be 316L?

The RTO chamber itself is typically a refractory-lined steel vessel supplied by the RTO manufacturer. The inlet duct between the nail polish line extract and the RTO inlet plenum is in 316L stainless because of the solvent condensation hazard. The inter-stage and discharge duct on the RTO side is typically 316L stainless or higher-temperature-rated material per the RTO manufacturer’s scope.

What is the difference between AS/NZS 2604 and TGO 105 for sunscreen?

AS/NZS 2604 is the Australian/New Zealand Standard for Sunscreen Products — Evaluation and Classification, prescribing SPF testing methodology, broad-spectrum requirements, water-resistance categories and labelling. TGO 105 (Therapeutic Goods Order 105) is the Australian regulatory instrument that gives AS/NZS 2604 force of law for TGA-listed sunscreens. TGO 105 effectively requires compliance with AS/NZS 2604. The HVAC consequence is the same: a TGA-listed sunscreen line operates to ISO 22716 or PIC/S GMP with 304L/316L stainless duct, full sealed-seam construction and TGA pre-licence inspection-ready documentation.

Does Australian aerosol manufacturing always need Zone 1 classification?

Effectively yes. LPG, DME and most aerosol propellants are flammable gases with very low LEL. AS/NZS 60079.10.1 classification at the filling head is invariably Zone 1 because propellant injection is a normal operation that releases small amounts of flammable gas. The fan motor must be IECEx Ex-d certified and the impeller spark-resistant. The Aerosol Manufacturers Association of Australia code of practice reinforces this. Sunscreen spray, hairspray, deodorant spray, perfume spray all fall in this envelope.

Can the SBKJ SBAL-V handle stainless coil?

Yes. The SBAL-V is configured for stainless with stainless-specific tooling, in 0.5 to 1.5 millimetre thickness range at 1250 or 1500 millimetre maximum working width. Forming speed is 16 metres per minute on stainless, the same as galvanised. The line cuts to length, longitudinally forms the duct, notches the seam and outputs a U-shape ready for transverse closure. For sealed-seam or fully-welded TIG construction the U-shape transfers to the SB-ZF1500 stitchwelder.

What is the SB-ZF1500 stitchwelder used for in a cosmetic plant?

The SB-ZF1500 is SBKJ’s automatic stainless duct stitchwelder. It delivers a continuous TIG seam weld with argon backing on the longitudinal seam of a stainless duct. The use cases in a cosmetic plant are: cleanroom plenum fabrication (ISO 7 and ISO 8), isolator skin construction, RTO inlet duct on a nail polish or fragrance line, Zone 1 fragrance exhaust, NFPA 660 pigment dust extract, hair colour ammonia extract and any other run where leak-tight construction is mandatory. The stitchwelded seam is the only seam type that delivers the SMACNA Class A leakage performance at the audit-grade documentation level the TGA, ISO 22716 and AS/NZS 60079 inspectors expect.

Do you need NFPA 660 compliance in Australia, or is AS/NZS 60079.10.2 enough?

Strictly, AS/NZS 60079.10.2 is the legally enforceable Australian standard for combustible dust hazardous area classification, and an AS/NZS 60079.10.2 compliant plant is meeting Australian regulatory expectations. NFPA 660 is the modern consolidated combustible dust standard from the National Fire Protection Association and is increasingly referenced by global retail brand auditors, multinational pharmaceutical groups and contract-manufacturing customers because it consolidates the various NFPA dust standards into a single document. SBKJ references both in the dust hazard analysis we deliver with pigment-extract duct packages so the customer can satisfy both Australian and international audit expectations.

What is the SBKJ lead time on a complete cosmetic duct package?

8 to 12 weeks for a 304L skincare plant, 10 to 16 weeks for a TGA sunscreen plant, 12 to 18 weeks for a Zone 1 fragrance compounding plant, 10 to 14 weeks for a hair colour plant, 14 to 22 weeks for a colour cosmetics plant including nail polish and aerosol filling. The variation is driven mostly by hazardous area dossier work, RTO discharge train procurement and the depth of as-built documentation.

Can SBKJ supply duct outside Victoria?

Yes. SBKJ supplies cosmetic, sunscreen, fragrance and hair-care duct packages across Australia from Box Hill North VIC. Recent deliveries have served Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Hobart cosmetic and personal-care plants. Site support during installation and commissioning is provided by SBKJ engineers travelling from Melbourne, with extended on-site time for the most complex configurations (Zone 1 fragrance exhaust, NFPA 660 pigment dust, sunscreen lines, aerosol filling, nail polish RTO discharge).

Does SBKJ do the hazardous area dossier itself?

SBKJ supplies the duct package with all the technical evidence the hazardous area dossier requires — coil mill certificate, weld procedure, leakage test, static dissipation continuity, IECEx motor certificate, fan AMCA declaration, P&ID and isometric drawings. The dossier itself is signed off by an AS/NZS 60079 competent person, who is either employed by the customer or contracted by SBKJ as a specialist consultant. The dossier is then filed in the plant master record and presented at the next Worksafe or TGA audit.

How does SBKJ work with a small premium fragrance house compared with a large multinational sunscreen plant?

The scope and the volume change but the fabrication procedure does not. A boutique premium fragrance house (Goldfield & Banks, Bondi Wash) places a 50-metre to 200-metre package at low volume. A multinational TGA-listed sunscreen plant places a 2000-metre to 5000-metre package across multiple lines. The 304L and 316L coil, the SBAL-V forming, the SB-ZF1500 stitchweld, the pickling and passivation, the IECEx motor and the as-built documentation are the same. The smaller customer gets the same audit-ready evidence pack as the largest because the regulator does not differentiate by plant size.

Are SBKJ duct packages compatible with overseas brand audits?

Yes. The SBKJ specification baseline (304L/316L stainless, sealed-seam SMACNA Class A, TIG seam weld where required, IECEx hazardous area, as-built documentation pack) is aligned with European, North American and global brand-audit expectations. Australian customers exporting cosmetic, sunscreen, fragrance or hair-care product to the European Union, the United Kingdom, North America, the Middle East or Asia run their plants to a global brand-audit baseline, and the SBKJ duct package meets that baseline.