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On this page you will find information
- about the model Codes of Practice
- transitional approach to the model Codes of Practice
- Model Codes of Practice
- Draft model Codes of Practice for approval by the Ministerial Council
About the model Codes of Practice
In accordance with the Intergovernmental Agreement for Regulatory and Operational Reform in Occupational Health and Safety, Safe Work Australia develops model Codes of Practice as part of the package of harmonised work health and safety laws. Model Codes of Practice are often based on jurisdictional codes in place at the time of development and are informed by public comment.
Codes of practice are practical guides to achieving the standards of health, safety and welfare required under the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act and the WHS Regulations in a jurisdiction.
To have legal effect in a jurisdiction a model Code of Practice must be approved as a code of practice in that jurisdiction. To determine if a model Code of Practice has been approved in a particular jurisdiction, check with the relevant work health and safety regulator.
An approved code of practice applies to anyone who has a duty of care in the circumstances described in the code. In most cases, following an approved code of practice would achieve compliance with the health and safety duties in the WHS Act, in relation to the subject matter of the code. Like regulations, codes of practice deal with particular issues and do not cover all hazards or risks which may arise. The health and safety duties require duty holders to consider all risks associated with work, not only those for which regulations and codes of practice exist.
Under a WHS Act in a jurisdiction, approved codes of practice are admissible in court proceedings. Courts may regard an approved code of practice as evidence of what is known about a hazard, risk or control and may rely on the code in determining what is reasonably practicable in the circumstances to which the code relates.
Transitional approach to approved codes of practice
Transitional arrangements under the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act and WHS Regulations as adopted in each jurisdiction will allow duty holders a period of time to make necessary adjustments in order to comply with any new requirements.
Information of the transitional provisions that apply to an approved code of practice in a particular jurisdiction can be obtained from the relevant work health and safety regulator.
Safe Work Australia Members agreed to criteria for codes of practice. View the codes of practice and guidance material fact sheet.
The following model Codes of Practice have been finalised for implementation under the Intergovernmental Agreement for Regulatory and Operational Reform in Occupational Health and Safety
Model Codes of Practice
The following model Codes of Practice have been finalised for implementation under the Intergovernmental Agreement for Regulatory and Operational Reform in Occupational Health and Safety.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
C
- Confined Spaces
- Construction Work
- Work Health and Safety Consultation Co-operation and Co-ordination
D
E
- Managing Electrical Risks at the Workplace
- Excavation Work
- See ‘F’ for Managing the Work Environment and Facilities
F
- Managing the risk of Falls at Workplaces
- Preventing Falls in Housing Construction
- Managing the Work Environment and Facilities
- First Aid in the Workplace
H
- Labelling of Workplace Hazardous Chemicals
- Preparation of Safety Data Sheets for Hazardous Chemicals
- Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace
- See ‘F’ for Preventing Falls in Housing Construction
- See ‘M’ for Hazardous Manual Tasks
- See ‘N’ for Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work
M
N
P
- Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace
- See ‘S’ for Spray Painting and Powder Coating
R
- How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
- See ‘A’ for How to Safely Remove Asbestos
S
- Safe Design of Structures
- Spray Painting and Powder Coating
- See ‘H’ for the Preparation of Safety Data Sheets for Hazardous Chemicals
W
- Welding Processes
- See ‘F’ for Managing the Work Environment and Facilities
- See ‘C’ for Work Health and Safety Consultation, Cooperation and Coordination
Draft model Code of Practice: Preventing and Responding to Workplace Bullying
The draft model Code of Practice: Preventing and Responding to Workplace Bullying has been revised and will be released shortly for public comment together with a Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement. To receive notification when the public comment period is open subscribe to Safe Work Australia’s subscription service.
Draft model Code of Practice: Preventing and Managing Fatigue in the Workplace
In February 2013, Safe Work Australia decided advice on managing fatigue at work should be progressed as a Guide rather than a model Code of Practice. The draft Guide on Managing the Risks of Fatigue at Work has been circulated to Safe Work Australia members so that they may undertake local consultation within their jurisdictions.
Draft model Codes of Practice for approval by the Ministerial Council
These DRAFT Codes of Practice have been approved by Safe Work Australia Members and are ready for approval by the Select Council on Workplace Relations (Ministerial Council). The Codes will become model WHS Codes of Practice under the Inter- Governmental Agreement for Regulatory and Operational reform in OHS when they are approved by the Ministerial Council.
- Working in the vicinity of overhead and underground electric lines (
Working in the vicinity of overhead and underground electric linesPDF 1.3MB | 
Working in the vicinity of overhead and underground electric linesDOCX 9MB) - Safe design, manufacture, import and supply of plant (Safe design, manufacture, import and supply of plantPDF 557kb | Safe design, manufacture, import and supply of plantDOCX 393kb)
- Traffic management in workplaces (Traffic management in workplacesPDF 751kb | Traffic management in workplacesDOCX 1.1MB)
- Managing cash-in-transit security risks (Managing cash-in-transit security risksPDF 222kb | Managing cash-in-transit security risksDOCX 120kb)
- Amusement devices (Amusement devicesPDF 491kb | Amusement devicesDOCX 2.5MB)
- Scaffolds and scaffolding work (Scaffolds and scaffolding workPDF 769kb | Scaffolds and scaffolding workDOCX 845kb)
- Tree trimming and removal work - crane access method (Tree trimming and removal work - crane access methodPDF 512kb | Tree trimming and removal work - crane access methodDOCX 2.3MB)
- Industrial lift trucks (Industrial lift trucksPDF 577kb | Industrial lift trucksDOCX 712kb)
- Formwork and falsework (Formwork and falseworkPDF 1MB | Formwork and falseworkDOCX 731kb)
- Managing risks of plant in rural workplaces (Managing risks of plant in rural workplacesPDF 530kb | Managing risks of plant in rural workplacesDOCX 798kb)
- Cranes (CranesPDF 565kb | CranesDOCX 753kb)
- Managing risks in forestry operation (Managing risks in forestry operationPDF 1.3MB | Managing risks in forestry operationDOCX 5.2MB)
