Model WHS Laws

We created the model WHS laws in 2011.

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WHS laws in your jurisdiction

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Data and Research

We collect, analyse and publish data and information on work health and safety and workers' compensation.

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Key work health and safety statistics

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Resources and Publications

We publish a wide range of resources covering many work health and safety topics.

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Read our Codes of Practice

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Overview

Once you’ve identified hazards, the next thing you need to do is assess the risks by considering what could happen if someone is exposed to a hazard, and how likely it is this could happen. A risk assessment can be as simple as a discussion with your workers or it could involve specific risk analysis tools and techniques developed for specific risks or recommended by safety professionals. For some complex situations, expert or specialist advice may be useful when conducting a risk assessment.

A risk assessment can help you to determine:

  • how severe a risk is
  • whether any existing control measures are effective
  • what action you should take to control the risk, and
  • how urgently the action needs to be taken.

Activities for this week

Download our activity kit to access templates, guidance and more to use this National Safe Work Month!

Work out how severe the harm could be

Use our activity kit template and questions to identify how severe the harm could be for a particular hazard.

Work out the likelihood of harm occurring

We have a set of questions to help you identify the likelihood of harm for a particular hazard.

Update your risk register

Incorporate your risk assessment findings into your risk register. 

It’s not too late to host a SafeTea event for National Safe Work Month! 

Join hundreds of workplaces putting safety in the spotlight through a SafeTea event this October. National Safe Work Month is the perfect time to get the team together and talk about WHS over a morning or afternoon tea, lunch, breakfast, meeting or toolbox talk – whatever works best for your workplace. Use our SafeTea event kit to help plan and get the safety conversation started.


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Further advice

SWA is not a regulator and cannot advise you about WHS issues in the workplace. If you need help please contact your state or territory work health and safety authority.