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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Resources and Publications

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

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This paper analyses the complex nature of workers’ compensation coverage in Australia. The paper considers whether current workers’ compensation coverage arrangements in Australia remain fit for purpose, by using gig economy and agriculture industry case studies.

/doc/workers-compensation-coverage-paper

This report is on the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012-2022 progress from 1 October 2013 to 30 September 2014.  

/resources-and-publications/reports/second-progress-report-australian-work-health-and-safety-strategy-2012-2022

As part of the first phase of national initiatives under the

/doc/research-causes-and-impact-stigma-workplaces-and-approaches-creating-positive-workplace

Summary: the role of accounting in work health and safety study 

The issue 

Poorly controlled work health and safety (WHS) and resultant work-related injuries and illnesses potentially create significant social and financial organisa

/role-accounting-work-health-and-safety-whs-governance

WHS reporting needs to provide relevant, robust and timely information to inform decisions that influence ongoing business performance. 

/resources-and-publications/reports/measuring-and-reporting-work-health-and-safety

Comparing Australian and New Zealand workers’ compensation  

We release a biennial report comparing Australia and New Zealand’s workers’ compensation arrangements: 

/workers-compensation/comparing-workers-compensation-australia
The key achievements and scorecard report [LINK] captures baseline national measures based on the Measurement Framework as we strive towards achieving the National Return to Work Strategy 2020-2030 vision and outcomes over the 10-years.
/doc/key-achievements-and-scorecard-report-2020-year-1
In 2021, the first edition of the Summary of Workers’ Compensation Scheme Developments in Australia was produced. The report will be biennial and is based on input from the New Zealand and the Australian States, Territories and Commonwealth compensation schemes.
/doc/summary-workers-compensation-scheme-developments-australia-and-new-zealand

The Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health (MonCOEH) prepared this report, which: 

/doc/occupational-lung-diseases-australia-2006-2019
Rationale and technical details underpinning the Measurement Framework
/resources-and-publications/reports/methodology-measurement-framework-national-return-work-strategy-2020-2030
Measuring the success of the National Return to Work Strategy 2020-2030
/resources-and-publications/reports/measurement-framework-national-return-work-strategy-2020-2030
This report provides information about workers’ compensation arrangements and the differences between schemes in Australia and New Zealand.
/doc/comparison-workers-compensation-arrangements-australia-and-new-zealand-2019

This report provides a detailed examination of the causes, impacts and prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). 

/resources-and-publications/reports/work-related-musculoskeletal-disorders-australia-2019
This summary includes feedback received through the targeted face-to-face consultation sessions and the online public consultation period.
/doc/proposal-adopt-ghs-7-consultation-summary

This report provides detailed information about:

/doc/insights-report-exploring-dust-exposure-stone-industry
This report discusses the findings of the review of the model WHS laws, including 34 recommendations designed to enhance the WHS framework.
/doc/review-model-whs-laws-final-report
This report provides information about workers’ compensation arrangements and the differences between schemes in Australia and New Zealand.
/resources-and-publications/reports/comparison-workers-compensation-arrangements-australia-and-new-zealand-2018
This summary identifies the key topics and issues raised during the public consultation process for the 2018 review of the model work health and safety laws.
/doc/review-model-whs-laws-consultation-summary
This report offers insights into the behavioural and cultural factors and barriers which impact on the work health and safety practices of farmers.
/resources-and-publications/reports/insights-report-exploring-experience-family-farmers
This report examines the similarities and differences between psychological and physical claims.
/resources-and-publications/reports/return-work-comparison-psychological-and-physical-injury-claims
This report provides an analysis of the Survey results and includes a comparative literature review on Return To Work after psychological injury.
/resources-and-publications/reports/return-work-psychological-claims

Why has this research been done?

  • To better understand the prevalence of workplace bullying and harassment in Australian workplaces and to identify workplace risk factors associated with the occurrence of bullying and harassment.

What did we find?

  • B
/resources-and-publications/reports/bullying-and-harassment-australian-workplaces-results-australian-workplace-barometer-2014-15

Why has this research been done? 

  • Sickness absence and presenteeism have a direct impact on organisation productivity 

/resources-and-publications/reports/psychosocial-safety-climate-and-better-productivity-australian-workplaces-costs-productivity-presenteeism-absenteeism

This paper is one in a series of research papers on the role of accounting in work health and safety governance.

/doc/performance-measurement-incentives-and-organisational-culture

This paper is one in a series of research papers on the role of accounting in work health and safety governance.

/resources-and-publications/reports/issues-measurement-and-reporting-work-health-and-safety-performance

This paper is one in a series of research papers on the role of accounting in work health and safety governance.

/doc/issues-assurance-and-verification-work-health-and-safety-information

Why has this research been done? 

Two important aspects of safety climate are management safety empowerment and management safety justice, which are the perceived degree to which employers respectively empower their workers to influence aspects of their own safety and deal with hea

/resources-and-publications/reports/perceived-levels-management-safety-empowerment-and-justice-among-australian-employers

A random, population-based sample of 5,528 Australian workers participated in the Australian Work Exposure Study (AWES). Workers answered questions about the tasks they completed and the controls used at work.

/resources-and-publications/reports/australian-work-exposure-study-awes-carcinogen-exposures-construction-industry

Safe Work Australia’s emerging issues surveillance program identifies new priority issues which can affect workers’ health and safety, and undertakes and disseminates research to investigate these.

/resources-and-publications/reports/sedentary-work-evidence-emergent-work-health-and-safety-issue

This educational resource provides guidance about work health and safety and safe work design.

It covers the evidence and theory behind the principles of good work design. Further guidance is available in:

/resources-and-publications/reports/does-evidence-and-theory-support-good-work-design-principles

This report examines the scientific evidence on the link between diseases and workplace exposure.  

Workers’ compensation authorities can use this report to revise the deemed diseases provisions in their workers’ compensation legislation.  

/resources-and-publications/reports/deemed-diseases-australia

How businesses and workers gain access to work health and safety information has been identified as an area of interest in the

/resources-and-publications/reports/sources-work-health-and-safety-information-australian-workplaces

This paper reports on the attitudes of Australian workers towards accepting risk taking and rule breaking in the workplace.  

/resources-and-publications/reports/attitudes-towards-risk-taking-and-rule-breaking-australian-workplaces

The issue

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of chemical compounds formed during the incomplete combustion of organic material.

/resources-and-publications/reports/research-brief-australian-work-exposures-study-awes-polycyclic-aromatic-hydrocarbons-pahs

The Australian Work Exposures Study (AWES) was a national survey conducted by the Western Australian Institute of Medical Research (WAIMR) in 2011–12 that investigated work-related exposures among Australian workers to 38 known or suspected carcinogens.

/resources-and-publications/reports/australian-work-exposures-study-awes-polycyclic-aromatic-hydrocarbons-pahs

The Australian Work Exposures Study (AWES) was a national survey conducted by the Western Australian Institute of Medical Research (WAIMR) in 2011–12 that investigated work-related exposures among Australian workers to 38 known or suspected carcinogens.

/resources-and-publications/reports/australian-work-exposures-study-awes-formaldehyde

The Australian Work Exposures Study (AWES) was a national survey conducted by the Western Australian Institute of Medical Research (WAIMR) in 2011–12 that investigated work-related exposures among Australian workers to 38 known or suspected carcinogens.

/resources-and-publications/reports/australian-work-exposures-study-awes-lead-and-lead-compounds

This study examined 523 worker fatalities for which there was sufficient information on the circumstances to make a judgement on the contribution of unsafe design to the incident.

/resources-and-publications/reports/work-related-fatalities-unsafe-design

This information sheet provides advice on the current laws and requirements when managing inorganic lead in the workplace. 

/resources-and-publications/reports/review-hazards-and-health-effects-inorganic-lead

This report: 

/resources-and-publications/reports/review-hazards-and-health-effects-inorganic-lead-implications-whs-regulatory-policy

This report by The University of Sydney presents the findings of a pilot study that aimed to:

/resources-and-publications/reports/work-ability-australia-pilot-study

This report demonstrates the important role employers play in supporting a worker to return to work following an injury. The report uses data from the 2013 Return to Work Survey of 4698 injured workers from Australia and New Zealand.

/resources-and-publications/reports/return-work-survey-role-employer-and-workplace-australia-and-new-zealand-2013

This project was undertaken by Instinct and Reason Pty Ltd under commission from Safe Work Australia. The report describes the findings of a qualitative research study on the structural metal product manufacturing industry—an industry with a high rate of work-related injury and illness.

/resources-and-publications/reports/work-health-and-safety-structural-metal-product-manufacturing-qualitative-research-study

There has been very little published about how and why interventions by regulators influence work health and safety compliance and outcomes.

/resources-and-publications/reports/effectiveness-work-health-and-safety-interventions-regulators-literature-review

Several European studies have reported high levels of residual chemical levels in sealed shipping containers. The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service found similar results when testing containers in Australia.

/doc/hazard-surveillance-residual-chemicals-shipping-containers

Biomechanical demands such as repetitive hand or arm movements, lifting heavy loads or working in awkward postures contribute to the development or worsening of inflammatory or degenerative musculoskeletal disorders.

/resources-and-publications/reports/national-hazard-exposure-worker-surveillance-exposure-biomechanical-demands-pain-and-fatigue-symptoms-and-provision-controls-australia-workplaces

Biological hazards are organic substances that pose a threat to the health of humans and other living organisms. They include pathogenic micro-organisms, viruses (e.g. Hepatitis, HIV, avian flu, Q-fever), toxins, spores, fungi and bio-active substances.

/resources-and-publications/reports/national-hazard-exposure-worker-surveillance-exposure-biological-hazards-and-provision-controls-against-biological-hazards-australian-workplaces

In a key step toward making the harmonisation of OHS laws a reality, the National Review into Model OHS Laws (the Review) concluded in January 2009 with the provision of the Review panel's second and final report to the Workplace Relations Ministers' Council (WRMC).

/doc/wrmc-response-recommendations-national-review-model-whs-laws

This report provides information on the risks associated with caring for obese and bariatric patients, including: 

  • transporting patients  

  • moving patients 

  • in-home treatment 

/resources-and-publications/reports/manual-handling-risks-associated-care-treatment-and-transportation-bariatric-severely-obese-patients-australia

While the use of asbestos has been banned in Australia since 2003, in the past there was widespread use of asbestos in buildings. Construction and maintenance workers may be more likely to be involved in work that can disturb asbestos. 

/doc/asbestos-exposure-and-compliance-study-construction-and-maintenance-workers