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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Everyone in the workplace has a work health and safety (WHS) duty.  

/safety-topic/hazards/fatigue/whs-duties

Workers’ compensation coverage of psychological injuries 

Workers’ compensation is available for physical and psychological injury and disease. 

/workers-compensation/workers-compensation-psychological-injuries

Resources for people working with cranes. 

/safety-topic/hazards/cranes/resources

Working with cranes is high-risk work. Find out the process for managing risks with cranes, including how to do an emergency plan.  

/safety-topic/hazards/cranes/managing-risks

Everyone in the workplace has work health and safety (WHS) duties under the model WHS Act. People who work with cranes have some specific responsibilities. 

/safety-topic/hazards/cranes/whs-duties

If you’re a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), you must look after your workers’ health and safety. 

/safety-topic/hazards/concrete-pumping/whs-duties

Volunteer organisations and their volunteers have duties under work health and safety (WHS) laws. Find out what they are and get the guides for more information. 

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/volunteers/whs-duties

Resources for volunteers and organisations who engage volunteers. 

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/volunteers/resources

If you have volunteers in your organisation, they are part of your workforce.

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/volunteers/overview

As a PCBU, you must, so far as is reasonably practicable, eliminate or minimise risks associated with the retail industry. You should manage risks by working through the hierarchy of control measures.  

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/retail-services/managing-risks

Everyone in the workplace has work health and safety duties. If you’re a person conducting a business or undertaking, you have specific obligations to protect the health and safety of everyone in your workplace. 

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/retail-services/whs-duties

There can be significant health and safety risks in the retail services industry. 

Workers in retail services usually sell goods or services to the public. The industry includes: 

  • shopping centres and department stores  

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/retail-services/overview

There are things your boss must do to look after your health and safety at work. There are things you must also do to look after yourself. 

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/migrant-workers/whs-duties

Your employer (your boss) must look after your health and safety at work. They must also provide insurance for you at work and meet minimum wage and working conditions. In Australia, it’s the law.  

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/migrant-workers/overview

There are some things you and your boss can do to reduce the risk of getting hurt at work. Learn what they are and what you can do to keep yourself safe. 

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/migrant-workers/managing-risks

These guides help major hazard facility (MHF) operators interpret Chapter 9 – Major hazard facilities in the 

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/major-hazard-facilities/resources

A person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) must manage any risks for labour hire. Find out what your duties are under the model work health and safety (WHS) laws. 

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/labour-hire/whs-duties

A person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) must manage any risks for labour hire. Find out what your duties are under the model work health and safety (WHS) laws. 

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/labour-hire/overview

As a PCBU, you must identify hazards and manage the associated risks, so far as is reasonably practicable. You also must ensure the measures you put in place remain effective.   

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/health-care-and-social-assistance/managing-risks

Everyone in the workplace has work health and safety duties.

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/health-care-and-social-assistance/whs-duties

People who work in health care and social assistance are exposed to hazards from the type of work they do, where they work and the people they work with.  

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/health-care-and-social-assistance/overview

Resources about working in accommodation services. 

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/accommodation-services/resources

As a PCBU, you must, so far as is reasonably practicable, eliminate or minimise risks associated with the accommodation industry. You should manage risks by working through the hierarchy of control measures. 

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/accommodation-services/managing-risks

There can be significant health and safety risks in the accommodation industry. 

Accommodation services may include: 

  • hotels and motels 

  • caravan and camping grounds 

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/accommodation-services/overview

Resources on working from home 

/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/working-home/resources

Persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers when they are working from home. WHS duties apply even if workers request to work from home or they are working from home due to external factors (e.g.

/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/working-home/whs-duties

WHS laws apply to when workers work from home just as they do in traditional workplaces such as offices. Working from home can have benefits for both workers and businesses. However, the WHS risks must still be managed.

/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/working-home/overview

Volunteer organisations and their volunteers have duties under work health and safety (WHS) laws. Find out what they are and get the guides for more information. 

/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/volunteers/whs-duties

If you have volunteers in your organisation, they are part of your workforce.

/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/volunteers/overview

As a PCBU, you must manage risks associated with traffic at your workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable.

/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/traffic-management/managing-risks

Traffic at the workplace can be dangerous. As a PCBU, you must comply with your work health and safety (WHS) duties to manage the risks of traffic in the workplace. There are extra duties if you work on or near public roads. 

/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/traffic-management/overview

Safe design is an important step in making sure a product is without risks to health and safety. Find out ways to design buildings, structures and plant with minimal or no risk. 

/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/safe-design/managing-risks

Designing a product using safe design practices saves lives. It also reduces costs to businesses and the community. Find out how to use the methods and 5 principles of safe design. 

/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/safe-design/overview

Schedule 3 of the model WHS Regulations sets out high risk work licences and classes of high risk work. 

/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/licences/high-risk-work-licence-classes

Risk management should be ongoing. You may need to think about risk management again when changes occur within your workplace. For example, when you start a new business, change your business structure or purchase new equipment. 

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Risk management involves thinking about what could happen if someone is exposed to a hazard and how likely it is to happen. You should always aim to eliminate risks. If you can’t, you must minimise risks so far as is reasonably practicable. 

/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/identify-assess-and-control-hazards/managing-risks

Persons who conduct a business or undertaking (such an employer) and others have a duty to manage WHS risks in the workplace. 

/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/identify-assess-and-control-hazards/whs-duties

It is a legal requirement for every workplace to have an emergency plan. Find out what the duties are for emergency plans, including for shared workplaces. 

/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/emergency-plans-and-procedures/whs-duties

Further information on managing the risks when working with asbestos can be found below. 

/safety-topic/hazards/asbestos/resources

You must manage asbestos risks in your workplace. This includes keeping an asbestos register and an asbestos management plan. 

/safety-topic/hazards/asbestos/managing-risks

If you are a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), you must protect anyone that works with, or could be exposed to, asbestos. 

/safety-topic/hazards/asbestos/whs-duties

Asbestos comes in different forms, and some are more dangerous than others. All of them can seriously affect your health. 

/safety-topic/hazards/asbestos/overview

Resources on workplace bullying

/safety-topic/hazards/bullying/resources

The model WHS laws require you to take care of the health and safety of your workers, including yo

/safety-topic/hazards/bullying/managing-risks

If you’re a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), you must manage the health and safety risks of bullying at your workplace. 

/safety-topic/hazards/bullying/whs-duties

Workplace bullying is a risk to workplace health and safety. Find out about bullying, what it is and what to do about it. 

/safety-topic/hazards/bullying/overview

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

Supply chains and networks are the web of commercial or business relationships designed to provide goods or services. An example of a supply chain is moving agricultural produce from the farm to the supermarket. 

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/supply-chains-and-networks

Stevedoring involves all activities directly connected with: 

  • loading or unloading vessel cargo 

  • stacking and storing on the wharf 

  • receiving and delivering cargo within the terminal or facility. 

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/stevedoring

As a major employer in Australia, small businesses must look after the health and safety of their workers. Small businesses have work health and safety (WHS) duties and most are required to have workers’ compensation insurance. 

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/small-business