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We created the model WHS laws in 2011.

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Data and Research

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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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This guide helps doctors monitor the health of workers exposed to carbon disulphide.  

Pure carbon disulfide (CAS 75-15-0): 

  • is a clear, colourless liquid that has a sweet, pleasant smell 

/resources-and-publications/guidance-materials/health-monitoring-carbon-disulfide

This guide helps doctors monitor the health of workers exposed to beryllium.  

Beryllium (CAS 7440-41-7) is a grey metal that is found in nature as a mineral with silica or with aluminium and silica.  

/resources-and-publications/guidance-materials/health-monitoring-beryllium

Antimony (CAS 7440-36-0) is a brittle, silver white metallic element. You can find antimony (Sb) in different oxidation states, like free metal, trivalent (Sb[III]) and pentavalent (Sb[V]) oxidation. 

/resources-and-publications/guidance-materials/health-monitoring-antimony
This health monitoring report is a confidential health record and must not be disclosed to another person except in accordance with the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations or with the consent of the worker.
/resources-and-publications/guidance-materials/crystalline-silica-health-monitoring-assessment-and-report
This checklist is to be used with the Health monitoring for persons conducting a business undertaking guide.
/resources-and-publications/guidance-materials/health-monitoring-persons-conducting-business-or-undertaking-pcbu-checklist
This decision regulation impact statement (decision RIS) is about the framework for workplace exposure standards under the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws and how it should be kept up to date.
/doc/decision-regulation-impact-statement-workplace-exposure-standards-framework-under-model-work-health-and-safety-laws
This guide will help PCBUs, particularly principal contractors in charge of construction projects, to manage risk when working with prefabricated concrete elements.
/doc/guide-managing-risk-construction-prefabricated-concrete

This report provides detailed information about:

/doc/insights-report-exploring-dust-exposure-stone-industry
Public submissions closed on 28 September 2012. The zip file contains the documents and public submissions received during the consultation process.
/doc/public-comment-proposed-amendment-workplace-exposure-standard-wes-mineral-wools-previously-known-synthetic-mineral-fibres-2012

This document outlines the criteria to assign a skin notation to a chemical. 

/doc/wes-review-criteria-skin-notation

This document is about a new notation for ‘immediately dangerous to life or health’ (IDLH) in the 

/doc/wes-review-immediately-dangerous-life-or-health-notation

This information is on the 

/doc/wes-review-non-threshold-based-genotoxic-carcinogens

This document outlines the chemicals that will be added to and removed from the workplace exposure standards (WES) list. 

You can also see the: 

/doc/wes-review-selection-hazardous-chemicals-be-considered-addition-or-removal-workplace-exposure-standards-list

This document outlines the criteria for how to find hazardous chemicals that could be added to or removed from the 

/doc/wes-review-criteria-selection-hazardous-chemicals-be-considered-addition-or-removal-workplace-exposure-standards-list

This document identifies appropriate domestic and international sources that support the

/doc/wes-review-criteria-selection-sources-workplace-exposure-standards-notations-and-supporting-data

This document is about a process to recommend health-based values and advisory notations for chemicals in the 

/doc/wes-review-recommending-health-based-workplace-exposure-standards-and-notations

Use this guide to manage risks with split rims. You should use this general guide if your workplace:

/doc/general-guide-split-rims

Workers can experience whole body vibration (WBV) at the workplace.  

Use this guide if you measure and assess vibration at the workplace.  

This guide is part of a workplace vibration collection, which includes: 

/doc/guide-measuring-and-assessing-whole-body-vibration

Workers can experience hand-arm vibration at the workplace.

Use this guide if you measure and assess vibration at the workplace.

This guide is part of a workplace vibration collection, which includes:

/doc/guide-measuring-and-assessing-workplace-exposure-hand-arm-vibration

Workers can be exposed to whole body vibration (WBV) at the workplace. 

Use this guide if you are a worker who is or likely to be exposed to WBV, or if you measure and assess vibration at the workplace. 

/doc/guide-managing-risks-exposure-whole-body-vibration

This Guide provides information on managing the risks of unauthorised persons working near low voltage overhead service lines near structures and buildings.  

/doc/guide-low-voltage-overhead-electric-lines-near-structures

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

This guide will help you identify low density asbestos fibreboard (LDB) and will provide you with information about managing and handling LDB.  

/doc/how-identify-and-handle-low-density-asbestos-fibreboard

Workers can experience hand-arm vibration (HAV) at the workplace.

Use this guide if you are a worker who is or is likely to be exposed to HAV, or if you measure and assess vibration at the workplace.

This guide is part of a workplace vibration collection, which includes:

/doc/guide-managing-risks-exposure-hand-arm-vibration

This handbook provides guidance on good work design. It includes the

/doc/principles-good-work-design

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-lead-and-lead-compounds

Use this guide to manage health and safety risks associated with high pressure water jetting operations. 

/doc/guide-managing-risks-high-pressure-water-jetting

Workplace bullying is a risk to health and safety. It can occur wherever people work together in all types of workplaces. It is best dealt with by taking steps to prevent it from occurring and responding quickly if it does occur.

/doc/guide-preventing-and-responding-workplace-bullying

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

This guide helps doctors monitor the health of workers exposed to 4,4'-Methylene Bis (2Chloroaniline) [MOCA].  

/resources-and-publications/guidance-materials/health-monitoring-44-methylene-bis-2chloroaniline-moca

This guide helps doctors monitor the health of workers exposed to vinyl chloride.  

/resources-and-publications/guidance-materials/health-monitoring-vinyl-chloride

This guide helps doctors monitor the health of workers exposed to thallium.  

/resources-and-publications/guidance-materials/health-monitoring-thallium

This guide helps doctors monitor the health of workers exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).  

/resources-and-publications/guidance-materials/health-monitoring-polycyclic-aromatic-hydrocarbons

This guide helps doctors monitor the health of workers exposed to pentachlorophenol (PCP).  

Pure pentachlorophenol (CAS 87-86-5) is a colourless or white, needle-like crystal. 

/resources-and-publications/guidance-materials/health-monitoring-pentachlorophenol

This guide helps doctors monitor the health of workers exposed to inorganic mercury.  

/doc/health-monitoring-mercury-inorganic

This guide helps doctors monitor the health of workers exposed to inorganic lead.  

/resources-and-publications/guidance-materials/health-monitoring-lead-inorganic
The guide provides registered medical practitioners with practical guidance on requirements under the model work health and safety laws for health monitoring of workers exposed to crystalline silica.
/doc/health-monitoring-crystalline-silica

This guide helps doctors monitor the health of workers exposed to creosote 

Creosote (CAS 8001-58-9; 8021-39-4; 8007-45-2) is the name for products that are mixtures of many chemicals. 

/resources-and-publications/guidance-materials/health-monitoring-creosote

This guide helps doctors to monitor the health of workers exposed to chromium.  

Chromium (CAS 7440-47-3) is a steel-grey metal that exists as: 

  • a free metal 

/resources-and-publications/guidance-materials/health-monitoring-chromium

This guide helps doctors to monitor the health of workers exposed to cadmium.  

/doc/health-monitoring-cadmium

The guide helps doctors to monitor the health of workers exposed to benzene.  

/resources-and-publications/guidance-materials/health-monitoring-benzene

The guide helps doctors to monitor the health of workers exposed to asbestos.

Examples of work with asbestos include:

/doc/health-monitoring-asbestos

This guide helps doctors monitor the health of workers exposed to arsenic.  

/resources-and-publications/guidance-materials/health-monitoring-arsenic

This guide helps doctors monitor the health of workers exposed to acrylonitrile. 

Acrylonitrile (CAS 107-13-1) is a clear, colourless, highly flammable liquid with a mild, bad odour. You may know it as vinyl cyanide. 

/resources-and-publications/guidance-materials/health-monitoring-acrylonitrile

Use this guide if you manage cyanide in the workplace. 

Exposure to cyanide can cause cyanide poisoning to workers who store, handle and use cyanide. 

/doc/guide-preventing-and-responding-cyanide-poisoning-workplace
A list of workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants and how to meet your duties under the Work Health and Safety Act and Regulations.
/doc/workplace-exposure-standards-airborne-contaminants-2024
Advice on the application of workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants in the workplace.
/doc/guidance-interpretation-workplace-exposure-standards-airborne-contaminants

Use this guide if you manage foundry work in the workplace. 

Foundry work involves casting molten metal into a mould. It presents a range of work health and safety risks that need to be managed. 

/doc/guide-managing-risks-associated-foundry-work