The Commonwealth, states and territories are responsible for making their own work health and safety (WHS) laws.

A person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) has a primary duty to ensure the health and safety of workers while they are at work in the business or undertaking and others who may be affected by the carrying out of work, such as visitors. 

How regulators use the policy 

Regulators administer WHS laws within their jurisdiction including monitoring and enforcing compliance with WHS laws. 

Safe Work Australia developed a single set of work health and safety (WHS laws) for jurisdictions to implement across Australia. These are known as ‘model’ laws. Each state and territory, and the Commonwealth, has its own WHS laws, including an Act, regulations and codes of practice.

Background 

1. In February 2008, the then Workplace Relations Ministers Council agreed that model legislation was the most effective way to achieve harmonisation of Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws.&n

Ministers responsible for WHS asked Safe Work Australia to review the content and operation of the model WHS laws in 2018. Safe Work Australia appointed independent reviewer, Ms Marie Boland, to conduct the Review.

You have duties under WHS laws to keep people in the workplace safe if you’re: 

The model WHS laws include: 

Persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) must notify their WHS regulator immediately after becoming aware of serious work-related injuries, illnesses and dangerous incidents. These are referred to as ‘notifiable incidents’.  

Safe Work Australia is a national policy body responsible for the development and evaluation of the model WHS laws (the model laws), which are comprised of:

Every Australian jurisdiction has a WHS regulator to administer WHS laws in their state or territory. Regulators may provide advice and information on WHS rights, duties and responsibilities, and how to comply with the WHS laws in your jurisdiction.

The Commonwealth, states and territories are responsible for making their own work health and safety (WHS) laws.

The model WHS laws have been implemented in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, the Commonwealth and Weste

The Model Work Health and Safety Regulations (Hazardous Chemicals) Amendment 2020 amends the 

The Model Work Health and Safety Regulations (Hazardous Chemicals) Amendment 2020 amends the 

This guide provides information for persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) involving the supply of workers (labour hire PCBUs) to work for another business or undertaking (host PCBUs) on complying with their health and safety duties under the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws.

The Model Work Health and Safety Regulations Amendment (Diving Work) 2018 (Diving Work Amendments) amends Part 4.8 (Diving Work) of the

The Model Work Health and Safety Regulations Amendment (Diving Work) 2018 (Diving Work Amendments) amends Part 4.8 (Diving Work) of the

This guide provides information on how the model work health and safety (WHS) laws apply to volunteers. It outlines how volunteers can meet their work health and safety duties and explains what volunteers can expect from the organisations they volunteer for. 

The model Work Health and Safety (Blood Lead Removal Levels) amended Regulations 2018 – model provisions amends:  

• R394 Meaning of lead risk work 

• R407 Frequency of biological monitoring 

This decision regulation impact statement (RIS): 

• analyses the likely impact of implementing the proposed model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act 

In 2016, amendments were made to the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations to exempt certain agricultural and veterinary (AgVet) chemical products from WHS hazardous chemical labelling requirements. 

In 2016, amendments were made to the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations to exempt certain agricultural and veterinary (AgVet) chemical products from WHS hazardous chemical labelling requirements. 

This Code of Practice provides practical advice for persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) and other duty holders on managing risks associated with stevedoring. It applies to all workplaces where stevedoring operations are carried out.

This guide provides information for anyone operating a business or undertaking on how the model work health and safety (WHS) laws apply to organisations that engage

This guide provides information on how the model work health and safety (WHS) laws apply to volunteers

This document provides guidance on the standard of health and safety that a PCBU must meet under the WHS Act and Regulations. A PCBU must do what is ‘reasonably practicable’ to ensure health and safety. 

This model Code of Practice provides guidance on managing risks associated with excavation work. 

This Code applies to all types of excavation work, including: 

This model Code of Practice guides you on managing risks with spray painting and powder coating. 

Use this Code of Practice if you have any spray painting or powder coating processes at your workplace. 

This model Code of Practice guides you on managing risks with abrasive blasting.

Use this Code of Practice if you have any abrasive blasting processes at your workplace.

This model Code of Practice provides guidance on managing the risks of demolition work.  

You should use this Code if you: 

This model Code of Practice provides practical guidance on managing electrical risks in the workplace. 

Use this guide if you: 

• manage or control electrical equipment 

Use this model Code of Practice if you design structures that will be used, or could reasonably be expected to be used, as a workplace. This includes architects, building designers and engineers. 

This model Code of Practice has been developed to provide practical guidance on how to manage health and safety risks associated with hazardous chemicals for persons conducting a business or undertaking who use chemicals in their workplace.

This model Code of Practice provides guidance on how to meet the standards of work health and safety (WHS) required under the WHS Act and Regulations in relation to construction work. 

In this model Code, the word:

This model Code of Practice provides guidance on managing risks of plant in the workplace.  

Use this Code if you: 

This model Code of Practice provides guidance on managing the risk of falls in housing construction. 

In this model Code, the word:  

This model Code of Practice provides guidance on providing first aid in the workplace. 

It includes information on: 

• first aid kits 

• procedures 

• facilities 

This document provides guidance on the interpretation and application of specific terms and concepts used in the provisions of the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act to prohibit discriminatory, coercive or misleading conduct. 

The explanatory statement explains the intended operation of the current version of the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations, dated 1 September 2024.