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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This report provides national statistics on all workers and bystanders fatally injured at work.
/doc/work-related-traumatic-injury-fatalities-australia-2019

New data reporting tools released in December on our data website, Our Data. Your Stories., have now replaced the Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) calculator. 

/media-centre/news/lost-time-injury-frequency-rate-ltifr-calculator-now-retired
/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/young-workers/whs-duties

Employers must undertake processes to manage work health and safety risks to all workers.

/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/young-workers/managing-risks
/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/young-workers/resources

WHS laws protect all workers in Australia, including full-time, casual or part-time workers, volunteers, apprentices, trainees and 
students completing work experience. 

/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/young-workers/overview

In December, Safe Work Australia launched a collection of new reporting tools to help users more accurately assess, measure and report data on WHS performance.

/media-centre/news/new-whs-data-reporting-tools-replace-calculator

Safe Work Australia has published new data on the Jurisdictional Comparison dashboard for 2022-23 as part of our data website –

/media-centre/news/jurisdictional-comparison-data-2022-23-released

Today, Safe Work Australia launched a collection of new tools on its data website, Our Data. Your Stories., to help users assess, measure and report on work health and safety (WHS) performance.

The tools include: 

/media-centre/news/new-tools-help-organisations-enhance-their-whs-data-reporting

Safe Work Australia has updated the WHS prosecutions dashboard to reflect the latest publicly available data from 2022, available on Safe Work Australia’s interactive data website,

/media-centre/news/updated-whs-prosecutions-data-now-available

Safe Work Australia has today released the Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia 2023 report, which reveals a national snapshot of work health and safety in Australia.

/media-centre/media-release/still-too-many-work-related-fatalities-and-injuries

The latest edition of the Safe Work Australia Quarterly Newsletter is now available! 

/media-centre/news/data-focus-read-our-latest-quarterly-news-update

Today, Safe Work Australia released a new interactive data website that allows users to explore national work health and safety (WHS) and workers’ compensation data in an intuitive and user-friendly way.

/media-centre/media-release/new-website-provides-whs-data-your-fingertips

Safe Work Australia is proud to announce the beta release of our new data website, https://data.safeworkaustralia.gov.au

/media-centre/news/help-make-our-data-beta-website-even-better

This infographic provides statistics about workers’ compensation claims in Australia. 

/doc/australian-workers-compensation-statistics-2020-21-infographic

The Australian workers’ compensation statistics (AWCS) report provides detailed statistics about workers’ compensation claims that were lodged in Australia between 2000–01 and 2020–21, including preliminary data for 2020–21 and trend analysis to 2019–20. 

/doc/australian-workers-compensation-statistics-2020-2021

Each year, Safe Work Australia produces national work health and safety statistics, providing important evidence on the state of work health and safety in Australia.

/media-centre/news/using-data-make-workplaces-safer-0

The report was updated 17 January 2023. The update affected page 11 of the report only.

/doc/key-work-health-and-safety-statistics-australia-2022

Safe Work Australia commissioned Deloitte Access Economics to undertake research exploring the cost of workplace injury and illness in Australia.

/doc/safer-healthier-wealthier-economic-value-reducing-work-related-injuries-and-illnesses-technical-report

Safe Work Australia commissioned Deloitte Access Economics to undertake research exploring the cost of workplace injury and illness in Australia.

/doc/safer-healthier-wealthier-economic-value-reducing-work-related-injuries-and-illnesses-summary-report
/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/consultation/resources

Safe Work Australia has published findings from the 2021 National Return to Work Survey, including key metrics, insights and time series data.

/media-centre/news/results-2021-national-return-work-survey

This summary presents highlights from the 2021 National Return to Work Survey including key metrics, insights and time series data. The summary also includes a section on COVID-19 and its impact on recovery and return to work.

/doc/2021-national-return-work-survey-summary-report
/doc/workplace-sexual-harassment-statistics-infographic

This report provides a summary of key measures from the 2021 National Return to Work Survey – the ‘returned to work rate’ and the ‘current return to work rate’.

/doc/2021-national-return-work-survey-headline-measures-report

The Australian workers’ compensation statistics (AWCS) report provides detailed statistics about workers’ compensation claims that were lodged in Australia between 2000-01 and 2019-20, including preliminary data for 2019-20 and trend analysis to 2018-19. 

/doc/australian-workers-compensation-statistics-2019-20

Work-related traumatic injury fatalities Australia 2020 report provides national statistics on all workers and bystanders fatally injured at work. This report does not include fatalities that occurred while the worker was commuting to or from work (commuter fatalities).

/doc/work-related-traumatic-injury-fatalities-australia-2020

Safe Work Australia’s statistical reports released in 2021 mark the first time the data reference year includes periods when Australia was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

/doc/covid-19-and-safe-work-australia-data

This includes trends, gender and age comparisons, and industry and occupation breakdowns for work health and safety and serious workers’ compensation claims in Australia.

/doc/key-work-health-and-safety-statistics-australia-2021

This report provides a snapshot of COVID-19 related workers’ compensation claims from 1 January to 31 December 2020.

/resources-and-publications/c19-workers-compensation-claims

Today’s society is increasingly focused on a 24/7 economy and the expectations on people to work at all hours of the day have increased. 

/resources-and-publications/video-and-audio/managing-shift-work-and-workplace-fatigue

Quad bike fatalities data can now be seen on our new quad bike fatalities interactive data page on the Data website.

/data-and-research/work-related-fatalities/quad-bike-fatalities

Costs of work-related fatalities, injuries and diseases data can now be seen on our new interactive data page on the Data website.

/data-and-research/work-related-injuries/cost-work-related-injuries-diseases-and-fatalities

Work-related diseases data can now be seen on our new interactive data page on the Data website.

/data-and-research/work-related-diseases/impacts-work-related-disease

Work-related diseases data can now be seen on our new interactive data page on the Data website.

/data-and-research/work-related-diseases/incidence-work-related-disease
/data-and-research/work-related-fatalities/work-related-traumatic-injury-fatalities-database

Work-related fatalities data can now be seen on our new interactive data page on the Data website.

/data-and-research/work-related-fatalities/preliminary-work-related-fatalities

Work-related diseases data can now be seen on our new interactive data page on the Data website.

/data-and-research/work-related-diseases/understanding-work-related-disease

You can request data via our new Request data form on the Data website.

/data-and-research/request-data

About our data can now be seen on our new about page on the Data website.

/data-and-research/about-our-data

Work health and safety data reporting can now be seen on the Data website.

/data-and-research/industry-benchmarking

Work-related injuries data can now be seen on our new interactive data page on the Data website.

/data-and-research/work-related-injuries

National Return to Work outcomes data can now be seen on our new interactive data page on the Data website.

/data-and-research/measuring-return-work-outcomes

Work-related diseases data can now be seen on our new interactive data page on the Data website.

/data-and-research/work-related-diseases

Explore our data through our new Interactive Dashboards and Data Insights on the Data website.

/data-and-research/research-industry-or-topic

The public administration and safety industry has a high number of work-related deaths, injuries and illnesses. 

As a person conducting a business or undertaking, you have a duty to keep workers and your workplace safe. 

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/public-administration-and-safety

The manufacturing industry has a high number of work-related deaths, injuries and illnesses. As a person conducting a business or undertaking, you have a duty to keep workers and workplaces safe from the risks associated with manufacturing.  

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/manufacturing

Construction work is particularly dangerous.  

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/construction

The agriculture industry includes businesses that: 

  • grow and cultivate horticultural and other crops (except forestry)

  • breed, raise or farm animals (except aquaculture).

/safety-topic/industry-and-business/agriculture

The accommodation services industry can pose health and safety risks for workers and visitors.

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