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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Safe Work Australia is seeking feedback on a proposal to reduce the Aluminium (welding fumes) workplace exposure standard (WES) from 5mg/m3 to 1mg/m3

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Safe Work Australia is consulting on the proposed workplace exposure limits (WEL) for 9 chemicals (benzene, chlorine, copper, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen dioxide respirable crystalline silica, titanium dioxide).

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Safe Work Australia is seeking feedback on the impacts of proposed workplace exposure limits for 9 chemicals. The consultation aims to gather information on the economic, social and health impacts of the proposed exposure limit for each chemical.

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Work health and safety (WHS) ministers have agreed to the new WEL list and a harmonised transition period ending on 30 November 2026. This change comes after extensive work and consultation to revise the Workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants (WES). 

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This document is the list

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This page provides resources and further information for persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) and workers on the workplace exposure standards (WES), workplace exposure limits (WEL) and the WES review.

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There are several changes between the Workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants (WES list) and the

/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/workplace-exposure-limits-airborne-contaminants/changes-between-wes-and-wel

From 1 December 2026 Australia will adopt the Workplace

/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/workplace-exposure-limits-airborne-contaminants

Safe Work Australia has developed a new information sheet to assist PCBUs to use the national fire danger rating and warning systems to identify and assess t

/media-centre/news/do-you-know-what-do-if-there-high-extreme-or-catastrophic-fire-danger-rating-your-workplace-0

This Decision Regulation Impact Statement (Decision RIS) provides an analysis of the impact of a prohibition on the use of engineered stone under the model WHS laws.

/doc/decision-regulation-impact-statement-prohibition-use-engineered-stone

The Hazardous Chemical Information System (HCIS) has been updated with 301 entries of new or amended data. 

/media-centre/news/hazardous-chemical-information-system-hcis-update

Safe Work Australia is seeking to understand whether certain chemicals, which are non-threshold genotoxic carcinogens (NTGCs), are present in Australian workplaces, in what quantities and for what purpose.

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Safe Work Australia is seeking feedback on a proposed workplace exposure standard for diesel particulate matter.

/media-centre/news/have-your-say-workplace-exposure-standard-diesel-particulate-matter

Safe Work Australia is reminding all stakeholders that consultation on a prohibition on the use of engineered stone will close soon.

/media-centre/news/closing-soon-consultation-prohibition-use-engineered-stone

Quotes attributable to Safe Work Australia CEO Michelle Baxter:

“I welcome the decision by WHS ministers to agree to Safe Work Australia’s recommendations on action to reduce workplace exposure to respirable crystalline silica and prevent silicosis and silica-related diseases in Austral

/media-centre/news/safe-work-australia-opens-public-consultation-engineered-stone-ban

This consultation paper presents three options for a prohibition on the use of engineered stone. Safe Work Australia is seeking stakeholder feedback on the proposed options, including evidence and data to inform the impact analysis of these options.

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The 2-year transition period from the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals Revision 3 (GHS 3) to Revision 7 (GHS 7) is now in its final months.

/media-centre/news/hazardous-chemicals-are-you-ready-ghs-7

Use this guide if you manage diesel exhaust exposures at the workplace.

Exposure to diesel exhaust can cause eye, nose, throat and lung irritation, and suffocation. Long-term exposure can:

/doc/guidance-managing-risks-diesel-exhaust

Health monitoring is provided by a person conducting a business or undertaking (

/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/health-monitoring/resources

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

Isocyanates are a group of highly reactive, organic compounds of the formula R-N=C=O.  

/doc/health-monitoring-isocyanates

Hazardous chemicals requiring health monitoring and examples of chemicals to consider for health monitoring.

The information in this guidance is taken from regulation 436 (asbestos) and Schedule 14 of the model WHS Regulations.

/doc/hazardous-chemicals-requiring-health-monitoring

Use this template to write a

/doc/hazardous-chemicals-manifest-template

This policy statement outlines labelling requirements for agricultural and veterinary (AgVet) chemicals under the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations.  

/doc/agvet-chemicals-policy-statement

Use this fact sheet if your business makes or supplies alcohol-based hand sanitisers during the COVID-19 pandemic.   

/doc/manufacture-or-supply-alcohol-based-hand-sanitisers

This example of a site plan will help you create your own layout showing important areas, such as: 

  • chemical stores  

  • vehicle entry points. 

/doc/hazardous-chemicals-example-site-plan

This poster shows the labelling information required for hazardous chemicals in each hazard class in the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). You must label hazardous chemic

/doc/classification-and-labelling-workplace-hazardous-chemicals-poster

You can use this template to prepare a 

/doc/hazardous-chemicals-register-template

Under the model Work Health and Safety Laws, workplaces that handle or use hazardous chemicals must use the hierarchy of controls to manage health and safety risks.  

/resources-and-publications/video-and-audio/managing-chemical-hazards-using-hierarchy-controls

About this seminar 

In this broadcast, Shaun Jenkinson, from ANSTO discusses his organisation’s plan for zero injuries, zero defects and zero waste. 

/resources-and-publications/video-and-audio/innovation-safety-and-productivity-safety-critical-business-seminar

This document outlines the chemicals that will be added to and removed from the 

/doc/wes-review-hazardous-chemicals-be-added-or-removed-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-adding-and-removing-hazardous-chemicals-workplace-exposure-standards

This guide helps manufacturers and importers correctly classify hazard

/doc/classifying-hazardous-chemicals-national-guide

If you are a person conducting a business or undertaking and you store, handle or use hazardous chemicals, you must put up signs to let workers and visitors know about the dangers of the hazardous chemical.  

/safety-topic/hazards/chemicals/hazardous-chemical-records-and-signs-workplaces/hazardous-chemicals-signs-placards

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

The workplace exposure standards review has been completed. Until 1 December 2026, you must still comply with the Workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants.

/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/exposure-standards-airborne-contaminants/workplace-exposure-standards-review

Hazardous chemicals are substances, mixtures and articles that can pose a risk to health and safety.

/safety-topic/hazards/chemicals/hazardous-chemicals/overview

Hazardous chemicals can be dangerous if they are not properly managed.  

/safety-topic/hazards/chemicals/hazardous-chemicals

Australia is transitioning to the

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Health monitoring is the monitoring of a worker by doctors to identify changes in their health status because of exposure to certain substances. If you are a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), you must provide health monitoring to workers if there is a signifi

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Chemicals are any substance that has a defined composition. The information provided here relates to manufactured chemicals and how to manage them. 

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A carcinogen is something that can cause cancer. 

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This guide is for workers who use hazardous chemicals.  

/doc/health-monitoring-when-you-work-hazardous-chemicals-guide

Australia uses the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) to classify and label chemicals.

/doc/changes-chemical-classifications-and-labelling-under-ghs-7-information-sheet
This guide is intended for small to medium business owners who use and store flammable liquids in their workplace. It explains the risks posed by flammable liquids, and guides readers through a process of identifying, assessing and managing those risks. 
/doc/storage-flammable-liquids

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

Fluorine (as F2) (CAS 7782-41-4): 

  • is a pale-yellow gas at normal temperature 

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

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

/resources-and-publications/guidance-materials/health-monitoring-styrene
Advice about safely storing swimming pool chemicals.
/doc/storage-swimming-pool-chemicals