This case study illustrates 4 key WHS principles that apply to all WHS duties in the model WHS Act and the duty to consult, cooperate and coordinate with other duty holders. Download the case study to learn how the principles apply to labour hire.

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,

This case study illustrates 4 key principles that apply to all WHS duties in the model WHS Act and the duty to consult, cooperate and coordinate with other duty holders. Download the case study to learn how the principles apply in the construction industry.

The model laws are amended from time to time. Amendments to the model laws do not automatically apply in a jurisdiction.

This case study illustrates four key WHS principles that apply to all WHS duties in the model WHS Act and the duty to consult, cooperate and coordinate with other duty holders. Download the case study to learn how Anton applies the principles in the outsourcing industry.

This case study illustrates four key WHS principles that apply to all WHS duties in the model WHS Act and the duty to consult, cooperate and coordinate with other duty holders. Download the case study to learn how Muhammad applies the principles in the franchising industry.

This Explanatory Memorandum accompanies the Model Work Health and Safety Legislation Amendment (Offences and Penalties) 2023.

The Model Work Health and Safety Legislation Amendment (Offences and Penalties) 2023 includes amendments to the model WHS Act and model WHS Regulations including: 

The model Work Health and Safety Regulations have been amended by the Parliamentary Counsel’s Committee.&nbsp

The model Work Health and Safety Regulations have been amended by the Parliamentary Counsel’s Committee.&nbsp

This factsheet provides an overview of your duties under WHS laws to consult, cooperate and coordinate your activities with other duty holders, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Supporting information

Supporting information

Supporting information

Supporting information

Supporting information

The maximum monetary penalties comparison table summarises a sample of monetary penalties from the model WHS Act and the jurisdictions that have adopted the model WHS Act. It also includes a table summarising equivalent penalties in Victoria’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (2004).

The Model WHS Act prescribes a maximum monetary amount known as a penalty for breaches of offences under the Act.

Consulting with workers and other duty holders is a legal requirement under the model WHS Act and an essential part of managing work health and safety. 

PCBUs must consult, cooperate and coordinate activities with all other persons who have a work health or safety duty in relation to the same matter, so far as is reasonably practicable. 

A health and safety committee (HSC) is a more formal way to consult. It brings together the person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) and workers to discuss and develop ways to improve health and safety at work. 

Health and safety representatives (HSRs) are workers who are elected to represent the health and safety interests of workers. 

‘Work groups’ are groups of workers formed to elect the HSR who will represent them.

Consultation with workers can be done in different ways depending on what suits the size and complexity of the workplace and your workers. It may include formal and informal consultation arrangements.

If you’re a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), you must consult with workers and other duty holders in managing work health and safety risks.

In May 2021, Ministers responsible for work health and safety (WHS) from the Commonwealth and each state and territory considered the response to the Review of the model WHS laws in the Decision Regulatory Impact Statement.

What is asbestos? 

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral and typically found in rock, sediment or soil. Asbestos was once considered very useful for building products, gaskets, and friction materials like brake linings. 

This information sheet explains the difference between model codes of practice and other types of guidance material and outlines the development processes. 

Professor Richard Johnstone explains what responsive regulation is, the history, and its theoretical foundations. He discusses how responsive regulation is a flexible solution between the two arguments: one for less regulation and one for more ‘command and control’ regulation.

This consumer safety standard aims to improve quad bike safety and prevent injuries and deaths. It applies to all new and imported second-hand quad bikes at the point of sale. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

Everyone in the workplace has work health and safety duties.

The Commonwealth of Australia owns the copyright in this website (www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au) and all material on this website that is crea

Regulators monitor and enforce WHS laws in the Commonwealth, states and territories.

If a regulator or their inspector attends your workplace and asks you to produce documents, information or answer questions, you must comply.

Regulators monitor and enforce WHS laws in the Commonwealth, states and territories.

If a regulator or their inspector attends your workplace and asks you to produce documents, information or answer questions, you must comply.

Regulators monitor and enforce WHS laws in your state, territory or the Commonwealth, depending on where you work.

Their inspectors visit workplaces to:

WHS regulators promote and encourage WHS compliance through a range of methods. They can also direct compliance by compelling a duty holder to remedy any identified breach or sanction a contravening duty holder.

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. 

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: 

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. 

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’.  

Quadwatch is an Australian Government initiative to raise awareness of quad bike safety, bringing together information from: 

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:

We are required under section 11C of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) to publish a disclosure log on our website. The disclosure log lists information which has been released in response to an FOI access request.

Our information publication scheme agency plan: