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Under Managing the work environment and facilities · made under Work Health and Safety Act 2011

WHS Act s 26A — CoPs now minimum compliance standards from 1 July 2026

Legislation date 1 Jul 2026
High severity
NSW · Work Health & Safety Work Health & Safety > Codes of Practice > Legal Status § 26A
The obligation
From 1 July 2026, WHS Act 2011 s 26A requires PCBUs to comply with approved CoPs or demonstrate an equivalent or higher standard of hazard/risk management.
Section 26A of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) commenced 1 July 2026. It elevates all approved Codes of Practice — including the Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code — to minimum performance standards. PCBUs must either comply with the Code or manage hazards and risks in a way that is equivalent to or higher than the standard set out in the Code. The PCBU bears the onus of demonstrating any departure meets this equivalence threshold. …
What
From 1 July 2026, WHS Act 2011 s 26A requires PCBUs to comply with approved CoPs or demonstrate an equivalent or higher standard of hazard/risk management.
Source
safework.nsw.gov.au

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What's happened with this Topic

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1 Jul 2026 · Amended
1 update tracked. This law has changed and been enforced.

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PCBU WHS s 26A minimum standard enforcement
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Frequently asked questions

Which WHS law does this come from?

WHS Act s 26A — CoPs now minimum compliance standards from 1 July 2026 is a WHS requirement set out in Managing the work environment and facilities (NSW). It is made under Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW). The relevant provision is Work Health & Safety > Codes of Practice > Legal Status § 26A.

What does this WHS obligation require?

WHS Act s 26A — CoPs now minimum compliance standards from 1 July 2026 is a WHS obligation under Managing the work environment and facilities (NSW). In short, From 1 July 2026, WHS Act 2011 s 26A requires PCBUs to comply with approved CoPs or demonstrate an equivalent or higher standard of hazard/risk management.

What changed recently?

WHS Act s 26A — CoPs now minimum compliance standards from 1 July 2026 was last updated on 13 August 2026.

Where this sits

Managing the work environment and facilities Work Health and Safety Act 2011 New South Wales Australia

About this Topic

Updates tracked1
Monitoring detail
First seenAug 2026