Monitor
Log in Create free account
Under Overhead protective structures · made under Work Health and Safety Act 2011

WHS Act 2011 s.26A – Codes of Practice Become Mandatory Minimum Standard from 1 July 2026

Legislation date 1 Jul 2026
High severity
NSW · Work Health & Safety WHS > Legislation > Codes of Practice
The obligation
From 1 July 2026, s.26A of the WHS Act 2011 commenced, requiring PCBUs to comply with approved Codes of Practice as minimum performance standards or adopt equivalent/higher controls.
Section 26A of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) commenced on 1 July 2026. It changes the legal status of approved Codes of Practice from guidance material to mandatory minimum performance standards. PCBUs must now comply with each applicable Code or demonstrate an alternative approach that is equivalent or higher in standard. …
What
From 1 July 2026, s.26A of the WHS Act 2011 commenced, requiring PCBUs to comply with approved Codes of Practice as minimum performance standards or adopt equivalent/higher controls.
Source
safework.nsw.gov.au

Full analysis

Free account

What this means for you

Free account

What's happened with this Topic

Free account
1 Jul 2026 · New
1 update tracked. This law has changed and been enforced.

Read the full analysis, tailored to your industry

  • Impact summary tailored to your industry
  • Full plain-English analysis of what changed
  • Email alerts & digests when this law changes
  • Compliance self-assessment tools
Create free account Log in
Labels
WHS Act 2011 s.26A PCBU mandatory codes-of-practice
Official sources
Frequently asked questions

Which WHS law does this come from?

WHS Act 2011 s.26A – Codes of Practice Become Mandatory Minimum Standard from 1 July 2026 is a WHS requirement set out in Overhead protective structures (NSW). It is made under Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW). The relevant provision is WHS > Legislation > Codes of Practice.

What does this WHS obligation require?

WHS Act 2011 s.26A – Codes of Practice Become Mandatory Minimum Standard from 1 July 2026 is a WHS obligation under Overhead protective structures (NSW). In short, From 1 July 2026, s.26A of the WHS Act 2011 commenced, requiring PCBUs to comply with approved Codes of Practice as minimum performance standards or adopt equivalent/higher controls.

What changed recently?

WHS Act 2011 s.26A – Codes of Practice Become Mandatory Minimum Standard from 1 July 2026 was last updated on 13 August 2026.

Where this sits

Overhead protective structures Work Health and Safety Act 2011 New South Wales Australia

About this Topic

Updates tracked1
Monitoring detail
First seenAug 2026