Work Health and Safety Act 2011

Approved Codes of Practice — legal status and obligation

Oct 2026

A business must comply with an approved code of practice, or manage risks differently in a way that provides an equivalent or higher standar...

Medium

2 citations

Duty of businesses that manage or control workplaces, fixtures, fittings or plant

Oct 2026

A business with management or control of a workplace must ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the workplace and its entry and exit are...

High

1 citation

Health and safety representatives and health and safety committees

Oct 2026

A business must notify its workers in writing that they may request an election of health and safety representatives, and invite them to ask...

Medium

1 citation

Improvement, prohibition and non-disturbance notices

Oct 2026

Inspectors may require compliance with the Act by issuing improvement, prohibition and non-disturbance notices.

Medium

1 citation

Industrial manslaughter offence

Jul 2026

Industrial manslaughter now covers the death of any individual (not just workers); multiple supply-chain duty holders can be charged; Catego...

Critical

2 citations

Issue resolution and the right to cease unsafe work

Oct 2026

A worker may cease or refuse work if they have a reasonable concern it would expose them to a serious risk from an immediate or imminent exp...

Medium

1 citation

Managing psychosocial hazards — Code of Practice 2022 (updated 2024)

Aug 2026

PCBUs must identify and manage psychosocial hazards; the Code of Practice 2022 (updated 2024) is the approved practical guidance under the W...

High

2 citations

Meaning of person conducting a business or undertaking, worker and workplace

Oct 2026

The Act defines a person conducting a business or undertaking, a worker and a workplace.

Low

1 citation

Primary duty of care — PCBU obligations

Oct 2026

A business or undertaking must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of the workers it engages or whose work it...

High

1 citation

Principles that apply to health and safety duties

Oct 2026

Health and safety duties cannot be transferred, a person can hold more than one duty, and more than one person can hold the same duty concur...

Medium

1 citation

Prohibition of discriminatory, coercive and misleading conduct

Oct 2026

A person must not engage in discriminatory conduct for a prohibited reason, such as a worker's role as a health and safety representative or...

Medium

1 citation

Prohibition on insuring or indemnifying WHS monetary penalties

Aug 2026

It is prohibited to enter into, provide, or take benefit from insurance or indemnity arrangements that cover liability for a WHS monetary pe...

High

2 citations

What is reasonably practicable in ensuring health and safety

Oct 2026

Reasonably practicable means what is, or was at a particular time, reasonably able to be done to ensure health and safety, weighing up all r...

Medium

1 citation

Worker duties — reasonable care and cooperation

Jul 2026

Workers must take reasonable care for their own and others' health and safety, and cooperate with the PCBU's WHS requirements.

Medium

1 citation

Workplace entry by WHS entry permit holders

Oct 2026

A WHS entry permit holder may enter a workplace to inquire into a suspected contravention of the Act or the Electrical Safety Act 2002 affec...

Medium

1 citation