Safety in the workplace

Employees in any work setting have a legal obligation to plan and carry out their work in a manner that provides for the safety of themselves and others.

On 1 January 2012, the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) came into effect. This legislation was developed by the Commonwealth government to harmonise work health and safety laws across Australia. For the Act to be legally binding, it must be passed by the Parliament in each state and territory.

The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) legislation is supported by a further tier of law, commonly referred to as regulations, with a lower tier of non-statutory codes of practice and guidance notes. These regulations, codes of practice and guidance notes assist organisations to meet the requirements of the legally binding legislation. Organisational WHS policy and procedures should reflect the legislation and the supporting regulations and codes of practice.