Work health and safety (WHS) is most effective when it is built on shared understanding, clear roles, and genuine collaboration. One of the key strengths of the WHS framework in Australia is the way it brings together the business, management, workers, and Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) to manage risks collectively.   Understanding the role of HSRs in risk management is essential, not just for compliance, but for creating workplaces where safety systems actually wor

Safe Work Australia has amended the Model WHS Act and Regulations, and while some changes may appear technical, they represent a significant shift in how serious harm, particularly psychological harm, is recognised and reported.

Section / Topic Extract / Legal Requirement Connection to Consultation Section 76 – Constitution of Committee The composition of a health and safety committee is to be agreed  between the PCBU and workers. At least half of members must be workers not nominated by the PCBU. If no agreement, an inspector can decide. ( NSW Legislation ) This agreement mechanism is directly tied to consultation obligations — committees only exist if workers and PCBU agree or a regulator decides.

The NSW WHS Act 2011 has recently been amended. These amendments have included an increase in the penalty rates for WHS breaches. ....

Serious workplace incidents, worker fatalities, and life‑altering injuries rarely occur in the absence of prior warning signs. Repeatedly, investigations, coronial inquiries and court decisions show that the most common systemic failure is not the absence of written safety systems, but the failure of those systems to be informed by meaningful consultation. Consultation failures are consistently identified as a root cause of serious harm.

Victoria’s workplace health and safety regulator, WorkSafe Victoria, recorded 12 workplace fatalities in the 12 months to 21 November 2025. Twelve preventable deaths in one year, in industries where the hazards and controls are well known is an unacceptable toll by any measure. The causes remain unchanged: structural collapses, unguarded machinery, falls from height, fatigue-related vehicle incidents, and chemical explosions, concentrated in construction, agriculture, manufac

Two recent bullying cases addressed by the Fair Work Commission highlight a need to understand what is bullying and what are “reasonable management actions."

In many small businesses, directors are not only decision-makers but are also directly involved in day-to-day activities. This hands-on involvement brings unique advantages, but it also increases accountability under Work Health and Safety (WHS) law. Directors are recognised as “officers” of a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) and, as such, carry significant legal obligations. Their foremost responsibility is to ensure the business maintains an effective WHS

The following is from our associates at Kingston Reid Lawyers in Sydney. This article is written by Special Counsel Kate Curtain who is...

Courtenell put considerable effort into expanding its scope of WHS services in 2023. Being one of the oldest training providers in New...

17 April, 2025. 5 minute read A company (that shall remain unnamed) recently advocated for including menopausal staff on their workplace...

From 16 September 2024, industrial manslaughter has been a formal offence under New South Wales work health and safety (WHS) legislation.

27 March 2025. 3 minute read. The recent court case of SafeWork NSW v Miller Logistics Pty Ltd; SafeWork NSW v Mitchell Doble [2024]...