Under the Australian system of government, the states and territories have responsibility for making laws about workplace health and safety and for enforcing those laws.
A majority of jurisdictions enacted nationally harmonised WHS laws since 1 January 2017. However, Victoria and Western Australia continue to operate under Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) laws.
This means each state and territory has their own safety laws, but the WHS laws are based on an agreed model – the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 – supported by Regulations and Codes of Practice.
