Amendments to the model WHS Act and Regulations published


Thursday, 15 January, 2026

Amendments to the model WHS Act and Regulations published

Following approval by work health and safety (WHS) ministers, Safe Work Australia (SWA) has published amendments to the model WHS Act and Regulations.

Under these changes:

  • incident notification requirements are expanded — the explanatory memorandum is here, while a fact sheet and a downloadable handbook are among the supporting documents to help employers understand their notification duties;
  • licensing arrangements for crane operations are updated — an explanatory statement is available here; and
  • the regulations are aligned with current practice — regarding miscellaneous amendments to the model WHS Regulations, an explanatory statement is available here.
     

You can access the updated model WHS Act here and the model WHS Regulations here, via the SWA website.

Changes to the model WHS laws do not apply unless adopted by the WHS regulator in a jurisdiction. Check with your WHS regulator for details.

Image credit: iStock.com/skynesher. Stock image used is for illustrative purposes only.

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