New Queensland OHS regulations

On 1 September 2008, the Queensland Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 1997 was repealed and replaced by the Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 2008.

The new regulation remakes provisions of the old regulation, removes the rural industry exemption from existing regulatory requirements over the next two years and changes the numbering.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland will be undertaking a process to review and update all forms and documents on the departmental website to ensure consistency with the new regulation. Until this process is complete, all forms and documents must be read in conjunction with the information provided in the Comparison Table, which has been provided to assist with the practical application of the Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 2008. It is not intended to provide a determination or comment on compliance or to provide legal interpretation. It is intended as a guide only and is provided as an information source only.

The Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 2008 and the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 provide a framework for managing health and safety risks in Queensland workplaces.

The regulation sets out the legal requirements to prevent or control certain hazards which might cause injury or death in the workplace. It prohibits exposure to a risk, prescribes ways of preventing or minimising exposure to a risk and deals with administrative matters.