Work Health and Safety Act 2012

The main object of this Act is to provide for a balanced and nationally consistent framework to secure the health and safety of workers and workplaces by—

protecting workers and other persons against harm to their health, safety and welfare through the elimination or minimisation of risks arising from work or from specified types of substances or plant; and

providing for fair and effective workplace representation, consultation, co‑operation and issue resolution in relation to work health and safety; and

encouraging unions and employer organisations to take a constructive role in promoting improvements in work health and safety practices, and assisting persons conducting businesses or undertakings and workers to achieve a healthier and safer working environment; and

promoting the provision of advice, information, education and training in relation to work health and safety; and

securing compliance with this Act through effective and appropriate compliance and enforcement measures; and

ensuring appropriate scrutiny and review of actions taken by persons exercising powers and performing functions under this Act; and

providing a framework for continuous improvement and progressively higher standards of work health and safety; and

maintaining and strengthening the national harmonisation of laws relating to work health and safety and to facilitate a consistent national approach to work health and safety in this jurisdiction.

In furthering subsection (1)(a), regard must be had to the principle that workers and other persons should be given the highest level of protection against harm to their health, safety and welfare from hazards and risks arising from work, or from specified types of substances or plant, as is reasonably practicable.