Breadcrumb

Work Health and Safety Act 2011 No 10.

Country(ies)

Australia

Territorial subdivision(s)

New South Wales

Subjects (Classification)

Occupational safety and health

Adopted on (Date of text)

2011-06-07

Scope of text

Non-Metropolitan Territories

Type of legislation (Type of text)

Law, Act

Abstract/Citation

The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) regulates workplace health and safety (WHS) in NSW. It specifically aims to protect people at workplaces from risk to their health or safety and to promote safe and healthy work environments. The Act was introduced as part of the 'harmonisation' package of Federal and State WHS legislation that commenced on 1 January 2012.

The objectives of the Act are:
to provide for a balanced and nationally consistent framework to secure the health and safety of workers and workplaces by:
1. 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
2. providing for fair and effective workplace representation, consultation, co-operation and issue resolution in relation to work health and safety, and
3. 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
4. promoting the provision of advice, information, education and training in relation to work health and safety, and
5. securing compliance with this Act through effective and appropriate compliance and enforcement measures, and
6. ensuring appropriate scrutiny and review of actions taken by persons exercising powers and performing functions under this Act, and
7. providing a framework for continuous improvement and progressively higher standards of work health and safety, and
8. 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.