Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
The Safe Work Australia model code of practice on managing work health and safety risks at any workplace: duty holders, consultation, the four step process (identify hazards, assess risks, control risks, review controls), the hierarchy of control measures, implementation and record keeping. Guidance, not law: once a jurisdiction approves it under WHS Act s 274 it is admissible evidence of what is reasonably practicable (s 275).
Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks is a compliance framework from Australia (model for the harmonised WHS jurisdictions: Commonwealth, NSW, Qld, SA, WA, Tas, ACT, NT; not Victoria) with 6 domains and 37 controls. The largest domains are Section 1: Introduction, duty holders and when to manage risk – Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks (11 controls), Section 4: Step 3, control risks – Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks (11 controls), Section 3: Step 2, assess risks – Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks (7 controls). Every control below carries what it requires and what an assessor expects to see.
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Framework Domains (6)
Section 1: Introduction, duty holders and when to manage risk – Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::1.1a | 1.1 The PCBU must eliminate risks, or minimise them so far as reasonably practicable |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::1.1b | 1.1 Officers exercise due diligence over how the PCBU manages risk |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::1.1c | 1.1 Designers, manufacturers, importers, suppliers and installers keep their products free of risk |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::1.1d | 1.1 Workers and other people at the workplace take reasonable care and follow instructions |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::1.2a | 1.2 Show management commitment to health and safety |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::1.2b | 1.2 Work through the four step risk management process in proportion to the business |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::1.2c | 1.2 Apply good work design at the earliest planning stage |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::1.2d | 1.2 Decide what is reasonably practicable by weighing the listed matters |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::1.2e | 1.2 Consult workers and their representatives at each step of the process |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::1.2f | 1.2 Consult, cooperate and coordinate with other duty holders on shared risks |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::1.3 | 1.3 Run the risk management process whenever circumstances change |
Section 2: Step 1, identify hazards – Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::2.0 | 2 Identify hazards across the whole of work, physical and psychological |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::2.1a | 2.1 Inspect the workplace and observe how work is actually done |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::2.1b | 2.1 Consult workers on hazards, near misses and unreported incidents |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::2.1c | 2.1 Consult supply chains and networks about hazards |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::2.1d | 2.1 Review available information and analyse records for hazards |
Section 3: Step 2, assess risks – Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::3.0 | 3 Assess risks to decide severity, adequacy of controls, action and urgency |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::3.1a | 3.1 Assess risk when uncertainty, interacting hazards or change call for it |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::3.1b | 3.1 Do the risk assessments the Regulations require and measure where exposure standards apply |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::3.1c | 3.1 Know when a detailed assessment is not needed and when a past one can be reused |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::3.2a | 3.2 Work out how each hazard could cause harm as a chain of events |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::3.2b | 3.2 Estimate how severe the harm could be |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::3.2c | 3.2 Estimate how likely harm is to occur |
Section 4: Step 3, control risks – Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::4.0 | 4 Control risks: eliminate or minimise, after consulting affected workers |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::4.1a | 4.1 Work down the hierarchy of control measures |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::4.1b | 4.1 Eliminate the hazard first, ideally at design or planning |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::4.1c | 4.1 Substitute, isolate or apply engineering controls where elimination is not practicable |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::4.1d | 4.1 Use administrative controls only for the risk that remains |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::4.1e | 4.1 Provide suitable PPE as the last layer and train people to use it |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::4.2a | 4.2 Source control information and develop specific controls from the chain of events |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::4.2b | 4.2 Choose controls that are the highest available, suitable and do not create new hazards |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::4.2c | 4.2 Weigh cost properly, never as a reason to do nothing |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::4.2d | 4.2 Implement controls with procedures, training, supervision and maintenance |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::4.3 | 4.3 Keep controls effective over time |
Section 5: Step 4, review controls – Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::5a | 5 Review controls on the triggers the Regulations set |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::5b | 5 Use the review questions and set review frequency by level of risk |
Section 6: Keeping records – Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| australia-model-code-of-practice-how-to-manage-work-health-and-safety-risks::6 | 6 Keep records of the risk management process |
What is Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks and who does it apply to?
Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks is a compliance framework from Australia (model for the harmonised WHS jurisdictions: Commonwealth, NSW, Qld, SA, WA, Tas, ACT, NT; not Victoria) with 6 domains and 37 controls. The Safe Work Australia model code of practice on managing work health and safety risks at any workplace: duty holders, consultation, the four step process (identify hazards, assess risks, control risks, review controls), the hierarchy of control measures, implementation and record keeping. Guidance, not law: once a jurisdiction approves it under WHS Act s 274 it is admissible evidence of what is reasonably practicable (s 275). It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
What does Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks actually require?
Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks has 37 controls organised across 6 domains. The largest domains are Section 1: Introduction, duty holders and when to manage risk – Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks (11 controls), Section 4: Step 3, control risks – Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks (11 controls), Section 3: Step 2, assess risks – Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks (7 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.
If I already comply with another framework, how much of Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks do I already cover?
Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks does not currently have cross-framework mappings in our system. Check back as we continuously expand our mapping database.
How do I implement Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks?
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