Where our facts come from
Every safety fact on this site comes from the legislation itself or from Safe Work Australia, not from another business's website. All sources were read on 23 October 2026.
The model WHS laws do not apply by themselves: each state and territory has its own Act and Regulations, and some have made changes. Where a state is different and we know it, we say so. For anything about your own job, check with your state regulator.
| What the site says | Source |
|---|---|
| A SWMS must be prepared before high risk construction work starts, and what it must contain | Model WHS Regulations, reg 299 |
| The 18 types of high risk construction work | Model WHS Regulations, reg 291 (WA General Regulations, reg 291, same list) |
| Victoria lists 19 types and has its own SWMS rules | Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic), regs 322 to 329 |
| Workers must be consulted when a SWMS is prepared and reviewed | Model Code of Practice: Construction work (Nov 2024); Model WHS Act s47 and s49 |
| Follow the SWMS, stop work if it is not being followed | Model WHS Regulations, reg 300 |
| Review a SWMS when control measures change | Model WHS Regulations, regs 302 and 38 |
| Keep a SWMS until the work is finished, 2 years after a notifiable incident | Model WHS Regulations, reg 303 |
| Give the principal contractor a copy; construction project thresholds | Model WHS Regulations, regs 292, 301 and 312; WA reg 292; Vic reg 332 |
| A generic SWMS must be reviewed for each workplace; free SWMS template | Safe Work Australia, SWMS for high risk construction work information sheet |
| No SWMS is needed for work that is not high risk construction work | Safe Work Australia, SWMS information sheet |
| A risk register is optional, records help show compliance | Model Code of Practice: How to manage WHS risks (Nov 2024) |
| White card training is separate from a business induction | Model WHS Regulations, regs 316 and 317 |
| Which states use the model WHS laws; WA from 31 March 2022 | Safe Work Australia, legislation page |
| WA General Regulations | Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 (WA) |
| Asbestos removal licences | Model WHS Regulations, regs 485 to 487 |
| Energised electrical work and its exceptions | Model WHS Regulations, regs 154 and 157 |
| Crystalline silica processing rules | Model WHS Regulations, Chapter 8A |
| Consulting workers is the law; toolbox talks are one way to do it | Safe Work Australia, consulting workers infographic (Dec 2022) |
| No general requirement to document consultation, but records are good practice | Safe Work Australia, WHS consultation duties checklist (2023) |
| Recording toolbox talks (topic, attendees, feedback) is best practice | Model Code of Practice: Construction work (Nov 2024), page 16 |
| ATO log book method: 12 continuous weeks, what each trip records, electronic log books accepted | ATO, logbook method page |
| State and territory regulator names | Safe Work Australia, regulator contact list |
| BSBWHS411 unit title | training.gov.au |
| BSBWHS414 unit title | training.gov.au |