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Author: Marnie Cruickshank

Safe Work Australia’s Best Practice Review: What The Latest Recommendations Mean For Australian Workplaces

Posted on by Marnie Cruickshank

Australia’s work health and safety (WHS) framework is facing an important opportunity for reform, with Safe Work Australia publishing its Best Practice Review of the model Work Health and Safety laws on 19 October 2026. The review makes 21 recommendations aimed at strengthening worker protections, improving regulatory consistency and ensuring the national WHS framework remains fit for modern workplaces.

For employers, officers, safety professionals and workers, the report is an important signal of the direction of future WHS policy. It reinforces the importance of effective risk management while highlighting areas where Australia’s current approach could be clearer, more consistent and better equipped to address emerging risks.

Why Was The Review Undertaken?

Australia’s model WHS laws were developed to create a nationally consistent framework for workplace safety. The objective is straightforward, workers should receive strong protections regardless of where they work, while businesses operating across state and territory borders should face consistent duties and regulatory expectations.

However, differences between jurisdictions have developed over time. These variations, alongside findings from government reviews and inquiries, prompted WHS ministers to commission a Best Practice Review to identify opportunities to improve the framework while maintaining and strengthening harmonisation.

The review represents the first national review of the model WHS laws since 2018. Its findings are informed by extensive consultation undertaken between September 2025 and March 2026, including more than 1,000 submissions and survey responses and over 100 stakeholder meetings. Participants included employers, unions, regulators, workers, health and safety representatives and other members of the WHS community.

The message emerging from that consultation is significant, there is broad support for harmonisation, but stakeholders want laws that are easier to understand, applied more consistently and responsive to the realities of contemporary work.

The Key Findings: 21 Recommendations For A Stronger WHS Framework

The review sets out 21 recommendations intended to maintain and strengthen harmonisation while addressing gaps in the operation of the model laws. Several themes stand out for organisations preparing for the next phase of WHS reform.

  1. Greater Consistency Across Jurisdictions

A central recommendation is to renew the national commitment to harmonisation and establish clear, transparent processes for managing future variations to the model WHS laws.

The review also recommends a new National Compliance and Enforcement Policy to promote greater consistency and clarity in how WHS requirements are enforced.

  1. Stronger Prevention In High-Risk Industries

The review recommends working directly with high-risk industries and relevant unions to reduce work-related fatalities.

This reinforces the importance of identifying critical risks, implementing effective controls and ensuring that safety systems translate into practical action on the ground.

  1. Better Worker Consultation and Participation

Strengthening consultation, representation and participation arrangements is another key focus.

Employers should view worker consultation as an essential part of effective risk management, rather than simply a procedural requirement. Workers and health and safety representatives can provide valuable insight into hazards, work practices and whether existing controls are effective.

  1. Preparing For Emerging and Evolving Risks

The review recommends national strategies addressing three important areas, artificial intelligence, climate change and harmful workplace behaviours, including work-related violence and harassment.

These areas highlight the need for WHS systems to evolve alongside changing technology, working conditions and the broader understanding of workplace health and safety.

  1. Clearer Guidance and Modernised Regulations

The review also calls for improved WHS knowledge and capability among workers and duty holders, practical industry-based Codes of Practice, and modernised model WHS Regulations.

More accessible, industry-relevant guidance could help organisations better understand their obligations and apply suitable controls to the risks they face.

What Does This Mean For Employers and WHS Professionals?

While the recommendations establish a potential direction for reform, organisations should distinguish between proposed changes to the model laws and requirements that are already legally enforceable.

The publication of the report does not, by itself, mean that all 21 recommendations have become law. The recommendations will progress through Safe Work Australia’s tripartite Member processes, with further consultation and policy development where required. Any legislative changes will depend on the relevant implementation processes in each jurisdiction.

In the meantime, there are several practical steps organisations can take to prepare.

Practical Steps To Take Now

Review Your Current WHS Compliance Arrangements

Confirm that your policies, procedures and risk controls reflect the legislation currently applicable in each jurisdiction where you operate.

Assess High-Consequence Risks

Review critical hazards, incident trends, control effectiveness and any gaps in the management of serious injury and fatality risks.

Strengthen Consultation Processes

Check that workers and health and safety representatives are meaningfully involved in identifying hazards and reviewing control measures.

Review Psychosocial and Emerging Risks

Consider workplace violence and harassment, changing work practices, AI-related impacts and climate-related hazards where relevant.

Monitor Regulatory Developments

Track updates from Safe Work Australia and your state or territory regulator and assess any confirmed changes for their impact on your business.

These steps are useful regardless of the timing of future reforms. They also help organisations demonstrate a proactive approach to identifying hazards, managing risks and reviewing the effectiveness of their WHS systems.

Why Harmonisation Matters For Australian Businesses

Regulatory consistency is particularly important for organisations with operations across multiple states and territories.

Different requirements, regulatory approaches and compliance expectations can increase administrative complexity, create uncertainty and make it harder to maintain consistent safety practices across sites. A more coherent framework could help businesses streamline internal processes while supporting consistent protections for workers.

However, harmonisation should not be viewed solely as a compliance or administrative objective. Its broader purpose is to support effective workplace safety and ensure that workers receive appropriate protections wherever they perform their duties.

For employers, the opportunity is to combine consistent organisational standards with controls tailored to the hazards, activities and operating conditions of each workplace.

Emerging Risks Deserve Greater Attention

One of the most forward-looking aspects of the review is its recognition that workplace hazards continue to evolve.

Three areas warrant particular attention.

Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation

As organisations introduce AI-enabled systems and new technologies, they should consider how changes to work design, task allocation, monitoring and decision-making may affect worker health and safety.

Climate Change and Extreme Conditions

Heat, severe weather, changing environmental conditions and emergency events can affect working conditions, particularly for outdoor workers and industries with significant physical or environmental exposures.

Harmful Workplace Behaviours

Work-related violence, harassment and other psychosocial hazards require effective prevention strategies, appropriate reporting mechanisms and management commitment.

The recommendations do not mean that every organisation faces identical risks or that a single control will suit all workplaces. Rather, they reinforce the importance of assessing risks in context and keeping WHS arrangements responsive to changing circumstances.

The Role Of Practical Guidance and Safety Culture

Legislation establishes duties, but the effectiveness of a WHS framework also depends on whether organisations can understand and implement those duties in practice.

The review’s focus on industry-based Codes of Practice and improved WHS capability recognises the value of clear, practical guidance. Different industries face different hazards, and accessible guidance can help translate general legal obligations into workable approaches to risk management.

Organisations should also continue to invest in the capabilities that support effective safety outcomes, including:

  • Training workers and supervisors to recognise and report hazards
  • Ensuring officers understand their due diligence responsibilities
  • Providing workers with meaningful opportunities to contribute to safety decisions
  • Investigating incidents and near misses to identify underlying causes
  • Regularly reviewing whether risk controls remain effective

A strong safety culture is not achieved simply by updating policies. It requires leadership, consultation, accountability and a sustained focus on preventing harm.

What Happens Next?

Safe Work Australia has confirmed that the recommendations will be progressed through its tripartite Member processes, with additional consultation and policy development where needed. This means further work is required before the full implications of the review can be determined.

Businesses should therefore avoid assuming that every recommendation will be adopted in its current form or on a particular timetable. Instead, they should monitor developments and assess confirmed changes against their existing compliance obligations.

For organisations operating across multiple jurisdictions, this monitoring will be especially important. Any changes to model provisions, regulations or Codes of Practice will need to be considered alongside the legislation and guidance applicable in each location.

The review also provides an opportunity for businesses to reflect on whether their current WHS systems are genuinely effective, rather than simply compliant on paper.

Conclusion: Preparing For The Future Of WHS In Australia

Safe Work Australia’s Best Practice Review is an important milestone in the ongoing development of Australia’s WHS framework. Its 21 recommendations seek to strengthen harmonisation, improve enforcement consistency, support better worker participation, reduce work-related fatalities and prepare the framework for emerging hazards.

For employers and WHS professionals, the key takeaway is clear, now is the time to review existing safety arrangements, strengthen risk management practices and prepare for potential regulatory developments.

Although the recommendations are not automatically changes to the law, their direction highlights the continuing importance of practical, proactive and effective workplace health and safety management.

Organisations that invest in these foundations now will be better positioned to respond to future reforms while maintaining their focus on the most important outcome of all, ensuring workers return home safe and healthy.

Further reading: Read the official Best Practice Review report  and Safe Work Australia’s overview of the review and recommendations .

Disclaimer: This article provides general information only and is not legal advice. Organisations should consult the WHS legislation and regulator guidance applicable to their jurisdiction.

Let us help your organisation identify hazards, manage risks and review the effectiveness of your WHS system. Get in touch with us and see how Sherm can help to manage and maintain all of your WHS needs.

When Workers Stop Speaking Up: The Hidden Psychosocial Risk in Workplace Culture

Posted on by Marnie Cruickshank

A new workplace phrase is attracting attention across Australia: “getting disappeared”.

It describes a situation where an employee raises concerns, challenges a decision or becomes perceived as difficult, and then suddenly leaves the organisation, with colleagues receiving little explanation about what happened.

There may, of course, be entirely legitimate and confidential reasons why an employee leaves a workplace. Employers also have obligations to protect personal information and cannot simply disclose the circumstances surrounding an individual’s employment.

The greater risk arises from what the remaining workforce perceives.

When employees repeatedly see people raise concerns and then disappear from the workplace, they may begin to draw their own conclusions.

And that can create a much bigger organisational problem:

People stop speaking up.

Silence Can Become A Safety Risk

A healthy reporting culture is fundamental to effective work health and safety management.

Workers are often the first people to identify emerging hazards, unsafe practices, ineffective controls, unreasonable workloads, interpersonal problems and weaknesses in organisational systems.

If workers believe raising an issue could negatively affect their employment, reputation or career, an organisation may progressively lose one of its most important sources of risk intelligence.

The absence of reported problems does not necessarily mean the absence of problems.

Sometimes it means people have stopped reporting them.

That distinction matters.

Psychological Safety Is Increasingly A Governance Issue

Australian WHS frameworks now place much greater emphasis on identifying and managing psychosocial hazards.

These hazards can arise from the way work is designed, organised and managed, as well as workplace interactions and behaviours.

Poor organisational justice, poor support, inadequate consultation, conflict, bullying, poor change management and ineffective reporting arrangements can all contribute to psychosocial risk.

For organisations, this means workplace culture cannot simply be treated as an annual employee engagement exercise.

It needs to form part of the organisation’s risk management system.

That includes asking practical questions such as:

  • Can workers raise concerns without fear of retaliation?
  • Is there more than one way to report an issue?
  • Are reports acknowledged and investigated?
  • Can actions and decisions be demonstrated afterwards?
  • Are recurring issues being identified?
  • Are managers accountable for closing actions?
  • Are workers informed about outcomes where appropriate?
  • Does leadership receive visibility of emerging trends?

These are management-system questions as much as they are cultural ones.

Reporting A Problem Should Create A Process, Not A Problem For The Person Reporting It

One of the strongest indicators of organisational culture is what happens after someone raises a concern.

Consider two workplaces.

In the first, a worker reports an issue. It is recorded, assessed, assigned to someone, investigated where necessary and followed through to completion. The worker can see that the organisation has responded.

In the second, the concern is raised informally. It moves between emails, conversations and meetings. Responsibility becomes unclear. Nothing appears to happen, or the person raising the concern suddenly finds themselves treated differently.

Even where management believes it has acted appropriately, the experience of the workforce can be very different.

That is why a defensible reporting and action-management process matters.

Poor Organisational Justice Is A Recognised Psychosocial Hazard

Safe Work Australia specifically identifies poor organisational justice as a psychosocial hazard.

Recommended controls include having transparent processes and procedures, providing ways for workers to report concerns or appeal decisions, keeping workers appropriately informed and protecting workers who raise safety concerns from discrimination.

Effective consultation is equally important.

Workers affected by health and safety matters must be given a reasonable opportunity to express their views and raise issues, and those views need to be considered when decisions are made.

For organisations, this moves consultation beyond the occasional toolbox meeting or staff survey.

The objective should be to create a demonstrable feedback loop:

Report → Assess → Act → Communicate → Review

There Is Also An Employment-Law Dimension

Workplace concerns do not exist solely within WHS legislation.

Australia’s Fair Work framework provides general protections relating to workplace rights. Depending on the circumstances, an employee making a complaint or inquiry relating to their employment may be exercising a workplace right.

Corporate whistleblower protections can also apply to eligible disclosures, with protections against certain forms of detriment.

Not every workplace complaint will fall within these protections and not every employee departure following a complaint represents unlawful conduct.

The important governance lesson is simpler:

Organisations should be able to demonstrate that concerns are handled consistently, fairly and through an established process.

The Management-System Test

There is a useful question organisations can ask themselves:

If a worker raised a serious concern today, could we demonstrate six months from now exactly what happened next?

Could the organisation identify:

  • Who received the concern?
  • When was it received?
  • How was the risk assessed?
  • Who was responsible for responding?
  • What actions were assigned?
  • Were those actions completed?
  • Was the worker consulted?
  • Was confidentiality appropriately maintained?
  • Was the effectiveness of the response reviewed?
  • Were similar reports or trends identified?
  • Could senior management see the issue if escalation was warranted?

If the answer depends upon searching someone’s inbox or asking people to remember conversations, there is a governance gap.

This Is Where Digital HSEQ Systems Become Important

A digital HSEQ management system should do more than store policies and forms.

It should create organisational memory.

Within Sherm, organisations can bring together the processes that support effective reporting and governance, including incidents, hazards, issues, inspections, corrective actions, documents, training and competency, audits, registers and reporting.

The objective is not simply digitisation.

It is traceability.

When an issue is raised, organisations need visibility of what happened next: the assessment, responsibility, actions, supporting records, communication and eventual close-out.

That creates a very different organisational environment from one where concerns disappear into email chains or informal conversations.

Importantly, technology cannot create psychological safety by itself.

Leadership behaviour, fairness, consultation and trust remain critical.

But the right system can support those behaviours by making responsibilities visible and creating evidence that concerns are being taken seriously.

From “Speak Up” To “We Acted”

Many organisations tell their workers:

“If you see something, say something.”

The more important question is:

What happens after they do?

A mature safety culture is not demonstrated by how few concerns are reported.

It is demonstrated by whether workers are willing to report them, and whether the organisation can show that those concerns are assessed, managed and closed effectively.

Because when workers believe speaking up achieves nothing, or may place them at risk, reporting decreases.

The hazards do not necessarily disappear with it.

They simply become harder for the organisation to see.

Sherm helps organisations create visibility from reporting through to action and close-out, supporting stronger HSEQ governance, consultation and defensible oversight.

Learn more about how Sherm supports hazard, incident, issue and corrective action management, psychosocial risk governance and workforce consultation.

From Workplace Exposure Standards to Workplace Exposure Limits: What Australian Employers and Workers Need to Know Before December 2026

Posted on by Marnie Cruickshank

Australia is approaching an important change in the way workplace exposure to airborne contaminants is regulated.

From 1 December 2026, the existing Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) for airborne contaminants will transition to Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL). The change follows a national review of workplace exposure standards and has been agreed by Australian Work Health and Safety (WHS) ministers.

For many workplaces, this is more than simply a change of terminology. While many exposure values will remain unchanged, some limits have been revised, some substances have been added or removed, and there are changes to exposure categories and health-related notations.

With the transition date now approaching, employers should be reviewing their chemical inventories, risk assessments, exposure monitoring and control measures now, not waiting until December.

What Is Changing?

The current WES list sets airborne exposure levels for hundreds of substances that workers may encounter in the workplace, including dusts, fumes, gases, vapours and mists.

From 1 December 2026, the WES list will become the Workplace Exposure Limits for Airborne Contaminants (WEL list). Until 30 November 2026, PCBUs must continue to comply with the current WES requirements. From 1 December, the WEL list will apply, subject to implementation in the relevant Commonwealth, state or territory WHS laws.

The terminology is changing partly to make it clearer that these values are limits that must not be exceeded, rather than simply advisory standards or targets. Safe Work Australia says the change also brings Australian terminology more closely into line with international practice.

Importantly, the fundamental duty on employers has not changed.

PCBUs must continue to eliminate risks associated with airborne contaminants where reasonably practicable, or otherwise minimise those risks so far as is reasonably practicable. The WES/WEL value is only one part of a broader risk-management process.

What Does The Change Mean For Employers?

The biggest practical issue for employers is determining whether the substances used or generated in their workplace are affected by the revised WEL list.

Safe Work Australia has identified several types of changes, including:

  • reductions or increases to individual exposure limits;
  • changes to the type of exposure limit applying to a substance;
  • merging or splitting groups of airborne contaminants;
  • changes to substance names or listings;
  • new substances being added to the list; and
  • substances being removed from the list.

There are also changes to advisory notations. For example, the existing SEN sensitisation notation is being separated into DSEN for dermal sensitisation and RSEN for respiratory sensitisation. An OTO notation for ototoxicity has also been introduced for certain contaminants.

These changes can have practical consequences for risk assessments, control measures, air-monitoring programs, worker information and training.

Some Chemicals Require Particular Attention

One of the more significant changes concerns 33 non-threshold genotoxic carcinogens (NTGCs).

From 1 December 2026, these substances will no longer have exposure limits in the WEL list because a practical, protective exposure level cannot be assigned. Where these substances are present, PCBUs must eliminate them where reasonably practicable, substitute them with a safer alternative where possible, or otherwise minimise the risk as far as reasonably practicable.

This means businesses should not assume that the absence of a WEL means there is no regulatory obligation.

The opposite may be true: the risk-management requirements may require particularly strong attention to elimination, substitution and engineering controls.

What About Respirable Crystalline Silica and Other High-Profile Substances?

It is important to distinguish the general WEL transition from separate work that has been undertaken on proposed changes to nine substances.

These include:

  • respirable crystalline silica;
  • benzene;
  • chlorine;
  • copper;
  • formaldehyde;
  • hydrogen cyanide;
  • hydrogen sulphide;
  • nitrogen dioxide; and
  • titanium dioxide.

In June 2026, Safe Work Australia reported that a majority of WHS ministers had not supported the proposed new exposure levels for those nine substances at that stage, and further work was requested. Consequently, their exposure levels will remain at their current WES levels when the WEL framework takes effect on 1 December 2026.

Businesses should therefore use the current Safe Work Australia WEL information rather than relying on older articles, consultant reports or chemical registers prepared before the review was finalised.

What Does The Change Mean For Workers?

For workers, the transition should reinforce an important principle: exposure limits are not a substitute for good risk control.

Workers should continue to follow existing safe-work procedures, use control measures correctly and report problems with ventilation, extraction, PPE or other controls.

Safe Work Australia also recommends that workers familiarise themselves with changes to the limits for airborne contaminants used or generated in their workplace. Workers should be consulted where employers are making decisions about how risks will be eliminated or minimised, or where proposed changes may affect their health and safety.

It is also worth remembering that an exposure limit is not necessarily a guarantee that every individual will experience no health effect below that concentration. Individual susceptibility varies, which is one reason Australian WHS duties continue to require risks to be eliminated or minimised so far as reasonably practicable.

What Should Employers Do Before 1 December 2026?

With the transition only weeks away, businesses should treat this as a practical WHS review rather than simply an administrative change.

  1. Identify every airborne contaminant in the workplace

Start with a complete inventory of substances that could become airborne.

Look beyond chemicals stored in drums or containers. Consider contaminants generated by work processes, including:

  • welding fumes;
  • dust;
  • silica-containing dust;
  • diesel particulate matter;
  • solvent vapours;
  • gases;
  • mists;
  • fumes from heating or cutting;
  • dust generated during machining or processing; and
  • contaminants generated by maintenance, cleaning or waste processes.

Review Safety Data Sheets (SDS), chemical registers, purchasing records and process documentation.

The objective is to identify not only what the business uses, but also what its processes generate.

  1. Compare your current WES against the new WEL

For each relevant airborne contaminant, check the new WEL list.

Do not simply change the heading in your documentation from “WES” to “WEL”.

Determine whether the actual exposure value, exposure category, notation or substance listing has changed.

Safe Work Australia has published comparison information specifically to help PCBUs identify changes between the WES and WEL lists.

This provides a straightforward audit trail for the transition.

  1. Review existing risk assessments

Once the affected substances have been identified, revisit the relevant risk assessments.

Ask:

  • Has the exposure limit changed?
  • Does the current assessment rely on an old WES value?
  • Are workers potentially exposed during particular tasks or maintenance activities?
  • Are there short-term or peak exposure risks?
  • Are contractors or other people at the workplace potentially exposed?
  • Have processes, equipment or chemicals changed since the assessment was completed?
  • Are existing controls still appropriate?

This is particularly important where a new WEL is lower than the existing WES.

  1. Determine whether air monitoring is necessary

Where there is uncertainty about whether workers are exposed above the relevant limit, air monitoring may be necessary.

Safe Work Australia’s new guidance, published in July 2026, provides specific information for PCBUs on when air monitoring may be required, how to engage a competent person, and how to interpret monitoring results.

Air monitoring should not be treated as the first or only control.

The hierarchy of controls remains central. The preferred approach is to eliminate the airborne contaminant where reasonably practicable and, where that cannot be achieved, minimise the risk using appropriate controls.

Where monitoring is undertaken, consider whether personal exposure monitoring is necessary rather than relying solely on general area measurements.

  1. Review engineering controls

The WEL transition is a good opportunity to verify that engineering controls are actually performing as intended.

Depending on the workplace, this may include checking:

  • local exhaust ventilation (LEV);
  • extraction systems;
  • enclosure and isolation systems;
  • process ventilation;
  • dust suppression;
  • automated handling;
  • closed transfer systems;
  • equipment maintenance; and
  • filtration systems.

A documented control that exists on paper but does not adequately control exposure in practice does not provide effective risk management.

  1. Review PPE and respiratory protection

PPE should not be used as a substitute for higher-order controls where those controls are reasonably practicable.

However, businesses should review respiratory protective equipment where it forms part of the control strategy.

Check that:

  • the selected respirator is appropriate for the contaminant;
  • workers are correctly trained;
  • fit testing requirements are addressed where applicable;
  • filters and cartridges are appropriate;
  • maintenance and replacement arrangements are effective; and
  • workers understand when and how the equipment must be used.

Any change in exposure level may warrant a review of the existing respiratory protection arrangements.

  1. Review health monitoring requirements

Some hazardous chemical exposures can trigger specific health-monitoring obligations under WHS legislation.

The WEL transition should therefore prompt a review of whether existing health-monitoring arrangements remain appropriate for the substances and exposure scenarios present at the workplace.

This is separate from air monitoring: air monitoring measures exposure in the workplace, while health monitoring assesses aspects of a worker’s health in accordance with applicable requirements.

Businesses should seek competent professional advice where the interaction between exposure, health monitoring and WHS requirements is unclear.

  1. Consult workers

Worker consultation should be part of the transition process, not something left until the new limits come into effect.

Workers often have practical knowledge about where exposure occurs that may not be obvious from a written risk assessment.

Discuss:

  • which tasks generate dust, fumes, vapours or other contaminants;
  • when exposure appears to be highest;
  • whether controls are practical during real work;
  • problems with extraction or ventilation;
  • PPE issues;
  • changes to work procedures; and
  • any proposed additional monitoring or controls.

Safe Work Australia specifically highlights consultation as part of preparing for the WEL transition.

  1. Update WHS documentation

Once the assessment is complete, update relevant documentation, including:

  • chemical registers;
  • risk assessments;
  • hazardous chemical procedures;
  • Safe Work Method Statements (where applicable);
  • operating procedures;
  • air-monitoring programs;
  • training materials;
  • induction materials;
  • emergency procedures; and
  • internal WHS registers.

Make sure documents distinguish between the requirements applying before and from 1 December 2026 where necessary.

  1. Communicate the changes

Workers do not need to become occupational hygienists, but they should understand what the change means for their work.

For example, toolbox talks or training sessions could explain:

What is changing?

WES will become WEL from 1 December 2026.

Why is it changing?

The WES review has resulted in revised exposure limits and terminology intended to make clear that these are limits that must not be exceeded.

What does it mean for our workplace?

Some of the substances we use or generate may have different limits or classifications.

What do workers need to do?

Continue following established controls, report problems and participate in any monitoring, training or consultation.

A Special Consideration: Diesel Engine Emissions

Businesses that operate diesel-powered equipment should pay particular attention to the transition.

Safe Work Australia has identified a new workplace exposure limit for diesel particulate matter of 0.01 mg/m³, which will apply from 1 December 2026. New guidance has also been released covering industries including mining, quarrying, tunnelling, construction, agriculture, transport and logistics, oil and gas, and vehicle maintenance.

For workplaces with diesel engines, this should trigger a review of sources, ventilation, work practices, maintenance and exposure monitoring.

A Practical WEL Transition Checklist

Before 1 December 2026, employers should consider completing the following:

  • Identify all airborne contaminants used or generated at the workplace.
  • Review relevant Safety Data Sheets and chemical registers.
  • Compare current WES values against the new WEL list.
  • Identify substances with changed exposure limits.
  • Identify new or removed substances and changed notations.
  • Check whether any NTGCs are present.
  • Review existing risk assessments.
  • Determine whether air monitoring is required.
  • Engage a competent occupational hygienist where specialist assessment is needed.
  • Review engineering and ventilation controls.
  • Review respiratory protection and PPE arrangements.
  • Review health-monitoring requirements.
  • Consult workers and health and safety representatives.
  • Update procedures, risk assessments and registers.
  • Update worker training and induction material.
  • Document actions and assign responsibility for outstanding controls.
  • Confirm requirements with the relevant state, territory or Commonwealth WHS regulator.

Don’t Wait Until 1 December

The WES-to-WEL transition is sometimes described as a change in terminology. That description misses the practical implications.

The name is changing, but the more important issue for employers is that some exposure limits and classifications are changing as well.

The good news is that businesses do not need to reinvent their entire hazardous-chemical management system. Existing risk-management processes provide the foundation. The immediate task is to identify where the new WEL requirements differ from the requirements currently being applied and determine whether existing controls remain effective.

For Australian workplaces, the key date is 1 December 2026. Until 30 November, the current WES list continues to apply; from 1 December, the WEL list will apply following implementation in the relevant WHS laws.

Businesses should therefore use the remaining transition period to complete the review, undertake any necessary monitoring, strengthen controls and communicate the changes to workers.

Sherm Software gives businesses the ability to stay ahead of changes such as these and equips the business with powerful tools to maintain comprehensive, accurate and up to date safety records. By centralising data, automating workflows and ensuring compliance, Sherm Software enhances safety management, boosts regulatory compliance and fosters continuous improvement.

Get in touch with us today and see how Sherm Software can support your business.

The Safe Work Australia WEL list and supporting guidance should be treated as the primary reference point, with businesses also checking the requirements of their relevant WHS regulator because Commonwealth, state and territory regulators are responsible for administering and enforcing WHS laws in their respective jurisdictions.

Further Resources

Employers can access the current Safe Work Australia Workplace Exposure Limits list, the comparison of changes between WES and WEL, and the Safe Work Australia guidance on air monitoring and WELs.

For Queensland businesses, WorkSafe Queensland’s information on the new Workplace Exposure Limits is also relevant.

This article provides general information and is not legal or occupational hygiene advice. Australian WHS requirements can differ between jurisdictions, so businesses should confirm the applicable requirements with their relevant WHS regulator and obtain competent professional advice where necessary.

ISO 9001:2026 Is Here – What Has Changed and What Does Your Organisation Need to Do?

Posted on by Marnie Cruickshank

ISO 9001:2026, Quality management systems – Requirements, was officially published on 16 September 2026, replacing ISO 9001:2015.

For organisations already operating an ISO 9001-certified Quality Management System (QMS), the good news is that this is an evolution rather than a complete redesign of the Standard.

The established foundations of ISO 9001 remain. Customer focus, leadership, the process approach, risk-based thinking, evidence-based decision-making and continual improvement continue to underpin an effective QMS.

What has changed is the emphasis.

ISO 9001:2026 places greater attention on how quality management operates in practice, particularly the connection between leadership, organisational culture, ethical behaviour, strategic direction, risks and opportunities, people and business performance.

For many organisations, the transition should therefore be less about rewriting the entire management system and more about determining where the existing system needs to mature.

What Are The Key Changes In ISO 9001:2026?

1. Stronger focus on leadership, quality culture and ethical behaviour

Leadership has always been central to ISO 9001, but the 2026 edition strengthens the expectation that quality is actively supported by organisational leadership.

This means demonstrating more than having an approved Quality Policy or completing an annual Management Review.

Organisations should consider how leadership:

This is an important shift in emphasis.

A mature QMS should be visible in how people make decisions and perform their work, not simply through procedures, forms and records.

2. Greater alignment between the QMS and business strategy

ISO 9001:2026 reinforces the relationship between the Quality Management System, the organisation’s context and its strategic direction.

The QMS should not operate as a separate compliance framework sitting alongside the business.

Instead, quality objectives, operational processes and performance measures should contribute to the organisation’s broader objectives.

For example, if an organisation has a strategic objective to improve customer retention, relevant quality measures might include:

The important question becomes:

Can the organisation demonstrate how its quality objectives and processes contribute to achieving its strategic direction?

This provides an opportunity for organisations to make their management systems more useful to management, rather than maintaining them primarily for certification.

3. Risks and opportunities receive clearer treatment

Risk-based thinking remains fundamental to ISO 9001, but the 2026 edition provides greater clarity around risks and opportunities.

This distinction is important.

Risk management asks:

What could happen that may prevent us from achieving the intended result?

Opportunity management asks:

What could we change, improve or pursue that could produce a beneficial result?

For example, an organisation may identify a risk that critical operational information is not available when employees are working remotely or in the field.

Controls could include access controls, document management, mobile access, backups and system availability arrangements.

The same analysis may identify an opportunity to digitise the process, improve access to current information and obtain better operational data.

Organisations should therefore review whether their existing risk processes genuinely address both sides of the equation rather than simply maintaining a traditional risk register focused on adverse events.

4. Increased emphasis on employee awareness

People remain fundamental to the effectiveness of any management system.

ISO 9001:2026 strengthens awareness around quality culture and ethical behaviour in addition to the established requirements relating to quality policy, objectives and an individual’s contribution to QMS effectiveness.

This means organisations should look beyond whether a worker has attended an induction or signed a training record.

Consider whether employees actually understand:

Effective awareness should be evident through workplace behaviour and decision-making.

5. Climate change remains part of organisational context

Climate change is not entirely new to ISO 9001.

Climate-related considerations were introduced into ISO 9001:2015 through the 2024 Climate Action Amendment and continue under ISO 9001:2026.

This does not mean every organisation needs a separate climate change procedure or extensive climate risk register.

Instead, organisations need to determine whether climate change is a relevant issue within their context and whether relevant interested parties have climate-related requirements.

Depending on the organisation, considerations could include:

Where these matters are relevant, they should be appropriately considered within the organisation’s planning and operational controls.

6. Recognition of the modern digital business environment

The way organisations operate has changed considerably since ISO 9001:2015 was published.

Cloud systems, digital workflows, mobile applications, automated processes, connected supply chains, remote work, data analytics and artificial intelligence increasingly influence business operations.

ISO 9001:2026 better reflects this contemporary operating environment.

Importantly, the Standard does not require organisations to implement artificial intelligence or any particular technology.

The focus remains on ensuring the organisation has appropriate processes, resources, knowledge, information and controls necessary to achieve the intended results of its QMS.

For organisations undergoing digital transformation, this provides an opportunity to consider whether their QMS has kept pace with how work is actually being performed.

7. Annex A provides greater clarification

The revised Annex A provides additional guidance on concepts, terminology and the intended application of requirements within ISO 9001:2026.

This supports an increasingly important principle in management system auditing:

Effectiveness matters more than paperwork for paperwork’s sake.

Rather than simply asking whether a procedure exists, organisations should consider whether the process is understood, implemented, controlled and achieving its intended result.

This is also an important consideration when reviewing management system documentation during the transition.

Not every existing procedure will need to change.

The priority should be identifying where a change is actually required and ensuring the system remains effective, proportionate and suitable for the organisation.

What Hasn’t Changed?

Organisations should not assume that ISO 9001:2026 means starting again.

The familiar management system framework remains, including:

Clause 4 – Context of the Organisation
Clause 5 – Leadership
Clause 6 – Planning
Clause 7 – Support
Clause 8 – Operation
Clause 9 – Performance Evaluation
Clause 10 – Improvement

ISO 9001:2026 also adopts ISO’s current Harmonized Structure, supporting integration with other ISO management system standards.

For organisations operating an Integrated Management System covering quality, health and safety, environment or other disciplines, this continuity is particularly useful.

What Should ISO 9001:2015-Certified Organisations Do Now?

The first step should be a structured ISO 9001:2026 Gap Analysis.

Rather than immediately rewriting procedures, organisations should compare their existing QMS against the revised requirements and determine what actually needs to change.

The review should consider:

Organisational context and interested parties – Are internal and external issues current, and are relevant interested-party requirements understood?

Leadership and quality culture – Can the organisation demonstrate how leaders actively support quality, ethical behaviour and accountability?

Strategic alignment – Is there a meaningful connection between business strategy, the Quality Policy, quality objectives and operational performance?

Risks and opportunities – Does the organisation appropriately consider both threats to intended outcomes and opportunities for improvement?

Competence and awareness – Do employees understand their contribution to quality and what is expected when quality issues arise?

Objectives and KPIs – Are quality objectives measurable, meaningful and connected to organisational priorities?

Internal audits – Do audit programmes and criteria need updating to address the revised requirements and increased focus on effectiveness?

Management Review – Does the Management Review process provide leadership with useful information about the performance and continuing suitability of the QMS?

Documented information – Which policies, procedures, registers, forms, workflows and records genuinely require amendment?

Transition planning – Who is responsible for each required change, when will it be completed and what evidence will demonstrate implementation?

A practical transition register could track:

ISO 9001:2026 Requirement → Current Arrangement → Gap Identified → Required Action → Responsible Person → Due Date → Document/System Change → Evidence of Completion

Don’t Turn The Transition Into A Documentation Exercise

One of the biggest risks during any ISO transition is immediately rewriting the management system before understanding the actual gaps.

For organisations with an established ISO 9001:2015 system, much of the existing framework may remain suitable.

The better approach is to:

Assess → Identify → Prioritise → Implement → Verify

This reduces unnecessary documentation, focuses resources on genuine gaps and provides clearer evidence that the organisation has systematically addressed the transition.

How Sherm Can Support The ISO 9001:2026 Transition

For organisations using Sherm as their management system platform, the transition can be managed through the existing system rather than creating a separate collection of spreadsheets, documents and action lists.

Sherm can support organisations to bring together the evidence required across areas such as:

This creates an opportunity to use the ISO 9001:2026 transition not simply to update certification documentation, but to review whether the QMS is actually providing management with useful operational information.

The Key Takeaway

ISO 9001:2026 does not require organisations to throw out their existing Quality Management System and start again.

It does, however, encourage organisations to look more closely at whether their QMS is genuinely connected to the way the organisation is led and managed.

The increased emphasis on leadership, quality culture, ethical behaviour, strategic alignment, risks and opportunities, employee awareness and system effectiveness reinforces an important principle:

A Quality Management System should be a business management tool, not simply a collection of documents maintained for an audit.

For organisations already certified to ISO 9001:2015, now is the time to understand the changes, undertake a structured Gap Analysis and develop a practical transition plan.

Need help preparing for ISO 9001:2026?

Sherm provides an integrated platform for managing quality, safety, environmental and operational management system requirements, helping organisations manage risks, actions, audits, documents, competency and performance within one central system.

A structured transition provides an ideal opportunity to simplify existing processes, remove unnecessary administration and strengthen the connection between your management system and the way your organisation actually operates.

For more information, see ISO – ISO 9001:2026: What businesses need to know

Consequential Amendments to Seven Queensland Codes of Practice

Posted on by Marnie Cruickshank

Queensland businesses should be aware of important updates to seven Work Health and Safety (WHS) Codes of Practice taking effect from 1 September 2026.

The amendments affect the following Codes of Practice:

  • Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice 2022
  • Managing noise and preventing hearing loss at work Code of Practice 2021
  • Safe design of structures Code of Practice 2021
  • How to manage work health and safety risks Code of Practice 2021
  • Confined spaces Code of Practice 2021
  • Managing the work environment and facilities Code of Practice 2021
  • Managing risks of plant in the workplace Code of Practice 2021

WorkSafe Queensland describes these as consequential amendments. They are intended to ensure the Codes remain consistent with changes to Queensland’s WHS legislative framework. The amended Codes commence on 1 September 2026.

What Are Consequential Amendments?

Consequential amendments are changes made to supporting documents, such as Codes of Practice, because the underlying legislation has changed.

Importantly, this does not necessarily mean that every amendment creates a new WHS obligation. Rather, the purpose is generally to ensure that the guidance provided to businesses reflects the current legislation, terminology, processes and requirements.

This distinction is important for businesses reviewing their WHS systems. A Code of Practice is not legislation itself, but an approved Code can be highly relevant to compliance. Codes may be admissible in court proceedings and may be relied upon when determining what is known about a hazard, risk or control and what is reasonably practicable in the circumstances.

1. Managing The Risk Of Psychosocial Hazards At Work

The most significant targeted change is to the Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice 2022.

WorkSafe Queensland confirms that the Code has been amended to reflect updated processes and timeframes for dispute and issue resolution, together with amendments relating to sexual harassment provisions. These changes take effect from 1 September 2026.

This is particularly relevant because psychosocial hazards can arise from the way work is designed, organised and managed, as well as workplace interactions and behaviours.

The Code already provides guidance on hazards including:

  • high or low job demands
  • low job control
  • poor support
  • poor organisational change management
  • poor workplace relationships
  • bullying
  • harassment, including sexual harassment
  • violence and aggression
  • remote or isolated work
  • traumatic events.

The updated provisions reinforce the need for businesses to have appropriate mechanisms for responding to concerns, complaints and disputes involving psychosocial hazards.

For employers, this means that it is timely to review not only the psychosocial risk assessment process but also the complaints, issue-resolution and workplace behaviour procedures that support it.

2. Managing Noise And Preventing Hearing Loss At Work

The Managing noise and preventing hearing loss at work Code of Practice 2021 has also been consequentially amended.

The Code provides practical guidance on identifying hazardous noise, assessing exposure and implementing controls to prevent hearing loss. It also addresses audiometric testing, personal protective equipment and the responsibilities of designers, manufacturers, importers, suppliers and installers of plant.

For businesses, the amendment is an important reminder that noise management should not be treated simply as a matter of providing hearing protection.

The Code continues to emphasise the hierarchy of controls and the importance of considering noise at its source. Where workers are required to use hearing protection because their work exceeds the noise exposure standard, specific requirements apply to audiometric testing.

Businesses should therefore take the opportunity to review:

  • noise risk assessments
  • noise monitoring arrangements
  • engineering and other higher-order controls
  • hearing protection programs
  • audiometric testing arrangements
  • worker consultation and training
  • information provided with noisy plant and equipment.

3. Safe Design Of Structures

The Safe design of structures Code of Practice 2021 is another Code affected by the consequential amendments.

Safe design is particularly important because decisions made during the design stage can eliminate or reduce risks long before workers encounter them.

The Code applies to people involved in designing structures and is also relevant to clients, developers, builders and others whose decisions influence design outcomes.

The current Code takes a lifecycle approach to safety. Designers are expected to consider risks associated with construction, use, maintenance, modification and eventual demolition or dismantling.

The Code also recognises that safe design should consider both physical and psychosocial hazards. For example, design decisions may influence workplace violence, worker accommodation, access, environmental conditions and the way work is performed.

For designers and organisations commissioning design work, the amendments provide an opportunity to ensure that WHS considerations are being incorporated into design briefs, design reviews and information transferred between designers, clients and construction teams.

4. How To Manage Work Health And Safety Risks

The How to manage work health and safety risks Code of Practice 2021 is the foundation for the WHS risk-management process.

The Code applies across workplaces and provides guidance on identifying hazards, assessing risks where necessary, controlling risks and reviewing control measures. It also recognises that risks can be physical, psychological or both.

One of the important practical messages is that the risk-management process is not limited to traditional physical hazards.

For example, workplace hazards may arise from:

  • equipment and machinery
  • noise
  • hazardous chemicals
  • manual tasks
  • work design
  • high job demands
  • bullying and harassment
  • violence and aggression
  • workplace interactions and behaviours.

The Code also reinforces the importance of worker consultation and the need to consider psychosocial risks as part of the broader risk-management framework.

Businesses should therefore avoid treating risk assessments as static documents. Risk-management processes should be reviewed when work changes, new equipment is introduced, incidents occur, controls are found to be ineffective or workers identify new hazards.

5. Confined Spaces

The Confined spaces Code of Practice 2021 has also been updated as part of the consequential amendments.

Confined-space work remains a high-risk activity because conditions can change quickly and hazards may not always be obvious. Risks can include oxygen deficiency, airborne contaminants, fire or explosion, engulfment, falls and difficulties associated with rescue.

The Code requires a systematic approach to managing these risks, including identifying hazards, assessing risks where required, eliminating risks where reasonably practicable and implementing effective controls.

The Code also highlights the importance of design. Designers, manufacturers, importers, suppliers, installers and constructors have duties relating to structures or plant that contain, or may become, confined spaces. Where reasonably practicable, the need for entry should be eliminated and the risk of inadvertent entry should be addressed.

Businesses undertaking confined-space work should use the amended Code as an opportunity to review:

  • confined-space registers
  • risk assessments
  • entry permits
  • isolation procedures
  • atmospheric monitoring
  • communication systems
  • emergency and rescue arrangements
  • training and competency
  • consultation with workers and other duty holders.

6. Managing The Work Environment And Facilities

The Managing the work environment and facilities Code of Practice 2021 has also received consequential amendments.

The Code covers the physical work environment and facilities provided to workers, including work areas, lighting, ventilation, toilets, drinking water, dining areas, change rooms, personal storage, remote or isolated work and emergency arrangements.

A key feature of the current Code is its recognition that the work environment can contribute to both physical and psychosocial risks.

For example, workplace design, lighting and visibility can influence the risk of violence, aggression and harassment. Similarly, remote and isolated work can increase exposure to both physical and psychosocial risks.

The Code also contains guidance concerning ventilation and airborne contaminants, reinforcing the need for businesses to consider air quality as part of maintaining a safe work environment.

This makes the updated Code particularly relevant to employers undertaking workplace refurbishments, relocations, facility upgrades or changes to working arrangements.

7. Managing Risks Of Plant In The Workplace

The Managing risks of plant in the workplace Code of Practice 2021 is the final Code included in the consequential amendments.

Plant is a major source of workplace injury, and the Code applies to businesses that manage or control plant as well as those involved in installing, constructing or commissioning plant.

The Code adopts a lifecycle approach, covering matters including:

  • purchasing and hiring plant
  • second-hand plant
  • installation and commissioning
  • operation
  • modifications
  • inspection
  • maintenance and repair
  • storage
  • powered mobile plant
  • decommissioning and disposal
  • guarding
  • operational controls
  • emergency stops
  • warning devices
  • isolation of energy sources.

For businesses, the key message is that plant safety starts well before a machine is switched on. Procurement, design, installation and commissioning decisions can determine the level of risk workers will face throughout the plant’s lifecycle.

The updated Code should therefore be considered when reviewing plant procurement processes, machinery risk assessments, safe operating procedures and maintenance programs.

What Should Queensland Businesses Do Now?

Although these are described as consequential amendments, businesses should not assume that the changes can simply be filed away as administrative updates.

The seven Codes collectively cover many of the systems that underpin a modern WHS management framework.

Businesses should consider undertaking a targeted review before or from 1 September 2026, including:

  1. Review the amended Codes relevant to your business and identify changes to terminology, references and guidance.
  2. Review WHS policies and procedures, particularly psychosocial risk, complaints, issue resolution, consultation and workplace behaviour procedures.
  3. Check risk assessments to ensure they address both physical and psychosocial hazards where relevant.
  4. Review control measures rather than relying solely on administrative controls or PPE.
  5. Check training and competency requirements, particularly for high-risk work such as confined-space entry and plant operation.
  6. Review design and procurement processes so WHS considerations are incorporated before structures, plant or work systems are introduced.
  7. Confirm consultation arrangements with workers and health and safety representatives.
  8. Update internal references to legislation and Codes of Practice so supervisors, managers and workers are working from current information.
  9. Check contractor and supplier arrangements, particularly where multiple duty holders share responsibility for plant, structures, confined spaces or workplaces.
  10. Keep evidence of the review. Documenting what was reviewed, who was consulted and what actions were taken can help demonstrate that the business is actively managing its WHS obligations.

The Bigger Picture

The amendments demonstrate an important feature of Australia’s WHS framework: safety obligations do not operate in isolation.

Psychosocial health, workplace design, plant safety, confined-space work, noise, workplace facilities and general risk management can overlap considerably. A single activity may involve several of these Codes at the same time.

For example, a new manufacturing facility could involve safe design of structures, plant risk management, hazardous noise, workplace facilities and psychosocial hazards arising from work design. Similarly, confined-space work may involve plant isolation, atmospheric hazards, emergency response and psychosocial risks.

The most effective approach is therefore not to treat each Code as a standalone compliance exercise. Instead, businesses should integrate the updated Codes into their broader WHS management system.

Conclusion

From 1 September 2026, Queensland businesses will need to work with consequentially amended versions of seven important Codes of Practice covering psychosocial hazards, noise, safe design, risk management, confined spaces, workplace environments and facilities, and plant.

The changes are designed to keep the Codes aligned with Queensland’s current WHS legislative framework. In particular, businesses should take note of the updated processes and timeframes for dispute and issue resolution and the amended sexual-harassment provisions within the psychosocial hazards Code.

For duty holders, the practical response should be more than simply downloading the new documents. The commencement date provides a useful trigger to review WHS systems, risk assessments, consultation arrangements, procedures, training and controls and ensure that workplace practices continue to reflect current Queensland requirements.

Important: This article provides general information only and is not legal advice. Approved Codes of Practice and WHS legislation can have different application depending on the circumstances. Businesses should refer to the current Queensland legislation and WorkSafe Queensland guidance when determining their specific obligations.

Sherm Software equips organisations with powerful tools to maintain comprehensive, accurate and up to date records. With Sherm Software’s Registers module, you can maintain records of all relevant legislation affecting business operations, linking to the regulators’ site and monitoring through Workplace Inspections Management.

By centralising data, automating workflows and ensuring compliance, Sherm Software enhances safety management, boosts regulatory compliance and fosters continuous improvement in workplace safety practices.

Get in touch with us today and learn more.

Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 QLD: What Has Changed?

Posted on by Marnie Cruickshank

Queensland’s new Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 is set to replace the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013 from 1 September 2026.

For electricians, electrical contractors, businesses and other people working with electrical installations and equipment, the change is important, but it is not a major overhaul of Queensland’s electrical safety requirements.

The Queensland Government has confirmed that the 2026 Regulation does not introduce new policy or regulatory obligations. Instead, the regulation has been substantially reorganised and rewritten to make it easier to navigate, understand and apply alongside the Electrical Safety Act 2002.

Why Has The Electrical Safety Regulation Been Replaced?

The Electrical Safety Regulation 2013 was subject to Queensland’s statutory sunset review process. Queensland subordinate legislation generally expires after 10 years unless it is reviewed and remade.

The 2013 Regulation was due to expire on 31 August 2026. The review found that the regulation remained necessary and that its underlying policy and regulatory intent continued to be appropriate.

Rather than allowing the regulation to expire, the Queensland Government remade it as the Electrical Safety Regulation 2026. The new regulation was notified on 14 August 2026 and commences on 1 September 2026.

The official position is that the remake is primarily about structure, clarity and usability, rather than introducing a new set of electrical safety rules.

What Are The Main Changes?

Although the practical electrical safety requirements are largely unchanged, there are several important structural changes that electrical businesses should be aware of.

  1. The Regulation Has Been Completely Reorganised

One of the biggest changes is the structure of the regulation.

Sections have been reordered and grouped into new parts to better align the regulation with the Electrical Safety Act 2002. As a result, virtually all section numbers have changed.

This means a procedure, safety document, contract, training resource or other business document that currently refers to a particular section of the 2013 Regulation may contain an outdated reference after 1 September 2026.

For example, rather than assuming that a section number from the 2013 Regulation remains valid, businesses should check the Queensland Government’s comparison information to identify the corresponding provision in the 2026 Regulation.

This is likely to be one of the most noticeable changes for contractors and compliance teams.

  1. Greater Connection Between The Regulation and The Electrical Safety Act

The 2026 Regulation contains additional legislative references throughout the document.

These references are intended to make it clearer how individual requirements relate to the corresponding provisions of the Electrical Safety Act 2002.

The aim is to make the legislation easier to interpret and navigate, particularly where a duty originates in the Act and the Regulation provides more detailed requirements about how that duty is to be met.

  1. Some Provisions Have Been Streamlined

A small number of provisions have been removed or combined where they were considered unnecessary or duplicated requirements elsewhere.

The purpose is to reduce duplication and make the regulation easier to read and use.

Importantly, this should not be interpreted as a broad removal of electrical safety responsibilities. The Queensland Government states that the remake does not change the underlying policy or intent of the regulation.

  1. Work Near Electrical Lines Has Been Restructured

Requirements dealing with work near overhead and underground electric lines have been reorganised.

The provisions have been separated according to the different risk profiles associated with overhead and underground electrical lines.

Definitions relating to exclusion zones and unsafe distances have also been moved to the beginning of the regulation so they are easier to locate and apply throughout the legislation.

For businesses carrying out construction, excavation, civil works, tree work or other activities near electrical infrastructure, this restructuring should make the relevant requirements easier to find.

It is still important, however, to review the new provisions rather than relying on old section references.

  1. Licensing Provisions Have Been Consolidated

The 2026 Regulation reorganises provisions relating to licensing and qualified persons.

Definitions for qualified technical person (QTP) and qualified business person (QBP) have been included in the licensing part of the Regulation, along with definitions for other terms used in the licensing provisions.

The intention is to make the licensing requirements more logically organised and consistent.

Do electricians need to apply for a new licence?

No.

The commencement of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 does not invalidate existing electrical licences. Licences issued under the 2013 Regulation continue to have effect under the 2026 Regulation.

Queensland Government guidance confirms that licence holders do not need to apply for a new licence or take action simply because the new regulation commences.

  1. High-Voltage Live-Line Work Has Been Separated Into Two Sections

Requirements for high-voltage live-line work have been reorganised into two separate provisions.

The purpose is to make the requirements easier to understand and apply rather than to introduce a new policy approach to high-voltage live-line work.

Businesses involved in high-voltage work should nevertheless update internal references to the relevant sections of the new Regulation.

  1. Safety Management System Requirements Have Been Restructured

The requirements for safety management systems (SMS) have been reorganised into discrete sections.

The Queensland Government has also included a transitional arrangement so that the new SMS provisions do not commence immediately.

The restructured SMS requirements commence on 1 September 2027, giving prescribed electricity entities an additional 12 months to become familiar with the new structure.

During the transitional period, the former section 234 of the 2013 Regulation continues to apply.

Importantly, the Government says there are no changes to the underlying SMS requirements, the changes are primarily structural and clarifying.

  1. Changes To SMS Auditing Requirements

The 2026 Regulation provides additional clarity around safety management system auditing.

For example, it clarifies that an audit report must be provided to the regulator following an audit and removes the broader requirement to provide “any further information” required by the regulator.

The annual audit provisions have also been clarified, including what is subject to an annual audit while retaining flexibility for a prescribed electricity entity to determine the scope of an audit.

The timeframe for providing an annual audit plan has also been expressly stated: generally, the later of 30 days before the audit begins or an agreed date.

  1. Transitional Arrangements Protect Existing Licences and Processes

The new Regulation contains transitional provisions in Part 16.

These provisions are designed to ensure continuity when the 2013 Regulation is replaced.

For example, existing licences, notices and authorisations continue to operate under the transitional arrangements. Certain applications, investigations and proceedings that began under the 2013 Regulation can also continue under the appropriate legislative framework.

This means businesses should not assume that the changeover date requires them to start existing processes again.

What Does This Mean For Electricians and Electrical Contractors?

For most electricians and electrical contractors, the practical impact should be relatively small.

If your business was already complying with the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013, the Queensland Government says you are unlikely to need to change your work practices simply because the 2026 Regulation commences.

However, there are several things worth doing.

Review Your Procedures

Check your electrical safety procedures, safe work procedures, compliance manuals and other documents for references to the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013.

Where your documents refer to specific section or part numbers, those references should be checked and updated.

Update Templates and Compliance Documents

Businesses may have references to the 2013 Regulation in:

  • electrical safety procedures
  • SWMS and risk-management documentation
  • compliance manuals
  • internal audit documents
  • training materials
  • contractor documentation
  • inspection and testing procedures
  • electrical installation checklists
  • safety management system documents
  • website compliance information.

Not every document will need to be rewritten. If a document describes a practical safety requirement without referring to an old section number, the Queensland Government says substantial changes are unlikely to be necessary. However, documents should still be reviewed for accuracy.

Make Your Team Aware Of The New Section Numbers

There is no general requirement to retrain workers simply because the 2026 Regulation has commenced.

Workers should, however, be made aware of the new structure and any changes to legislative references that affect their work.

This is particularly relevant for supervisors, electrical contractors, compliance managers and anyone responsible for preparing or reviewing safety documentation.

Has Anything Actually Changed In Day-To-Day Electrical Safety?

For most electrical work, the answer is not in a substantive policy sense.

The Queensland Government has been very clear that the 2026 Regulation is not intended to introduce new policy or regulatory obligations. The purpose of the remake was to improve the regulation’s structure, clarity and usability.

This distinction is important.

The regulation looks substantially different, section numbers have changed and provisions have been moved around, but that does not mean electricians suddenly have an entirely new set of electrical safety obligations.

In practical terms, the biggest immediate challenge may be finding the equivalent provision in the new Regulation.

What About Enforcement?

The Queensland Government has stated that the Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 will not result in a different enforcement approach.

The remake does not change the policy intent or how the obligations are intended to operate. The changes are primarily structural and drafting improvements.

Businesses should therefore treat the commencement of the new Regulation as an important compliance-document update rather than assuming that the change creates a new enforcement regime.

Don’t Confuse The 2026 Regulation With Other Electrical Legislation Changes

There have also been separate changes to Queensland electrical safety legislation during 2026.

For example, the Electrical Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2026 was assented to on 27 March 2026. Those legislative amendments are separate from the sunset remake of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2026.

The 2026 Regulation itself is the replacement for the 2013 Regulation and is primarily a restructure and clarification exercise.

This distinction matters when researching “electrical safety changes in Queensland in 2026”, because not every 2026 legislative change is a consequence of the new Regulation.

When Does The Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 Start?

The Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 commences on 1 September 2026.

The existing Electrical Safety Regulation 2013 expires at the same time. The new Regulation has been made as Queensland subordinate legislation and is scheduled to remain in force until its next statutory expiry in 2036, subject to any future legislative changes.

The exception is the restructured safety management system provisions discussed above, which commence on 1 September 2027 under the transitional arrangements.

A Practical Checklist For Queensland Electrical Businesses

Before the new Regulation takes effect, electrical businesses should consider:

  • Review your references to the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013.
  • Check the new section numbers for requirements relevant to your business.
  • Update policies and procedures that cite the old Regulation.
  • Update compliance and audit documentation.
  • Brief supervisors and workers about the new structure.
  • Review documentation relating to work near overhead and underground electrical lines.
  • Check licensing documentation and references to QTPs and QBPs.
  • Review safety management system documentation if your business is a prescribed electricity entity.
  • Keep copies of the new Regulation and the official comparison material available to relevant staff.

The Bottom Line

The Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 is a major rewrite in structure, but not a major change in electrical safety policy.

From 1 September 2026, Queensland will move from the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013 to the new 2026 Regulation. The biggest changes are the rearrangement of provisions, new section numbers, clearer legislative references, consolidated licensing provisions, restructured requirements for work near electrical lines and clearer safety management system and audit provisions.

For most electricians and contractors who already comply with the existing requirements, there should be no need to change established work practices simply because the new Regulation commences.

The key task is to make sure your business documentation, procedures and legislative references keep pace with the new structure.

For the definitive requirements, businesses should refer to the official Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 and the Queensland Government’s Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 guidance rather than relying solely on summaries or third-party interpretations.

Safe Work Australia Launches New Hazardous Chemical Information System (HCIS)

Posted on by Marnie Cruickshank

Safe Work Australia has published a new Hazardous Chemical Information System (HCIS), giving Australian businesses and workers a refreshed way to access information about hazardous chemicals and prepare for the introduction of new workplace exposure limits (WELs) on 1 December 2026.

The new HCIS was published on 4 August 2026 and represents a significant update to one of Australia’s key online resources for chemical hazard information.

What Is The HCIS?

The Hazardous Chemical Information System is an online guidance tool developed by Safe Work Australia to help manufacturers, importers, employers and users find information about hazardous chemicals.

The system provides information relating to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), including hazard classifications, hazard statements, pictograms and other information relevant to chemical classification and communication.

It can also help manufacturers and importers determine whether a product is a hazardous chemical and, where applicable, support the classification, labelling and preparation of safety data sheets (SDS) under the GHS and model WHS Regulations. Employers and other chemical users can use the system to cross-check information appearing on labels and SDS.

What Is New In The 2026 HCIS?

The new system has been redesigned to make chemical information easier to find and use.

  1. A Refreshed User Interface

The HCIS has a modernised interface intended to make navigation and searching more straightforward.

For businesses that regularly need to check chemical classifications, a simpler interface can reduce the time spent searching through separate pages or sources of information.

  1. GHS and WEL Information In One Place

One of the most important changes is the introduction of a single search function that brings together relevant chemical information.

GHS classification information and workplace exposure limit data can now be displayed together on the same page.

This is particularly relevant as Australia moves from the existing Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) to the new Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL) framework.

  1. Mobile and Tablet Compatibility

The new HCIS has also been designed to work across different devices, including mobile phones and tablets.

This should make it more practical for safety professionals, supervisors and workers who need to access chemical information away from a desktop computer.

  1. Updated Classification Information

As part of the upgrade, Safe Work Australia has updated GHS classification data from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS).

This is important because chemical classification information can change as new scientific information becomes available or authoritative classification sources are updated.

Why The New HCIS Matters

For businesses managing hazardous chemicals, the HCIS is more than simply a searchable database. It can be a useful part of the process of identifying chemical hazards and checking whether information used in the workplace is current and consistent.

Under Australia’s WHS framework, manufacturers and importers are responsible for determining whether their products are hazardous chemicals and, where required, correctly classifying them. The resulting information is used to prepare labels and SDSs.

The HCIS can therefore provide a valuable reference point when reviewing chemical inventories, SDSs, labels and risk controls.

However, Safe Work Australia emphasises that the HCIS is a guidance tool, rather than a comprehensive register of every hazardous chemical. The classification information should not be treated as a substitute for the manufacturer’s or importer’s legal responsibilities or for professional advice where classification is uncertain.

The Connection With Australia’s New Workplace Exposure Limits

The timing of the new HCIS is significant.

Australia is transitioning from Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) for airborne contaminants to Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL). The new WEL framework takes effect from 1 December 2026. Until 30 November 2026, workplaces must continue to comply with the existing WES requirements.

The new HCIS has been specifically designed to support this transition by bringing chemical classification information and exposure-limit information together.

The WEL changes include revised exposure-limit values and changes to how some chemicals and health risks are represented. There are also changes to advisory notations, including the introduction of separate dermal and respiratory sensitisation notations and an ototoxicity notation.

Safe Work Australia has also identified 33 chemicals that will be removed from the WEL list because they are recognised as non-threshold genotoxic carcinogens. From 1 December 2026, these chemicals will no longer have exposure limits; instead, PCBUs will need to eliminate them where reasonably practicable, substitute them where possible, or otherwise minimise the risk.

This makes it particularly important for businesses to review their chemical management arrangements before the December 2026 transition.

What Should Businesses Do Now?

The release of the new HCIS is a good opportunity for businesses to review their existing chemical information and systems.

Consider taking the following steps:

Review Your Chemical Inventory

Identify the hazardous chemicals currently used, stored or generated in your workplace and confirm that you have current SDSs and labels for them.

Check Chemical Classifications

Use the new HCIS to review relevant GHS classification information and compare it with the information in your SDSs and labels.

Review Exposure Limits

Identify chemicals in your workplace that are subject to exposure limits and determine whether the transition from WES to WEL will affect your existing controls, exposure monitoring or risk assessments.

Review High-Risk Chemicals

Pay particular attention to carcinogens, sensitising chemicals and substances with revised exposure limits or advisory notations.

Update Risk Assessments and Control Measures

Where exposure limits are changing, consider whether existing engineering controls, ventilation, work practices, personal protective equipment and air-monitoring programs remain adequate.

Prepare For 1 December 2026

Do not wait until the new WELs commence. Businesses should allow enough time to understand the changes and implement any necessary controls.

A Useful Tool, But Not The Only Source

It is important to understand what the HCIS can and cannot tell you.

The system contains classification information from authoritative sources, but not every chemical will necessarily have been assessed against every GHS hazard category. Safe Work Australia also notes that classifications can change and that the HCIS should be treated as guidance.

Similarly, finding a chemical in the HCIS, or failing to find one, should not be treated as the sole basis for deciding whether a product is hazardous.

Businesses should consider the HCIS alongside the product’s current SDS, supplier information, relevant WHS legislation, applicable codes of practice and other authoritative chemical information.

What About The Old HCIS?

The launch of the new HCIS does not mean the existing WES requirements have already changed.

Safe Work Australia states that the current WES requirements remain in place until the WELs commence on 1 December 2026. Information relating to the current WES can still be accessed through Safe Work Australia’s website and the previous version of HCIS.

This distinction is important for businesses currently updating their chemical registers and procedures: the new HCIS is available now, but the new WEL obligations do not commence until 1 December 2026.

A Timely Update For Chemical Safety Management

The new HCIS is a welcome development for Australian businesses that need practical access to chemical hazard information.

Its redesigned interface, consolidated search functionality and combination of GHS and exposure-limit information should make it easier for duty holders to investigate chemical hazards and prepare for the upcoming WEL transition.

For businesses, the most important takeaway is that the new HCIS should be incorporated into a broader chemical management review, particularly as 1 December 2026 approaches.

With the transition to WELs only months away, now is a good time to review your chemical inventory, check SDSs and labels, revisit exposure controls and make sure your workplace is prepared for the new requirements.

For the latest information, visit Safe Work Australia’s new Hazardous Chemical Information System and its guidance on Workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants.

Sherm Software’s Chemical Register is the ideal tool to keep track of chemicals used within your business, while ensuring SDS’s are current. Notifications are sent straight to you when updates are required. Get in touch with us and see what a difference Sherm can make.

Why Australian Businesses Need to Review Their Standards Regularly

Posted on by Marnie Cruickshank

Australian businesses operate in an environment shaped by legislation, regulations, industry codes, Australian Standards, workplace requirements and customer expectations. While not every standard is legally mandatory, standards can play an important role in helping businesses operate safely, consistently and professionally.

The challenge is that standards do not remain static. They can be revised, replaced or referenced by legislation and regulations. A standard that was appropriate when a business procedure was written several years ago may no longer reflect current requirements.

For this reason, businesses should regularly review the standards referenced in their policies, procedures, work instructions and other controlled documents.

What Are Australian Standards?

Australian Standards are documents that provide specifications, procedures, guidelines or other information intended to promote safety, consistency, reliability and quality.

Standards Australia explains that standards can cover a wide range of areas, including construction, consumer products and services, energy, water, environment and other sectors. Standards may be Australian Standards (AS), Australian/New Zealand Standards (AS/NZS), or adopted international standards.

An important point for businesses is that an Australian Standard is not automatically law.

Standards are generally voluntary. However, Australian, state and territory governments can reference standards in legislation and regulations. When a standard is incorporated into legislation, regulatory requirements or other legally enforceable arrangements, compliance may become mandatory.

Businesses may also encounter mandatory industry codes, codes of practice, product safety requirements and other regulatory obligations that operate alongside standards.

Common Types Of Standards Businesses May Encounter

The standards relevant to a business depend heavily on its industry and activities.

For example, a business may need to consider standards relating to:

  • Workplace health and safety
  • Electrical work and equipment
  • Building and construction
  • Fire protection and emergency systems
  • Machinery and equipment
  • Personal protective equipment
  • Quality management
  • Environmental management
  • Information security
  • Food safety
  • Accessibility
  • Product design and safety
  • Testing and inspection
  • Installation and maintenance
  • Risk management
  • Competency and training
  • Documentation and record keeping

A business may also have contractual obligations to follow particular standards. A customer, principal contractor, insurer, certification body or tender specification may require work to be performed in accordance with a particular standard.

This means a business should look beyond legislation alone when identifying the requirements that apply to its operations.

Why Should Businesses Review Their Documented Standards?

One of the most common problems in business documentation is the “set and forget” standard.

A procedure may state:

“All inspections must be completed in accordance with AS XXXX:2018.”

But what happens if that standard has since been revised or superseded?

The procedure may continue to circulate internally, staff may continue following it, and the business may believe it is working to the appropriate requirement, when in fact its documented process is based on an outdated publication.

Regular review helps prevent this situation.

  1. Standards can change

Standards Australia regularly reviews standards to ensure they remain relevant as technology, industry practices and community expectations change.

A revised standard may introduce:

  • New safety requirements
  • Different testing methods
  • Updated terminology
  • New equipment requirements
  • Changed inspection intervals
  • Additional documentation requirements
  • Revised technical specifications
  • New responsibilities for workers or businesses

If an internal procedure continues to reference an old edition, there is a risk that the business’s documented process no longer reflects current industry requirements.

  1. Regulations can change

A standard may also become more significant because legislation or regulation changes.

Government agencies can reference standards in legislation. In those circumstances, a standard that was previously voluntary may become relevant to a legal compliance obligation.

Businesses should therefore consider standards as part of their broader compliance monitoring process rather than treating them as static technical documents.

  1. Your business may have changed

Even when a standard has not changed, the business may have.

Consider whether your organisation has:

  • Introduced new equipment
  • Changed suppliers
  • Expanded into another state or territory
  • Started offering new services
  • Changed its workplace or premises
  • Introduced new technology
  • Taken on new types of customers
  • Changed its processes
  • Outsourced activities
  • Started working on larger projects

These changes can introduce new standards and compliance requirements.

A standards review should therefore ask two questions:

“Has the standard changed?”

and

“Has our business changed?”

Both are important.

Standards Should Be Controlled Within Your Business

If your organisation maintains policies, procedures, work instructions, forms or manuals, standards referenced by those documents should be treated as controlled information.

A simple standards register can be extremely useful.

The register does not need to be complicated. Its purpose is to give the business visibility over the standards and requirements that underpin its operations.

What Should A Standards Review Include?

A practical review can include the following steps.

Step 1: Identify every standard you currently reference

Search your policies, procedures, manuals, forms, contracts, specifications and work instructions.

Look for references such as:

  • AS XXXX
  • AS/NZS XXXX
  • ISO XXXX
  • IEC XXXX
  • “current Australian Standard”
  • “relevant standard”
  • “applicable code”
  • “industry standard”

Create a central register of everything you find.

Step 2: Confirm the standard is still current

Check the official source to determine whether the publication is:

  • Current
  • Superseded
  • Withdrawn
  • Amended
  • Under revision
  • Replaced by another standard

Do not assume that the year shown in an internal procedure is still the current edition.

Step 3: Check whether the standard is legally relevant

Determine whether the standard is referenced by:

  • Commonwealth legislation
  • State or territory legislation
  • Regulations
  • Mandatory industry codes
  • Product safety requirements
  • Licencing conditions
  • Contracts
  • Project specifications
  • Certification requirements

This distinction is important because the legal status of a standard depends on how it is referenced and applied.

Step 4: Compare the new requirements with your procedures

If a standard has changed, ask:

Does our current process still meet the requirements?

This may require reviewing equipment, training, forms, inspection methods, records, responsibilities and work practices.

Step 5: Update your documentation

Where necessary, update the relevant:

  • Policies
  • Procedures
  • Work instructions
  • Forms
  • Checklists
  • Training material
  • Risk assessments
  • Registers
  • Contracts
  • Technical specifications

Make sure obsolete versions are removed or clearly identified so employees do not accidentally use them.

Step 6: Communicate the changes

Updating a document is only part of the process.

Employees who rely on the procedure need to understand what has changed and what they are now expected to do.

Business.gov.au recommends documenting policies, processes and procedures, making them accessible to staff, providing relevant training and regularly reviewing processes and procedures.

Make Standards Review Part Of Your Management System

Standards review should not be an activity that happens only when an auditor arrives.

A better approach is to incorporate it into the business’s normal management system.

For example, a business could establish an annual review process that asks:

  1. What standards do we rely on?
  2. Are they still current?
  3. Have any amendments or replacements been published?
  4. Are any of these standards referenced by legislation or regulations?
  5. Have our products, services or processes changed?
  6. Do our procedures still reflect the requirements?
  7. Do employees need additional training?
  8. Do our forms and records need updating?
  9. Are contracts or customer requirements affected?
  10. Has responsibility for monitoring each requirement been assigned?

This approach turns standards management from a reactive task into a proactive business process.

The Benefits Go Beyond Compliance

Keeping standards and internal documentation current can provide benefits beyond simply meeting regulatory requirements.

It can help businesses:

  • Reduce operational risk
  • Improve workplace safety
  • Improve consistency
  • Reduce errors and rework
  • Strengthen employee training
  • Demonstrate due diligence
  • Improve quality
  • Support tender and contract requirements
  • Prepare for audits
  • Improve customer confidence
  • Identify outdated business practices
  • Maintain better organisational knowledge

Standards can provide businesses with a recognised framework for achieving consistent and reliable outcomes.

A Final Reminder For Australian Businesses

Your business’s procedures are only as useful as the information on which they are based.

If a procedure references an Australian Standard from five or ten years ago, don’t assume it is still current. Check it.

If your business has introduced new equipment, technology or services, don’t assume your existing standards register still covers everything. Review it.

And if you discover that a standard has changed, don’t simply update the reference number. Determine whether the change affects the way your business actually operates.

Standards management is ultimately about keeping the connection between external requirements and internal business practices alive.

Regularly reviewing standards, legislation, industry codes and the documents that reference them can help Australian businesses stay informed, reduce risk and maintain processes that are fit for purpose.

Important: This article provides general information and is not legal or compliance advice. Businesses should confirm the specific requirements applicable to their industry, state or territory, products, services and contractual obligations with the relevant regulator or suitably qualified adviser.

HVNL Changes from 1 August 2026: What Heavy Vehicle Operators Need to Do

Posted on by Marnie Cruickshank

The biggest changes to Australia’s Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) in more than a decade will take effect on 1 August 2026, bringing a stronger focus on proactive safety management, documented systems, and demonstrable compliance.

For heavy vehicle operators, the reforms represent a shift away from simply complying with prescriptive rules towards proving that your business actively manages transport safety risks.

Whether you operate a single truck or a national fleet, now is the time to review your systems and ensure your business is ready.

Why the HVNL is Changing

The reforms have been developed by the National Transport Commission (NTC) in partnership with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and participating state and territory governments. The aim is to modernise heavy vehicle regulation, improve safety outcomes and reduce unnecessary regulatory complexity while maintaining productivity.

The updated legislation applies in all Heavy Vehicle National Law participating jurisdictions:

  • Queensland
  • New South Wales
  • Victoria
  • South Australia
  • Tasmania
  • Australian Capital Territory

Western Australia and the Northern Territory continue to operate under their own heavy vehicle legislation.

The Biggest Change: Safety Management Systems Become Central

The most significant reform is the introduction of a formal Safety Management System (SMS) as the foundation of heavy vehicle accreditation.

Rather than focusing solely on meeting individual compliance requirements, operators will need to demonstrate they have systems in place that:

  • identify transport risks
  • assess those risks
  • implement effective controls
  • monitor performance
  • continually improve safety outcomes.

The regulator’s focus will increasingly be on whether your business can prove its systems are working, not simply whether paperwork exists.

What Operators Will Be Required to Have

Under the updated HVNL, operators should expect to have documented processes covering areas such as:

Leadership and Safety Commitment

Management must actively support transport safety rather than treating compliance as an administrative exercise.

This includes:

  • clearly defined responsibilities
  • documented safety objectives
  • evidence that management reviews safety performance.

Risk Management

Operators must identify hazards before incidents occur.

Examples include:

  • fatigue risks
  • vehicle maintenance
  • loading practices
  • scheduling pressures
  • driver competency
  • subcontractor management.

Importantly, businesses should be able to demonstrate how these risks are assessed and controlled.

Driver Competency

Businesses will need documented processes for:

  • induction
  • licence verification
  • ongoing training
  • competency assessments
  • refresher programs.

The expectation is that operators can demonstrate drivers remain competent throughout their employment.

Vehicle Maintenance

Maintenance systems must ensure vehicles remain roadworthy.

Operators should maintain documented procedures for:

  • inspections
  • preventative maintenance
  • defect reporting
  • repairs
  • maintenance records.

Incident Reporting and Investigation

Simply recording incidents will no longer be enough.

Businesses should investigate:

  • crashes
  • near misses
  • equipment failures
  • recurring defects

and use findings to improve safety systems.

Internal Auditing

Operators should regularly review their own compliance before the regulator does.

Internal audits help identify weaknesses and provide evidence that safety systems are functioning effectively.

Expanded “Fit to Drive” Requirements

The updated HVNL introduces a broader obligation regarding driver fitness.

Previously, compliance focused largely on work and rest hours.

The reforms extend this concept to ensure drivers are genuinely fit to operate a heavy vehicle.

This includes considering whether a driver may be impaired by:

  • fatigue
  • illness
  • injury
  • medication
  • alcohol or drugs
  • any other condition affecting safe driving.

Operators should have documented procedures for assessing and managing fitness for duty rather than relying solely on legal driving hours.

Changes to Accreditation

The National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) will transition to a new accreditation framework built around documented Safety Management Systems.

The new framework includes:

  • General Safety Accreditation (GSA) as the baseline accreditation for operators seeking formal recognition.
  • Alternative Compliance Accreditation (ACA) for businesses seeking operational concessions, such as alternative fatigue management arrangements.

Existing accredited operators will have a transition period to move to the new framework.

Chain of Responsibility Remains Critical

The reforms do not remove existing Chain of Responsibility (CoR) obligations.

Instead, they strengthen expectations that every party in the transport supply chain actively manages safety risks.

This includes:

  • operators
  • employers
  • schedulers
  • consignors
  • loaders
  • loading managers
  • consignees
  • contractors.

Businesses must continue taking all reasonably practicable steps to eliminate or minimise transport risks.

Productivity Improvements

Not all reforms involve additional compliance.

Several changes are designed to improve productivity, including:

  • increases to General Mass Limits in some circumstances
  • simplified mass management arrangements
  • an increase in the general vehicle length limit from 19 metres to 20 metres for eligible vehicles.

These changes aim to simplify regulation while maintaining safety standards.

How Operators Should Prepare

Businesses should begin preparing well before the commencement date by:

  • reviewing current compliance systems
  • conducting a gap analysis against the new SMS requirements
  • documenting policies and procedures
  • reviewing fatigue and fitness-for-duty processes
  • training managers and supervisors
  • ensuring records can demonstrate compliance
  • preparing for future audits under the new National Audit Standard.

Operators who already have strong systems in place may only require refinements, while smaller businesses relying on informal processes are likely to have more work to do.

The Bottom Line

The updated HVNL marks a significant shift in how heavy vehicle safety is regulated in Australia.

The emphasis is no longer simply on following rules, it is on demonstrating that your business has effective systems to identify, manage and continuously improve transport safety.

For operators, success under the new legislation will depend on evidence. Policies, procedures, training records, maintenance documentation, risk assessments and internal audits will all play an increasingly important role in proving compliance.

Sherm Software has all of the necessary functions to cover your requirements, with all evidence available at the touch of a button for your next audit.

Businesses that begin preparing now will be in a stronger position when the reforms commence on 1 August 2026, reducing compliance risk while improving operational safety and efficiency.

Get in touch with us today and let us help you prepare.

Mid-Year Audit Planning: Aligning Strategy With WHS Trends

Posted on by Marnie Cruickshank

As the financial year gets underway, many Australian businesses are focused on budgets, growth plans, and operational priorities. However, the middle of the year is also an ideal time to assess another critical area of business performance, Work Health and Safety (WHS).

A mid-year WHS audit is more than a compliance exercise. It provides an opportunity to evaluate how effectively your current safety systems are working, identify emerging risks, and ensure your business is keeping pace with changing workplace expectations.

With evolving legislation, increased regulatory scrutiny, and new workplace risks continuing to emerge, businesses that review their WHS strategy mid-year are better positioned to protect their workers, maintain compliance, and support long-term business success.

Why Conduct a Mid-Year WHS Audit?

Annual reviews are important, but waiting until the end of the year to evaluate your safety systems can allow issues to persist for months.

A mid-year audit enables business owners to:

  • Identify gaps before they become compliance issues.
  • Review incident and near-miss trends from the first half of the year.
  • Assess whether existing controls remain effective.
  • Confirm that policies reflect current workplace activities.
  • Ensure workers have completed required training and competency refreshers.
  • Prepare for regulator inspections or external audits.

Rather than reacting to incidents, businesses can proactively strengthen their safety management systems.

WHS Trends Australian Businesses Should Consider

Workplaces continue to evolve, and so do the risks they face. During your mid-year review, consider whether your safety approach reflects current WHS trends.

  1. Greater Focus on Psychosocial Hazards

Mental health has become a key component of workplace safety.

Psychosocial hazards, including excessive workloads, workplace bullying, poor communication, fatigue, and role ambiguity, are now recognised as WHS risks that require the same level of attention as physical hazards.

Business owners should review:

  • Workload management
  • Employee wellbeing initiatives
  • Reporting processes
  • Leadership capability
  • Workplace culture

Addressing psychosocial risks early can improve both employee wellbeing and organisational performance.

  1. Increased Regulator Expectations

Australian WHS regulators continue to increase inspections and enforcement activities across many industries.

Businesses are expected to demonstrate not only that policies exist but that they are actively implemented, monitored, and reviewed.

Documentation should clearly show:

  • Risk assessments
  • Consultation with workers
  • Incident investigations
  • Corrective actions
  • Training records
  • Maintenance schedules

Strong records provide evidence that safety responsibilities are being effectively managed.

  1. Better Use of Safety Data

Many organisations now use safety data to identify trends before incidents occur.

Rather than focusing solely on injury statistics, businesses are monitoring:

  • Near misses
  • Hazard reports
  • Safety observations
  • Corrective action completion rates
  • Training compliance
  • Equipment inspections

Reviewing this information during a mid-year audit helps identify recurring issues that may otherwise go unnoticed.

  1. Contractor and Supply Chain Safety

Many businesses rely on contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers to deliver services.

A mid-year audit should confirm that contractor management processes remain effective, including:

  • Prequalification requirements
  • Inductions
  • Safe work procedures
  • Insurance documentation
  • Competency verification
  • Ongoing supervision

Managing contractor safety reduces risk across the entire operation.

Key Areas to Review During Your Mid-Year Audit

A structured audit provides a clear picture of your current WHS performance.

Consider reviewing:

Safety Management System

  • Policies and procedures
  • Risk management processes
  • Emergency plans
  • Safe work instructions

Workplace Inspections

  • Housekeeping standards
  • Plant and equipment condition
  • Hazard identification
  • Maintenance records

Training and Competency

  • New employee inductions
  • Refresher training
  • High-risk work licences
  • First aid qualifications

Incident Management

  • Incident reporting procedures
  • Investigation quality
  • Corrective action follow-up
  • Lessons learned

Worker Consultation

Consulting workers is a fundamental part of effective WHS management.

Review whether employees are:

  • Reporting hazards
  • Participating in safety meetings
  • Contributing to risk assessments
  • Providing feedback on controls

Workers often identify practical improvements that management may overlook.

Turning Audit Findings Into Action

The value of an audit lies in what happens after it is completed.

Prioritise findings according to risk, assign responsibilities, establish realistic timeframes, and monitor progress until actions are complete.

Business owners should also communicate improvements to employees. Demonstrating that concerns lead to meaningful action helps strengthen trust and encourages ongoing participation in workplace safety.

The Business Benefits of Mid-Year WHS Reviews

An effective WHS audit delivers more than regulatory compliance.

Businesses often experience:

  • Reduced workplace incidents
  • Improved operational efficiency
  • Lower workers’ compensation costs
  • Better employee engagement
  • Stronger reputation with clients and stakeholders
  • Greater confidence during regulator inspections

When safety becomes part of strategic planning rather than simply an administrative requirement, it contributes directly to business resilience and long-term performance.

Final Thoughts

Mid-year provides an ideal opportunity to step back and assess whether your WHS systems are supporting both your people and your business objectives.

By reviewing current performance, responding to emerging WHS trends, and addressing gaps before they escalate, Australian business owners can create safer workplaces while strengthening compliance and operational performance.

Rather than viewing a WHS audit as a once-a-year obligation, consider it an ongoing strategy that helps your business adapt, improve, and thrive in an evolving regulatory and workplace environment.

Learn more about audit readiness and use our free checklist to help with your mid-year audit plan.

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