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WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT 2011 - As at 5 July 2023 - Act 10 of 2011 - NOTES

Note to Division 5

This Division sets out offences, and penalties for the offences, in relation to the health and safety duties imposed by Divisions 2, 3 and 4 of Part 2. In certain circumstances, the death of a person at work may also constitute manslaughter under the Crimes Act 1900 and may be prosecuted under that Act. See section 18 of the Crimes Act 1900, which provides for the offence of manslaughter, and section 24 of that Act, which provides that the offence of manslaughter is punishable by imprisonment for 25 years.

Note to Part 7

Division 7 of Part 13 sets out the procedure in relation to the bringing of proceedings in relation to WHS civil penalty provisions.

Historical notes

The following abbreviations are used in the Historical notes:

Am amended LW legislation website Sch Schedule
Cl clause No number Schs Schedules
Cll clauses p page Sec section
Div Division pp pages Secs sections
Divs Divisions Reg Regulation Subdiv Subdivision
GG Government Gazette Regs Regulations Subdivs Subdivisions
Ins inserted Rep repealed Subst substituted
See also Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act 2011.

Table of amending instruments

Work Health and Safety Act 2011 No 10. Assented to 7.6.2011. Date of commencement, 1.1.2012, sec 2. This Act has been amended as follows--

2011 No 67 Work Health and Safety Legislation Amendment Act 2011. Assented to 28.11.2011.
Date of commencement of Sch 1 [1[#93], assent, sec 2 (2); date of commencement of Sch 1 [2[#93]-[19[#93], 1.1.2012, sec 2 (1).
2012 No 42 Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2012. Assented to 21.6.2012.
Date of commencement of Sch 1.29, 6.7.2012, sec 2 (1).
2013 No 54 Work Health and Safety (Mines) Act 2013. Assented to 1.7.2013.
Date of commencement of Sch 3, sec 2 and 2014 (786) LW 12.12.2014.
No 95 Civil and Administrative Legislation (Repeal and Amendment) Act 2013. Assented to 20.11.2013.
Date of commencement, 1.1.2014, sec 2.
No 109 Work Health and Safety Amendment Act 2013. Assented to 3.12.2013.
Date of commencement, assent, sec 2.
2014 No 71 Work Health and Safety (Mines) Amendment Act 2014. Assented to 11.11.2014.
Date of commencement of Sch 2, 1.2.2015, sec 2 and 2014 (787) LW 12.12.2014.
2015 No 19 State Insurance and Care Governance Act 2015. Assented to 21.8.2015.
Date of commencement of Sch 14, 1.9.2015, sec 2 and 2015 (524) LW 28.8.2015.
No 43 Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum) Legislation Amendment (Harmonisation) Act 2015. Assented to 2.11.2015.
Date of commencement, 1.2.2016, sec 2 and 2016 (46) LW 29.1.2016.
2016 No 48 Industrial Relations Amendment (Industrial Court) Act 2016. Assented to 18.10.2016.
Date of commencement of Sch 2, 8.12.2016, sec 2 (1) and 2016 (674) LW 15.11.2016.
No 55 Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No 2) 2016. Assented to 25.10.2016.
Date of commencement of Sch 3.55, 6.1.2017, sec 2 (1).
2017 No 22 Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2017. Assented to 1.6.2017.
Date of commencement of Sch 3, 7.7.2017, sec 2 (3); date of commencement of Sch 4, 7 days after assent, sec 2 (1).
No 50 Health Practitioner Regulation Amendment Act 2017. Assented to 24.10.2017.
Date of commencement of Sch 5.33, 8.1.2018, sec 2 and 2017 (666) LW 1.12.2017.
No 65 Local Government Amendment (Regional Joint Organisations) Act 2017. Assented to 30.11.2017.
Date of commencement, 15.12.2017, sec 2 and 2017 (730) LW 15.12.2017.
2018 No 12 Work Health and Safety Amendment Act 2018. Assented to 21.3.2018.
Date of commencement, assent, sec 2.
No 79 Fair Trading Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Act 2018. Assented to 28.11.2018.
Date of commencement of Sch 2.4, 1.7.2019, sec 2 and 2019 (114), LW 28.2.2019.
2019 No 1 Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2019. Assented to 17.6.2019.
Date of commencement of Sch 2.43, 14 days after assent, sec 2 (1).
2020 No 3 Better Regulation and Customer Service Legislation Amendment (Bushfire Relief) Act 2020. Assented to 25.3.2020.
Date of commencement, assent, sec 2.
No 10 Work Health and Safety Amendment (Review) Act 2020. Assented to 10.6.2020.
Date of commencement, assent, sec 2.
No 34 Work Health and Safety Amendment (Information Exchange) Act 2020. Assented to 27.10.2020.
Date of commencement, assent, sec 2.
2022 No 59 Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No 2) 2022. Assented to 26.10.2022.
Date of commencement, 13.1.2023, sec 2.
This Act has been amended by sec 30C of the Interpretation Act 1987 No 15.

Table of amendments

Sec 2 Subst 2011 No 67, Sch 1 [1[#93].
Sec 4 Am 2011 No 10, Sch 1 [2[#93]-[4[#93]; 2013 No 54, Sch 3.14 [1[#93]-[3[#93]; 2014 No 71, Sch 2.5 [1[#93]; 2015 No 19, Sch 14 [1[#93] [2[#93]; 2015 No 43, Sch 2 [1[#93] [2[#93]; 2016 No 48, Sch 2.37 [1[#93]; 2017 No 22, Sch 4.52; 2017 No 50, Sch 5.33; 2017 No 65, Sch 2.34; 2022 No 59, Sch 3.69[1[#93] [2[#93].
Sec 4A Ins 2014 No 71, Sch 2.5 [2[#93]. Rep 2015 No 19, Sch 14 [3[#93].
Sec 5 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 1[1[#93].
Sec 7 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 1[2[#93].
Pt 2, Div 5, note Ins 2020 No 10, Sch 1[3[#93].
Sec 31 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 1[4[#93] [5[#93], Sch 2[4[#93]-[6[#93].
Sec 32 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[6[#93]-[8[#93].
Sec 33 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[9[#93].
Sec 34A Ins 2018 No 12, Sch 1.
Sec 38 Am 2011 No 10, Sch 1 [5[#93]; 2013 No 54, Sch 3.14 [4[#93]; 2015 No 43, Sch 2 [3[#93]; 2018 No 12, Sch 2 [1[#93]; 2020 No 10, Sch 2[10[#93] [11[#93].
Sec 39 Am 2013 No 54, Sch 3.14 [5[#93]; 2015 No 43, Sch 2 [3[#93].
Sec 41 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[12[#93].
Secs 42-47 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[13[#93].
Secs 53, 57 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[14[#93].
Sec 71 Am 2019 No 1, Sch 2.43.
Sec 72 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 1[6[#93]-[10[#93].
Sec 74 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[14[#93].
Sec 75 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[10[#93] [11[#93].
Sec 76A Subst 2013 No 54, Sch 3.14 [6[#93]. Am 2015 No 43, Sch 2 [3[#93] [4[#93].
Sec 97 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[10[#93] [11[#93].
Sec 99 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[12[#93].
Secs 104, 107, 108, 109 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[9[#93].
Sec 112 Am 2016 No 55, Sch 3.55 [1[#93]-[3[#93]; 2020 No 10, Sch 1[11[#93].
Sec 149 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[14[#93].
Sec 150 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[10[#93] [11[#93].
Sec 154 Ins 2011 No 10, Sch 1 [6[#93].
Sec 155 Am 2018 No 12, Sch 2 [2[#93].
Sec 155A Ins 2018 No 12, Sch 2 [3[#93].
Sec 155B Ins 2020 No 10, Sch 1[12[#93].
Sec 156A Am 2011 No 10, Sch 1 [7[#93]. Subst 2013 No 54, Sch 3.14 [7[#93]. Rep 2015 No 43, Sch 2 [5[#93].
Sec 162A Am 2011 No 10, Sch 1 [8[#93]; 2013 No 54, Sch 3.14 [8[#93]; 2015 No 19, Sch 14 [5[#93]. Rep 2015 No 43, Sch 2 [5[#93].
Sec 165A Am 2011 No 10, Sch 1 [9[#93]. Rep 2013 No 54, Sch 3.14 [9[#93].
Sec 166 Am 2018 No 12, Sch 2 [4[#93].
Sec 166A Rep 2013 No 54, Sch 3.14 [10[#93].
Sec 171 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 1[13[#93] [14[#93].
Sec 171A Ins 2020 No 10, Sch 1[15[#93].
Sec 185A Ins 2018 No 12, Sch 2 [5[#93].
Secs 190, 193 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[12[#93].
Sec 197 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[9[#93].
Sec 200 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[12[#93].
Sec 209 Am 2018 No 12, Sch 2 [6[#93].
Sec 210 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[10[#93] [11[#93].
Sec 219 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[12[#93].
Sec 223 Am 2016 No 55, Sch 3.55 [4[#93].
Sec 229A Am 2011 No 10, Sch 1 [10[#93]. Rep 2013 No 54, Sch 3.14 [11[#93].
Sec 229B Am 2011 No 10, Sch 1 [11[#93]; 2016 No 48, Sch 2.37 [2[#93]; 2020 No 10, Sch 1[16[#93].
Sec 230 Am 2013 No 109, Sch 1 [1[#93]; 2018 No 12, Sch 2 [7[#93].
Sec 231 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 1[17[#93] [18[#93].
Sec 233A Ins 2018 No 12, Sch 2 [8[#93].
Sec 236 Am 2016 No 55, Sch 3.55 [5[#93].
Sec 242 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[12[#93].
Pt 13, Div 2A (secs 242A-242D) Ins 2020 No 10, Sch 1[19[#93].
Sec 243 Subst 2017 No 22, Sch 3.86.
Sec 252 Am 2011 No 10, Sch 1 [12[#93].
Sec 255 Am 2016 No 48, Sch 2.37 [3[#93].
Sec 268 Am 2016 No 55, Sch 3.55 [6[#93].
Sec 271 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 1[20[#93].
Sec 271A Ins 2011 No 10, Sch 1 [13[#93]. Am 2013 No 54, Sch 3.14 [12[#93]; 2015 No 19, Sch 14 [5[#93]; 2015 No 43, Sch 2 [3[#93].
Secs 271B-271F Ins 2020 No 34, sec 3(1).
Secs 272A, 272B Ins 2020 No 10, Sch 1[21[#93].
Sec 273 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[10[#93] [11[#93].
Sec 276 Am 2013 No 95, Sch 2.153 [1[#93]; 2020 No 3, Sch 1.31[1[#93] [2[#93]; 2020 No 10, Sch 1[22[#93].
Sec 276A Rep 2011 No 10, Sch 1 [14[#93]. Ins 2020 No 34, sec 3(2).
Sec 276C Rep 1987 No 15, sec 30C.
Sch 1 Am 2020 No 10, Sch 1[23[#93]-[25[#93].
Sch 2 Subst 2015 No 19, Sch 14 [6[#93]. Am 2015 No 43, Sch 2 [6[#93]-[8[#93]; 2022 No 59, Sch 3.69[1[#93].
Sch 3 Am 2013 No 95, Sch 2.153 [2[#93].
Sch 4 Am 2011 No 10, Sch 1 [15[#93]-[19[#93]; 2012 No 42, Sch 1.29; 2013 No 109, Sch 1 [2[#93]-[5[#93]; 2013 No 54, Sch 3.14 [13[#93] [14[#93]; 2020 No 3, Sch 1.31[3[#93]; 2020 No 10, Sch 1[26[#93].
Sch 5 Rep 1987 No 15, sec 30C. Ins 2018 No 79, Sch 2.4.
The whole Act Am 2020 No 10, Sch 2[1[#93]-[3[#93], respectively ("$50,000", "$100,000" and "$10,000" omitted wherever occurring in the penalty provisions. "575 penalty units", "1,155 penalty units" and "115 penalty units" inserted instead, respectively).


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