Most people understand that a business has work health and safety duties. Fewer people realise that certain individuals inside that business hold a separate duty, in their own name, that cannot be handed to anybody else. Those individuals are called officers. On 13 August 2026, SafeWork NSW released an online self-assessment tool and a quick reference guide to help officers understand and test their due diligence. It is a genuinely useful resource and I would encourage or

Safe Work Australia has published amendments to the Model WHS Laws, introducing new incident notification duties, crane licensing changes and updates to PPE and compliance requirements. These amendments set the national benchmark, but adoption will vary by state and territory, so businesses must check their local regulator.

Navigating health and safety legislation can feel overwhelming, but understanding its structure, key terms, and practical application