Table Of Contents

Contents (2012 - 1)

1. Short title

2. Commencement

Division 2 - Object

3. Object

Division 3 - Interpretation

Subdivision 1 - Definitions

4. Definitions

Subdivision 2 - Other important terms

5. Meaning of person conducting a business or undertaking

6. Meaning of supply

7. Meaning of worker

8. Meaning of workplace

9. Examples and notes

Division 4 - Application of Act

10. Act binds the Crown

11. Reserved

12. Scope

Part 2 - Health and Safety Duties

Division 1 - Introductory

Subdivision 1 - Principles that apply to duties

13. Principles that apply to duties

14. Duties not transferable

15. Person may have more than 1 duty

16. More than 1 person can have a duty

17. Management of risks

Subdivision 2 - What is reasonably practicable

18. What is reasonably practicable in ensuring health and safety

Division 2 - Primary duty of care

19. Primary duty of care

Division 3 - Further duties of persons conducting businesses or undertakings

20. Duty of persons conducting businesses or undertakings involving management or control of workplaces

21. Duty of persons conducting businesses or undertakings involving management or control of fixtures, fittings or plant at workplaces

22. Duties of persons conducting businesses or undertakings that design plant, substances or structures

23. Duties of persons conducting businesses or undertakings that manufacture plant, substances or structures

24. Duties of persons conducting businesses or undertakings that import plant, substances or structures

25. Duties of persons conducting businesses or undertakings that supply plant, substances or structures

26. Duty of persons conducting businesses or undertakings that install, construct or commission plant or structures

Division 4 - Duty of officers, workers and other persons

27. Duty of officers

28. Duties of workers

29. Duties of other persons at the workplace

Division 5 - Offences and penalties

30. Health and safety duty

31. Reckless conduct Category 1

32. Failure to comply with health and safety duty Category 2

33. Failure to comply with health and safety duty Category 3

34. Exceptions

Part 3 - Incident Notification

35. What is a notifiable incident

36. What is a serious injury or illness

37. What is a dangerous incident

38. Duty to notify of notifiable incidents

39. Duty to preserve incident sites

Part 4 - Authorisations

40. Meaning of authorised

41. Requirements for authorisation of workplaces

42. Requirements for authorisation of plant or substance

43. Requirements for authorisation of work

44. Requirements for prescribed qualifications or experience

45. Requirement to comply with conditions of authorisation

Part 5 - Consultation, Representation and Participation

Division 1 - Consultation, cooperation and coordination between duty holders

46. Duty to consult with other duty holders

Division 2 - Consultation with workers

47. Duty to consult workers

48. Nature of consultation

49. When consultation is required

Division 3 - Health and safety representatives

Subdivision 1 - Request for election of health and safety representatives

50. Request for election of health and safety representative

Subdivision 2 - Determination of work groups

51. Determination of work groups

52. Negotiations for agreement for work group

53. Notice to workers

54. Failure of negotiations

Subdivision 3 - Multiple-business work groups

55. Determination of work groups of multiple businesses

56. Negotiation of agreement for work groups of multiple businesses

57. Notice to workers

58. Withdrawal from negotiations or agreement involving multiple businesses

59. Effect of Subdivision on other arrangements

Subdivision 4 - Election of health and safety representatives

60. Eligibility to be elected

61. Procedure for election of health and safety representatives

62. Eligibility to vote

63. When election not required

64. Term of office of health and safety representative

65. Disqualification of health and safety representatives

66. Immunity of health and safety representatives

67. Deputy health and safety representatives

Subdivision 5 - Powers and functions of health and safety representatives

68. Powers and functions of health and safety representatives

69. Powers and functions generally limited to the particular work group

Subdivision 6 - Obligations of person conducting business or undertaking to health and safety representatives

70. General obligations of person conducting business or undertaking

71. Exceptions from obligations under section 70(1)

72. Obligation to train health and safety representatives

73. Obligation to share costs if multiple businesses or undertakings

74. List of health and safety representatives

Division 4 - Health and safety committees

75. Health and safety committees

76. Constitution of committee

77. Functions of committee

78. Meetings of committee

79. Duties of person conducting business or undertaking

Division 5 - Issue resolution

80. Parties to an issue

81. Resolution of health and safety issues

82. Referral of issue to regulator for resolution by inspector

Division 6 - Right to cease or direct cessation of unsafe work

83. Definition of cease work under this Division

84. Right of worker to cease unsafe work

85. Health and safety representative may direct that unsafe work cease

86. Worker to notify if ceases work

87. Alternative work

88. Continuity of engagement of worker

89. Request to regulator to appoint inspector to assist

Division 7 - Provisional improvement notices

90. Provisional improvement notices

91. Provisional improvement notice to be in writing

92. Contents of provisional improvement notice

93. Provisional improvement notice may give directions to remedy contravention

94. Minor changes to provisional improvement notice

95. Issue of provisional improvement notice

96. Health and safety representative may cancel notice

97. Display of provisional improvement notice

98. Formal irregularities or defects in notice

99. Offence to contravene a provisional improvement notice

100. Request for review of provisional improvement notice

101. Regulator to appoint inspector to review notice

102. Decision of inspector on review of provisional improvement notice

Division 8 - Part not to apply to prisoners

103. Part does not apply to prisoners

Part 6 - Discriminatory, Coercive and Misleading Conduct

Division 1 - Prohibition of discriminatory, coercive or misleading conduct

104. Prohibition of discriminatory conduct

105. What is discriminatory conduct

106. What is a prohibited reason

107. Prohibition of requesting, instructing, inducing, encouraging, authorising or assisting discriminatory conduct

108. Prohibition of coercion or inducement

109. Misrepresentation

Division 2 - Criminal proceedings in relation to discriminatory conduct

110. Proof of discriminatory conduct

111. Order for compensation or reinstatement

Division 3 - Civil proceedings in relation to discriminatory or coercive conduct

112. Civil proceedings in relation to engaging in or inducing discriminatory or coercive conduct

113. Procedure for civil actions for discriminatory conduct

Division 4 - General

114. General provisions relating to orders

115. Prohibition of multiple actions

Part 7 - Workplace Entry by WHS Entry Permit Holders

Division 1 - Introductory

116. Definitions

Division 2 - Entry to inquire into suspected contraventions

117. Entry to inquire into suspected contraventions

118. Rights that may be exercised while at workplace

119. Notice of entry

120. Entry to inspect employee records or information held by another person

Division 3 - Entry to consult and advise workers

121. Entry to consult and advise workers

122. Notice of entry

Division 4 - Requirements for WHS entry permit holders

123. Contravening WHS entry permit conditions

124. WHS entry permit holder must also hold permit under other law

125. WHS entry permit to be available for inspection

126. When right may be exercised

127. Where the right may be exercised

128. Work health and safety requirements

129. Residential premises

130. WHS entry permit holder not required to disclose names of workers

Division 5 - WHS entry permits

131. Application for WHS entry permit

132. Consideration of application

133. Eligibility criteria

134. Issue of WHS entry permit

135. Conditions on WHS entry permit

136. Term of WHS entry permit

137. Expiry of WHS entry permit

138. Application to revoke WHS entry permit

139. Regulator must permit WHS entry permit holder to show cause

140. Determination of application

Division 6 - Dealing with disputes

141. Application for assistance of inspector to resolve dispute

142. Regulator may deal with a dispute about a right of entry under this Act

143. Contravening order made to deal with dispute

Division 7 - Prohibitions

144. Person must not refuse or delay entry of WHS entry permit holder

145. Person must not hinder or obstruct WHS entry permit holder

146. WHS entry permit holder must not delay, hinder or obstruct any person or disrupt work at workplace

147. Misrepresentations about things authorised by this Part

148. Unauthorised use or disclosure of information or documents

Division 8 - General

149. Return of WHS entry permits

150. Union to provide information to regulator

151. Register of WHS entry permit holders

Part 8 - The Regulator

Division 1 - Functions of regulator

152. Functions of regulator

153. Powers of regulator

154. Delegation by regulator

Division 2 - Powers of regulator to obtain information

155. Powers of regulator to obtain information

Part 9 - Securing Compliance

Division 1 - Appointment of inspectors

156. Appointment of inspectors

157. Identity cards

158. Accountability of inspectors

159. Suspension and ending of appointment of inspectors

Division 2 - Functions and powers of inspectors

160. Functions and powers of inspectors

161. Conditions on inspectors' compliance powers

162. Inspectors subject to regulator's directions

Division 3 - Powers relating to entry

Subdivision 1 - General powers of entry

163. Powers of entry

164. Notification of entry

165. General powers on entry

166. Persons assisting inspectors

Subdivision 2 - Search warrants

167. Search warrants

167A. Warrants by telephone or other electronic means

168. Announcement before entry on warrant

169. Copy of warrant to be given to person with management or control of place

Subdivision 3 - Limitation on entry powers

170. Places used for residential purposes

Subdivision 4 - Specific powers on entry

171. Power to require production of documents and answers to questions

172. Abrogation of privilege against self-incrimination

173. Warning to be given

174. Powers to copy and retain documents

175. Power to seize evidence, &c.

176. Inspector's power to seize dangerous workplaces and things

177. Powers supporting seizure

178. Receipt for seized things

179. Forfeiture of seized things

180. Return of seized things

181. Access to seized things

Division 4 - Damage and compensation

182. Damage, &c., to be minimised

183. Inspector to give notice of damage

184. Compensation

Division 5 - Other matters

185. Power to require name and address

186. Inspector may take affidavits

187. Reserved

Division 6 - Offences in relation to inspectors

188. Offence to hinder or obstruct inspector

189. Offence to impersonate inspector

190. Offence to assault, threaten or intimidate inspector

Part 10 - Enforcement Measures

Division 1 - Improvement notices

191. Issue of improvement notices

192. Contents of improvement notices

193. Compliance with improvement notice

194. Extension of time for compliance with improvement notices

Division 2 - Prohibition notices

195. Power to issue prohibition notice

196. Contents of prohibition notice

197. Compliance with prohibition notice

Division 3 - Non-disturbance notices

198. Issue of non-disturbance notice

199. Contents of non-disturbance notice

200. Compliance with non-disturbance notice

201. Issue of subsequent notices

Division 4 - General requirements applying to notices

202. Application of Division

203. Notice to be in writing

204. Directions in notices

205. Recommendations in notice

206. Changes to notice by inspector

207. Regulator may vary or cancel notice

208. Formal irregularities or defects in notice

209. Issue and giving of notice

210. Display of notice

Division 5 - Remedial action

211. When regulator may carry out action

212. Power of the regulator to take other remedial action

213. Costs of remedial or other action

Division 6 - Injunctions

214. Application of Division

215. Injunctions for noncompliance with notices

Part 11 - Enforceable Undertakings

216. Regulator may accept WHS undertakings

217. Notice of decision and reasons for decision

218. When a WHS undertaking is enforceable

219. Compliance with WHS undertaking

220. Contravention of WHS undertaking

221. Withdrawal or variation of WHS undertaking

222. Proceeding for alleged contravention

Part 12 - Review of Decisions

Division 1 - Reviewable decisions

223. Which decisions are reviewable

Division 2 - Internal review

224. Application for internal review

225. Internal reviewer

226. Decision of internal reviewer

227. Decision on internal review

228. Stays of reviewable decisions

Division 3 - External review

229. Application for external review

Part 13 - Legal Proceedings

Division 1 - General matters

230. Prosecutions

231. Procedure if prosecution is not brought

232. Limitation period for prosecutions

233. Multiple contraventions of health and safety duty provision

Division 2 - Sentencing for offences

234. Application of this Division

235. Orders generally

236. Adverse publicity orders

237. Orders for restoration

238. Work health and safety project orders

239. Release on the giving of a court-ordered WHS undertaking

240. Injunctions

241. Training orders

242. Offence to fail to comply with order

Division 3 - Infringement notices

243. Infringement notices

243A. Payments to WorkCover Tasmania Board

Division 4 - Offences by bodies corporate

244. Imputing conduct to bodies corporate

Division 5 - The Crown

245. Offences and the Crown

246. WHS civil penalty provisions and the Crown

247. Officers

248. Responsible agency for the Crown

Division 6 - Public authorities

249. Application to public authorities that are bodies corporate

250. Proceedings against public authorities

251. Imputing conduct to public authorities

252. Officer of public authority

253. Proceedings against successors to public authorities

Division 7 - WHS civil penalty provisions

254. When is a provision a WHS civil penalty provision

255. Proceedings for contravention of WHS civil penalty provision

256. Involvement in contravention treated in same way as actual contravention

257. Contravening a WHS civil penalty provision is not an offence

258. Civil proceeding rules and procedure to apply

259. Proceeding for a contravention of a WHS civil penalty provision

260. Proceeding may be brought by the regulator or an inspector

261. Limitation period for WHS civil penalty proceedings

262. Recovery of a monetary penalty

263. Civil double jeopardy

264. Criminal proceedings during civil proceedings

265. Criminal proceedings after civil proceedings

266. Evidence given in proceedings for contravention of WHS civil penalty provision not admissible in criminal proceedings

Division 8 - Civil liability not affected by this Act

267. Civil liability not affected by this Act

Part 14 - General

Division 1 - General provisions

268. Offence to give false or misleading information

269. Act does not affect legal professional privilege

270. Immunity from liability

271. Confidentiality of information

272. No contracting out

273. Person not to levy workers

Division 2 - Codes of practice

274. Approved codes of practice

275. Use of codes of practice in proceedings

Division 3 - Regulation-making powers

276. Regulation-making powers

277. Administration of Act

Schedule 1 - Application of Act to dangerous goods and high risk plant

Schedule 2 - Local Tripartite Consultation Arrangements and other Local Arrangements

Part 1 - The Regulator

Part 2 - Workcover Tasmania Board

Schedule 3 - Regulation-making Powers

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Work Health and Safety Act 2012

Version current from 1 January 2013 to 1 October 2024 (accessed 12 April 2025 at 17:50)

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Version current from 1 January 2013 to 1 October 2024 (accessed 12 April 2025 at 17:50)

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