What should be included in a work health and safety policy?

A WHS policy should include a policy and commitment statement, its purpose and scope, the legislative framework (the WHS Act, Regulations and Codes of Practice), the responsibilities of PCBUs, officers, managers, supervisors and workers, the risk-management approach, how the business consults workers, incident reporting, training and competency, and an employee acknowledgement. Our template covers each of these sections.

How do you create a WHS policy?

Start from a tested framework like our free WHS policy template, then tailor it to your workplace: list your real hazards and controls, name who is responsible for what, and reference your state’s WHS regulator. Consult your workers and any health and safety representatives as you draft it, have a senior officer approve it, then distribute and capture acknowledgements. See our guide to writing a workplace policy.

What is the primary duty of care under WHS legislation?

A person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers and others who may be affected by the work. It is a positive duty that cannot be delegated or contracted out, and it underpins everything else in the policy.

What does "so far as is reasonably practicable" mean?

It means doing what is reasonably able to be done to ensure safety, weighing the likelihood and severity of harm, what is known about the hazard, the controls available, and the cost of those controls relative to the risk. Learn how to weigh these factors when you conduct a WHS assessment.

Who can be held liable under WHS laws?

The business (PCBU), officers — directors and senior managers with decision-making influence — and individual workers can all be held liable. Officers have a personal, non-delegable duty to exercise due diligence to ensure the business meets its WHS obligations.

Do I need to customise this policy template for my business?

Yes. The template is a solid foundation, but you should tailor it to your specific workplace hazards, industry requirements and applicable state or territory WHS legislation. Consult your workers and health and safety representatives during the process, and seek independent WHS advice for high-risk work.

How should I communicate the WHS policy to employees?

Share it during safety induction for new starters and through toolbox talks or safety meetings for existing staff, and keep it accessible on noticeboards or your intranet. Using HR software with policy management lets you distribute the policy and track who has acknowledged it.

FREE HR TEMPLATE Last updated 27 June 2026

Work health & safety policy template

A free, ready-to-edit work health and safety (WHS) policy template for Australian workplaces. Set out your commitment to safety, define everyone's duties under the model WHS laws, and document the consultation and risk-management framework regulators expect to see — no signup required.

WHS policy

PDF format • Ready to download

Aligned with the model WHS Act

Covers PCBU, officer & worker duties

Risk control & consultation framework

Ready to customise for your business

By downloading, you agree to our template disclaimer

This work health and safety policy template reflects the model WHS laws and Australian safety standards at the time of publication and is provided as a general guide to adapt for your business, industry and specific workplace hazards. It does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice specific to your business, workforce, or circumstances.

References HR Hub disclaimer Modern Awards Fair Work

Why every Australian workplace needs a WHS policy

Under Australia’s model work health and safety laws, every person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) has a primary duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers and anyone affected by the work. A documented WHS policy is the foundation of meeting that duty — it states your commitment to safety and sets the framework everything else hangs off.

A clear policy sets expectations before an incident happens, gives workers a defined way to raise hazards, and gives officers — directors and senior managers — evidence that they have exercised their personal due diligence. Without it, defending a safety prosecution or showing a regulator that you have systems in place is far harder.

This umbrella policy applies to all workers, contractors, volunteers and visitors across every workplace, including remote and home-based work. It links directly to your supporting safety procedures — hazard and risk management, incident reporting and worker consultation. Store the policy and capture acknowledgements in your HR software so you can show every worker has read and understood it.

Construction workers wearing safety equipment on site

What a WHS policy should cover

The building blocks of a compliant safety framework

Policy & commitment statement

Senior management's commitment to minimise risk and comply with WHS laws.

Duties & responsibilities

What PCBUs, officers, managers, supervisors and workers must do.

Hazard & risk management

Identifying hazards, assessing risk and applying the hierarchy of controls.

Consultation

How the business consults workers and representatives on safety matters.

Incident & injury reporting

Reporting, recording and investigating incidents and notifiable events.

Review & improvement

Objectives, monitoring and how the policy is kept current.

What's included in this template

Comprehensive coverage of work health and safety requirements

Purpose & scope

Why the policy exists and who and where it applies.

Policy statement

The organisation's commitment to a safe and healthy workplace.

Legislative framework

Reference to the WHS Act, Regulations and Codes of Practice.

PCBU responsibilities

The primary duty of care and specific employer obligations.

Officer due diligence

The personal obligations of directors and senior managers.

Worker responsibilities

Duties of employees, contractors, volunteers and visitors.

Risk management

The approach to hazard identification, assessment and control.

Consultation & communication

How safety matters are raised and resolved with workers.

Training & competency

The commitment to induction, training and supervision.

Review & acknowledgement

Policy maintenance and employee sign-off.

Getting your WHS duties right

The model WHS law detail that makes a policy credible

The primary duty of care

A PCBU must ensure health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable — weighing the likelihood and severity of harm, what is known about the hazard, available controls, and their cost relative to the risk. This is a positive duty that cannot be transferred or contracted out.

Officer due diligence is personal

Officers — directors and senior managers with decision-making influence — must take reasonable steps to understand safety risks and ensure the business has the resources and processes to manage them. Naming this duty in the policy shows leadership is engaged, not just compliant on paper.

The risk-management cycle

Identify hazards

Find anything with the potential to cause harm before it does.

Assess the risk

Judge how likely and how serious the harm could be.

Control the risk

Apply the hierarchy of controls, eliminating risk where possible.

Review controls

Check controls stay effective and update them as work changes.

Pair this umbrella policy with your supporting procedures: a hazard and risk policy, a risk management policy and an incident reporting policy so workers know exactly what to do.

Consultation is a legal requirement, not an optional extra — you must consult workers (and any health and safety representatives) when identifying hazards, making decisions about controls and reviewing them. For the practical steps, see our guide on employment law and how to conduct a WHS assessment. Safe Work Australia’s model WHS laws and Codes of Practice set the benchmark your policy should align with.

Who should use this template?

Every Australian employer has a primary duty of care

Construction & trades Manufacturing Healthcare & aged care Hospitality & cafes Retail stores Any business with workers

Especially important for officers and managers, whose due-diligence and supervisory duties sit at the heart of this policy.

Compliance resources

Official guidance on Australia's work health and safety laws.

Safe Work Australia — Model WHS laws Safe Work Australia — Codes of Practice SafeWork NSW WorkSafe Victoria

Manage your safety policies the easy way

RosterElf helps Australian businesses store WHS policies, capture employee acknowledgements at onboarding and keep an audit trail — all in one place.

Start free trial See HR software

Related guides

Put your WHS policy into practice

How to conduct a WHS assessment

A practical walkthrough of identifying, assessing and controlling workplace risk.

Read guide

How to write a workplace policy

Turn this template into a clear, enforceable policy for your team.