Each Australian state and territory has in force Work Health and Safety (WHS or WH&S) or Occupational Health and Safety (OHS or OH&S) legislation. This legislation imposes WHS/OHS obligations on architects – both directly and indirectly. The most basic of these duties is that of employers to ensure the safety of their employees.
The model WHS legislation - based on Commonwealth legislation - has been adopted by ACT, NT, NSW, Qld, SA and Tasmania. The remaining states have not implemented this model legislation, but continue to have their own OHS legislation in place.