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Understanding the Work Health and Safety Act 2011

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The following information is published to help industry prepare for the changes to work health and safety laws. It highlights the differences between Queensland's current Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 and the new Work Health and Safety Act 2011 which will take effect on 1 January 2012.

The new Work Health and Safety Act 2011

Part 1 - Preliminary
Key differences, introduction, objectives, interpretation, application of the Act and summary.

Part 2 - Health and safety duties
Key differences, principles applying to duties and, reasonably practicable.

Part 3 - Incident notification
Key differences, notifiable incident, serious injury or illness, dangerous incident, duty to notify of notifiable incidents and duty to preserve incident sites.

Part 4 - Authorisations
What does 'authorised' mean and requirements.

Part 5 - Consultation, representation and participation
Focus, issues covered, impact on how we do our work, rationale for provision in the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and definitions.

Part 6 - Discriminatory, coercive and misleading conduct
Key differences focus rationale for provision in the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, issues covered and key provisions.

Part 7 - Workplace entry by WHS entry permit holders
Key differences, focus, rationale for provision in the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, issues covered and key provisions.

Part 8 - The regulator
Key differences, focus, rationale for provision in the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and key provisions.

Part 9 - Securing compliance, Divisions 1-3
Key differences, focus, rationale for provision in the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and key provisions.

Part 10 - Enforcement
Key differences, focus, rational for provision, issues covered and key provisions.

Part 11 - Enforceable undertakings
Key differences, focus, issues covered and key provisions.

Part 12 - Review of decisions
Key differences, focus, issues covered and key provisions.

Part 13 - Legal proceedings
Key differences, focus, issues covered and key provisions.

Part 14 - General
Key differences, focus, issues covered and key provisions.


Note: Queensland's Work Health and Safety Act 2011 will contain some minor differences to the model Work Health and Safety Act (see Safe Work Australia) based on jurisdictional specific matters.