Workplace Health and Safety Queensland

We’re Queensland’s work health and safety regulator, part of the Office of Industrial Relations.

Our purpose is to improve work health and safety and reduce the risk of work-related fatalities, injuries and diseases.

We work with industry and assist businesses to create a safe and healthy culture in Queensland places of work.

We do this by:

• making sure work health and safety laws are followed
• investigating work-related fatalities and serious injuries
• taking legal action when work health and safety laws are broken
• educating employees and employers on their legal obligations.

Our role

We have responsibility under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and Safety in Recreational  Water Activities Act 2011 to regulate workplace health and safety. This includes addressing matters where work activities present risk to members of the public. We may work with other agencies to do this or we may refer it to the agency best positioned to respond.

What to do if you are not sure who to contact

If you’re not sure who the required safety regulator is, you may identify the most appropriate agency from the list of specialist regulators. Alternatively, you can contact us, and we will help you identify the most appropriate agency.

Who we work with

Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities (HWSA)

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland participates as a member of the Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities (HWSA) organisation, along with other Australian and New Zealand work health and safety regulators.

HWSA promotes and implements better practice in work health and safety policy, legislation, education and enforcement.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is a signatory to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities that has been reviewed and signed by all jurisdictions.

The Memorandum of Understanding is reviewed by HWSA every two years and continues until it is replaced.

HWSA Members:

• Comcare
• NT WorkSafe
• SafeWork NSW
• SafeWork SA
• Workplace Health and Safety Qld
• WorkSafe ACT
• WorkSafe NZ
• WorkSafe Tasmania
• WorkSafe VIC
• WorkSafe WA