WHS policies and procedures: what every workplace needs

A WHS policy is a written statement of how your business manages health and safety: what you're committed to, who is responsible for what, and what everyone is expected to do. A procedure sets out the steps for a specific task or event. Every workplace needs a core set of both, covering hazards, incidents, emergencies, training, consultation and contractors, so that people know what to do before something goes wrong.

What is a WHS policy?

A WHS policy is the high-level document. It says why safety matters to the business, who holds which responsibilities and how the business will meet its duties. Procedures are the working documents underneath it, and they tell people how to do the job safely.

Other safety documents do similar work for different purposes. This table shows where each one fits.

Why every workplace needs them

The primary duty in the WHS Act applies to every person conducting a business or undertaking, whatever its size. You have to keep workers and others safe so far as is reasonably practicable, and a written policy is the most practical way to show how you do that.

Policies and procedures also do three jobs that matter day to day:

• They make expectations clear. A new starter, a labour hire worker or a contractor can read the rules rather than guessing them.
• They speed up the response. When a hazard is found or someone is hurt, people know who to tell and what to do next.
• They give you a record. A dated, signed document shows what you required and when you reviewed it. That record is what you'll want after an incident.

The 10 policies and procedures every workplace should have

Start with the documents that match your hazards. Most workplaces need at least these ten.

1. Health and safety policy statement. Your commitment, the responsibilities of managers and workers, and how you'll consult. Our WHS policy template gives you a starting point.
2. Hazard identification and risk management. How hazards are found, assessed, controlled and reviewed. A risk management plan can document it.
3. Consultation with workers. How workers and health and safety representatives take part in decisions about safety. The Act requires consultation on matters that affect them.
4. Incident and injury reporting. Who reports what, to whom and how quickly, including near misses and hazards.
5. Incident investigation. How you find the cause of an event and decide on fixes, without blaming individuals first.
6. Emergency preparedness and evacuation. Fire, medical and other emergencies, with roles, assembly points and drills. An incident management plan can cover the response.
7. First aid. Who is trained, where the kits are, and when to call an ambulance.
8. Induction and training. What every new worker learns before starting, and how competency is checked and refreshed.
9. Safe operating procedures. Step-by-step instructions for the routine tasks where a mistake could cause harm. Our SOP templates cover many common tasks.
10. Contractor management. How you check that contractors are competent, and how their work is coordinated with yours. Our guide to managing contractors and their WHS documentation explains what to ask for.

Personal protective equipment (PPE), chemical handling, manual handling and fatigue management often sit alongside these. Add them where your work needs them.

What the law says about WHS

Work health and safety laws in Australia come in layers. Safe Work Australia develops the model WHS laws: the Act, the Regulations and the codes of practice. Each state and territory then passes them as its own law. Every jurisdiction except Victoria has adopted the model laws. Western Australia did so from 31 March 2022.

Victoria has its own Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, which set a similar standard of protection. If you work in Victoria, use the Victorian rules and check them with WorkSafe Victoria.

Codes of practice aren't law in themselves, but they're the practical guide to meeting the Regulations. If you choose another approach, you need to be able to show it achieves the same level of protection.

Two rules about documents are worth knowing:

• Consult before you write it. Section 47 of the WHS Act requires you to consult workers on matters that affect their health and safety. A policy written without them is likely to miss the hazards they know about.
• Review it when things change. Regulation 38 of the WHS Regulations requires you to review control measures when a control isn't working, before a workplace change, when a new hazard appears, when consultation shows a review is needed, or when a health and safety representative asks for one.

For high-risk construction work, you also need a safe work method statement before the work starts. Check whether your work is high-risk with our Do I need a SWMS? checker.

How to write policies that people follow

A policy that nobody reads protects nobody. These steps make the difference.

1. Start from your hazards. Write the procedures your workplace actually needs, not every topic a template lists. A warehouse and a café have different documents.
2. Keep it short and specific. Replace "take care" with what to do, who does it and when. "Forklift drivers check the brakes and mirrors before each shift and log any fault in the pit book" is a control. "Be careful around forklifts" isn't.
3. Write for the reader. Use plain English and short sentences. If a document is for a crew that speaks several languages, translate it, and keep the English version as the record.
4. Consult the people who do the work. Ask them what's missing and what won't work on the job. Their changes are usually the most useful.
5. Approve, train and sign. Name the person who approved each version, train people on it, and record that they've read it.
6. Review on a schedule and after events. Check each document after an incident, a near miss or a change in the work, and at least once a year as good practice.

How SafetyDocs helps

SafetyDocs has more than 1,250 expert-written templates, including WHS policies, procedures, SOPs, SWMS, management plans and registers. Job, client and site details fill in automatically, so you can adapt a document quickly. Workers sign free from a text, link or QR code on any phone, with no app or account. Documents are sent in your crew's languages, with the English original kept as the record.

When a document changes, everyone who signed is asked to sign the new version. That gives you a dated record of what was in force and who agreed to it. It helps you meet your duties. It doesn't make you compliant on its own.

Common questions

What's the difference between a WHS policy and a procedure? A policy says what you're committed to and who is responsible. A procedure sets out the steps for a particular task or event. You need both: the policy explains the rules, and the procedure tells people how to follow them.

Do I have to have a written WHS policy? No single law requires one policy document for every business. You do have to manage risks, consult workers and keep records, and some plans must be in writing, such as the WHS management plan for a construction project. A written policy is the usual way to show you're doing all of this.

How often should I review them? Review them whenever a control isn't working, a workplace change happens, a new hazard appears or an incident occurs. At least once a year is good practice for most workplaces.

Can I use a template? Yes, but adapt it to your workplace. A template that doesn't match your hazards, equipment and workers won't protect them, and a document that doesn't fit what happens on site creates a gap you'll be asked about.

This is general information, not legal advice. Check the current law with your WHS regulator.