Australian Standards

Australian Standards and Australian/New Zealand Standards (Australian Standards) are developed by an independent organisation called Standards Australia. It prepares and publishes voluntary technical and commercial standards which are sometimes adopted by work health and safety regulations. 

Australian Standards set out specifications and design procedures to ensure products and services consistently perform safely, reliably, and the way they're intended to. Conforming to Australian Standards is mandatory where laws require this.

Australian Standards are developed specifically for Australian workplaces and are likely to contain more relevant information for Australian operating conditions, such as load factors, climatic conditions, licencing requirements etc. than an international standard. However an international standard could be considered in conjunction with the equivalent Australian Standard. An international standard may be a useful, additional source of information for duty holders, particularly where its use achieves the same or better overall level of safety to its Australian Standard equivalent.

Officers of a PCBU have a duty to take reasonable steps to acquire and keep up-to-date knowledge of work health and safety matters. Up-to-date knowledge may include acquiring knowledge of standards that are relevant to the work of their PCBU. 

What if an approved code of practice refers to a standard?

A relevant approved code of practice can be used by anyone who has a duty of care in the circumstances described to determine what they should do to meet that duty. Under the WHS laws, approved codes of practice are admissible in court proceedings to demonstrate what is known about a hazard, risk or risk control and a court may rely on an approved code of practice in determining what is reasonably practicable in relation to a matter.

If an approved code of practice recommends following a specific Standard, then it would be reasonable to consider the specified standard forms part of that approved code of practice. However, following codes of practice is not mandatory. Compliance with the WHS Act and Regulations may be achieved by following another method if it provides an equivalent or higher standard of work health and safety than the code of practice.

Australian Standards referenced in WHS Regulations

Further information

Interpretive guidelines to Work Health and Safety 

• How to determine what is reasonably practicable to meet a health and safety duty
• The meaning of 'person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU)
• Health and safety duty of an officer

Code of practice: How to manage work health and safety risks