Acacia Safety Consulting

20/07/2026

Making sense of Australian WHS law 🧐

Most small business owners don't know exactly which WHS laws apply to them, and that's pretty understandable. WHS law in Australia works in layers:
🔴The WHS Act and Regulations are actual law, so you must comply with them.
🟠Codes of Practice explain the accepted way to comply with the law. Depending on your state they are either a legal requirement, or a strong recommendation that you'll need good reason to depart from.
🟡Australian Standards are separate documents, some are mandatory (if they are referenced by the Regulations) and some are not. Any of them could be used as evidence in court if things go wrong.

Most states follow the national model laws, so the framework is broadly consistent across Australia. Victoria is the exception, running its own OHS Act, Regulations and Compliance Codes.

For most small businesses, your baseline obligations come down to five things:
1️⃣ Provide a safe work environment, so far as is reasonably practicable
2️⃣ Identify hazards and manage risks
3️⃣ Consult with your workers on safety matters
4️⃣ Have the right documents and records in place
5️⃣ Make sure anyone working for your business has the information, training and supervision they need to do the job safely

The hard part is figuring out what each of these actually looks like for your specific business. Our free WHS Self-Assessment Tool is a good place to start: acaciasafety.au/whs-self-assessment/ 👉

18/05/2026

📢Mandatory Australian Standards are becoming FREE to view online!

If you've ever needed to look up a mandatory Australian Standard and been charged just to read it, that's about to change.

Mandatory Australian Standards will soon be free to view online for everyone. These are technical documents that set out the requirements businesses must follow to stay legally compliant. Up until now, accessing them has meant purchasing individual standards or paying for a subscription, a real barrier for small businesses, sole traders and apprentices.

❓What's changing?

Any Standard referenced in Commonwealth, state or territory legislation will become free to view online, with funding committed over four years from 2026-27 to make it happen. This includes:
✅ Standards referenced in the WHS Regulations (great news for all businesses)
✅ Standards referenced in the National Construction Code (great news for builders and other trades)
✅ Standards referenced in electrical safety legislation, like AS3000 - the wiring rules (great news for sparkies)

Here are a few examples of Standards that are mandatory in the WHS space:

⚡ AS/NZS 3760 – In-Service Safety Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment
The "test and tag" standard. Sets out inspection intervals, testing procedures and record-keeping for portable electrical equipment in the workplace.

🔩 AS 4343 – Pressure Equipment: Hazard Levels
Helps businesses understand their obligations where pressure vessels are present in the workplace.

🏗️ AS/NZS 3012 – Electrical Installations on Construction and Demolition Sites
Sets out requirements for temporary electrical installations on worksites, covering switchboards, cabling and RCDs.

We'll share more details as they come to hand on how and when access will be available. Watch this space!

17/05/2026

Here's something a lot of businesses don't know: having a written emergency plan is not enough. The law also requires you to actually test it, which usually means running emergency drills.

How often you run drills depends on your workplace, but it needs to be documented in your plan and it needs to actually happen. A good rule of thumb is to run an emergency drill at least once per year.

The good news is that your emergency plan doesn't need to be a lengthy document. For most small businesses, a clear, practical plan that tells your workers exactly what to do is all you need.

If you'd like a customised emergency plan for your workplace, get in touch for a free 20-minute consultation.

12/05/2026

Did you know that every Australian workplace is legally required to have an emergency plan?

Not just large businesses. Not just high-risk workplaces. Every workplace, regardless of size or industry. Whether you run a two-person trade business, a fabrication workshop, a landscaping crew, an office or a small retail shop, this one is non-negotiable.

An evacuation diagram on the wall is not enough, proper emergency plan covers:
✅ How you will respond if an emergency occurs
✅ How people will evacuate
✅ How and when you will contact emergency services
✅ How medical treatment and assistance will be provided
✅ How the person in charge will communicate with everyone on site

It also needs to be kept up to date, tested, and reviewed whenever something changes at your workplace.
Not sure if your emergency plan covers everything it should? Get in touch and we can help. 👇

30/04/2026

Do you actually know what WHS documents and systems your business needs to have in place? Most small business owners don't. Working through the legislation, Codes of Practice and Standards to figure out what applies to your specific business takes time that most people don't have.

That's why we built our free WHS Self-Assessment Tool. It asks you practical questions about your business and gives you a clear picture of what you must have in place, what you really should have, and what's simply good practice.

Give it a try here: acaciasafety.au/whs-self-assessment/

It's brand new and we'd love your feedback. What was useful, what was confusing, or what you wish it covered. Leave a comment or send us a message. 👇

Or, if it's all too much to think about, let us do it for you. We can help you build a simple, compliant WHS system for your business.

30/04/2026

📢 New Codes of Practice for NSW businesses

SafeWork NSW has released four updated Codes of Practice, which came into effect on 27 March 2026. If your work falls into any of these areas, it's worth checking whether your current practices and documents are up to date:
🚛 Collection and transport of waste
🌲 Safe handling of timber preservatives and recently treated timber
🚜 Safe use and storage of agricultural and veterinary chemicals
🌳 Tree works

You can download all four from the SafeWork NSW website. 👉 https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/resource-library/list-of-all-codes-of-practice

From 1 July 2026, it becomes a legal duty in NSW to comply with a Code of Practice, or provide an equivalent or higher standard. Not sure what the changes mean for your business? Get in touch and we can help you work through it.

27/04/2026

Today is Workers' Memorial Day, observed every year on the 28th of April to remember those who have lost their lives at work.

Each year, roughly 200 Australian workers die as a result of work-related injuries or illnesses. Take a moment today to think about the people behind the statistics. Behind every workplace incident is a real person, and a family whose lives were changed forever. If you have lost a friend, colleague or family member to a workplace incident, we acknowledge you today too.

Whether you run a business or work for one, getting everyone home safely is a responsibility we all share. Let's keep looking out for each other.

24/06/2025

📢PSA: SafeWork NSW inspectors are currently carrying out random inspections at businesses in Forbes and surrounding areas.

If you’re a local business and want to make sure you're prepared, or need help responding to an improvement notice, I can help. I'm a WHS consultant based in Forbes, and I support businesses with all kinds of WHS documents and systems, like:

✔ Emergency plans
✔ Hazardous chemicals registers
✔ Training & competency records
✔ Register of injuries
✔ SWMS
✔ Toolbox talks
✔ Asbestos registers
✔ WHS inductions and more

I can help you make sense of your legal requirements and take the hassle out of managing WHS at your workplace.

📞 Get in touch today to get your safety systems sorted before (or after) the inspector comes knocking.

13/01/2025

Happy New Year! The start of a new year is the perfect time to reflect on your organisation's work health and safety practices 🕐

👉Here’s a simple checklist of WHS tasks to kickstart the new year:

✅ First aid kits – Ensure they are fully stocked with all required items, check the expiry dates.
✅ Hazardous chemicals register – Replace any expired SDSs (they expire after 5 years) and add new chemicals to the register if needed.
✅ Review WHS policies and procedures – Ensure they are current and reflect any changes in your business or regulations.
✅ Review qualifications – Check if any first aid certificates or other required licences are due for renewal.
✅ Hold a WHS meeting – Discuss priorities for the year, and provide your team an opportunity to raise safety concerns or suggestions.

Taking these small but important steps now can help you stay compliant and create a safer workplace for the year ahead!

10/05/2024

⁉️ Did you know that if your workplace is in a building built before 2004 you MUST have an asbestos register? Even if there's no asbestos at the workplace!

⬇️Free asbestos awareness training!⬇️

Tafe NSW is offering a free, online, self-paced asbestos awareness course until 13th June 2024. This is a perfect course for all builders, carpenters, electricians, demolition workers, painters, plumbers, solar installers or anyone else who might come across asbestos materials at work.

If you are an employer this training course can help you meet your legal obligation to provide adequate information, training and instruction to workers who might come across asbestos.

Contact us if you have any questions about what your business needs to do about managing the risks of asbestos at work!

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral found in rocks and was used in over 3000 building products until it was banned in 2004. It is still present in one in three Australian homes today. When asbestos is disturbed, asbestos fibres can be inhaled, which can cause life-threatening diseases such as....