WHS Compliance Calculator
Complete the checklist and receive your No-Obligation Compliance Report plus the Free Bonus Guide — How to Handle a Safe Work Inspection. Both delivered to your inbox and downloaded instantly. 18 categories. WHS Act 2011 + WHS Regulation 2025.
Start your assessment
Select your state and industry. The questionnaire adapts to match the legislation and hazards that apply to your workplace.
At the end you'll receive your No-Obligation Compliance Report and the Free Bonus Guide: How to Handle a Safe Work Inspection — both delivered by email and downloaded instantly.
This tool is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice. For a formal compliance audit, engage a qualified WHS consultant or occupational hygienist.
What is WHS compliance?
WHS compliance means meeting the legal duties set by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, the WHS Regulation, and approved Codes of Practice in your state or territory. Under Section 19 of the WHS Act, a PCBU (Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking) must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers, contractors, visitors, and any other person affected by the work. Compliance is not a single tick-box exercise — it is an ongoing duty to identify hazards, assess risks, and apply the hierarchy of controls at every stage of operations.
Who needs a WHS compliance check?
Every business operating in Australia is a PCBU and carries WHS duties under the model WHS laws (or the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004, which retains distinct employer/employee terminology). This includes sole traders, partnerships, companies, not-for-profits, and volunteer organisations. If you engage workers of any kind — employees, contractors, labour hire, apprentices, or volunteers — you must run regular compliance checks against the 18 categories covered by this tool. Directors and senior executives also carry personal due-diligence duties under Section 27 and can be held liable for workplace manslaughter in every Australian jurisdiction.
What this tool covers
The calculator walks you through approximately 80 yes/no questions across 18 compliance categories: primary duty of care, officer due diligence, risk management, airborne contaminant exposure monitoring, health monitoring, noise management, hazardous chemicals, asbestos management, hazardous manual tasks, confined spaces, ventilation and PPE, psychosocial hazards, consultation and HSRs, incident notification, emergency planning, training and induction, Section 26A of the WHS Act (effective 1 July 2026), and the WEL transition (effective 1 December 2026). Industry-specific questions are added automatically when you select your industry, and state-specific overrides adjust the content for Victoria (OHS Act 2004) and Western Australia (harmonised 2022).
State-specific WHS requirements
WHS laws vary across the Australian jurisdictions. New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT, and the Northern Territory operate under the harmonised model WHS Act and Regulation. Western Australia adopted the model WHS Act in 2020 (effective 31 March 2022). Victoria has retained its own Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 with distinct terminology (employer/employee instead of PCBU/worker; Compliance Codes instead of Codes of Practice; a 2-metre fall protection threshold). The calculator adjusts its question language automatically when you select Victoria. NSW has mandatory silica awareness training effective September 2024 and audiometric testing for noise-exposed workers effective January 2026. Queensland has unique crystalline silica dust regulations effective 1 September 2024. All jurisdictions implemented the engineered stone ban on 1 July 2024.
Industry-specific WHS requirements
Different industries face different hazard profiles and different enforcement priorities. Construction is covered by high-risk construction work (HRCW) categories and SWMS requirements under WHS Regulation Part 6.1. Metal fabrication carries elevated welding fume, manganese, and chromium VI exposure risks. Food processing and bakeries face flour dust and combustible dust explosion risks with incoming WEL reductions. Healthcare and aged care concentrate on patient handling, occupational violence, and formaldehyde exposure. Auto body workshops carry isocyanate exposure risks and require AS 1668.2-compliant spray booths. Timber and woodworking sites must manage wood dust as a Group 1 carcinogen. This tool adds 3-6 trade-specific questions on top of the core set for every industry you can select.
How often should I run a compliance check?
Run a full compliance check at least annually as part of your WHS management system review. Run an additional check whenever you change plant or processes, bring in new substances, respond to an incident or near-miss, receive a regulator notice, or face a significant organisational change like a merger or scope change. Some triggers come with specific review obligations under the WHS Regulation — for example, when a health monitoring result shows an adverse finding (r376), when an atmospheric monitoring result approaches the exposure standard (r50), or when a HSR issues a Provisional Improvement Notice. Re-running this calculator every three months is a light-touch way to track progress on the action plan this report generates for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is this WHS compliance calculator free?
Yes. The calculator is completely free. You receive a full compliance score, category breakdown, and prioritised action plan immediately after answering the questions. The branded PDF report is emailed to you and also downloads to your browser at no cost.
How long does the assessment take?
Most users complete the assessment in 10-15 minutes. The exact number of questions depends on your state and industry selections — typically 80-90 questions across 18-20 categories. Questions are simple yes/no, and each one carries a regulation reference you can follow up on if you need more detail.
Does this replace a formal WHS audit?
No. This tool is a self-assessment checklist based on the core requirements of the WHS Act, WHS Regulation, and Workplace Exposure Standards. A formal compliance audit requires site inspection, document review, worker interviews, exposure monitoring where applicable, and sign-off by a qualified professional. For a formal audit, engage a qualified WHS consultant or occupational hygienist — we can help you find one.
Is my data stored securely?
Yes. Your lead details (name, email, company, phone) and assessment results are stored in our Sydney region database (ap-southeast-2). Data never leaves Australian regions. We use your contact details only to deliver this report and respond if you contact us — we do not share your details with third parties or use them for unrelated marketing.
Does this cover Section 26A and the 1 July 2026 changes?
Yes. The calculator includes a dedicated Section 26A category covering the 30 approved Codes of Practice that become legally binding from 1 July 2026 under the amendment to the WHS Act. It also covers the Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) transition effective 1 December 2026, where approximately 40 Workplace Exposure Standards are being replaced with lower, more protective WEL values.
What happens if my score is low?
A low score means critical WHS compliance gaps exist that expose workers to foreseeable risk and the business to regulatory enforcement action. The action plan in your PDF report sorts your gaps by priority and includes the regulation reference for each one. Start with the HIGH-priority items — they carry the largest regulatory and safety risk. If you need help interpreting the results or building a remediation plan, engage a qualified WHS consultant.