Regulations

The  Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2017  were made on April 26, 2017, to take effect on June 18, 2017. These replace the 2007 regulations. There were few major changes, although many smaller ones as well as the numbering being totally redone.  We are currently updating each of the chapters.

Comprehensive guides to the OHS regulations 2017 are now available on this page of the WorkSafe Victoria website. There is also a guide for Equipment (Public Safety )Regulations here. The guides provide a comparison between 2007 and 2017 regulations, and provide specific details of any associated changes to duty holder requirements.

In summary, however, the main changes in the 2017 regulations that we think HSRs and workers should know about can be checked here.

Update: August 2019
New Part 4.5 - Crystalline Silica - was inserted on August 20, 2019. This part applies until 19 August 2020, by which time it is expected that a new regulation will replace it. Update: The expiration date has now been extended to 19 November, 2021.

Update: July 2020 - COVID-19 Notification regulations 
On July 28, 2020, the Victorian government declared the Occupational Health and Safety (COVID-19 Incident Notification) Regulations 2020 - effective immediately and in place for one year. 

The new regulation requires employers and self-employed persons, with management or control of a workplace to notify WorkSafe immediately after becoming aware that an employee or contractor has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and has attended the workplace. Click on the link below for more information.

Update: September 2021 
On July 20, 2021, the Occupational Health and Safety Amendment (Infringements and Miscellaneous Matters) Regulations 2021 were made. The regulations introduced a new Chapter 7B - Enforcement has  been introduced. The main objectives of this chapter are to:

  • prescribe certain offences as offences for which an infringement notice may be issued; and
  • prescribe  infringement penalties in respect of those offences; and
  • prescribe the class of persons who may issue infringement notices

These changes, in addition to a number of more minor updates, were included in the regulations on September 1, 2021.

Update: November 2021

On November 15, 2021, the new Crystalline Silica regulations came into effect - the regulations require that employers engaging in engineered stone processes must be licensed.  

The full text of the regulations can be viewed and downloaded FREE from the Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents website -  click on "In force", then on Statutory Rules, and then on "O" to find the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations.

To purchase hard copied, go to this site as well. A 'Buy printed Act/SR' button is now located next to the latest authorised version, and when selected will take the user to the authorised printer's website (LitSupport/TIMG) to make the purchase. Note that users can still open and download the legislation for their own use

Note that Victoria decided in 2011 to not adopt the Model WHS Regulatory package. Consequently, the legislation in Victoria is the 2004 OHS Act, the 2017 Regulations (from June 18, 2017) and various Compliance Codes.

Last amended November 2021